Life, Animated (2016) Review

A young boy with Autism finds a means to communicate in real life through the imaginary world of Disney. This is a brilliant documentary that is as affecting as it is inspiring; giving understanding to the different yet magical way people with autism view the world.

Up until he was three, Owen Suskind appeared to play and socialise like any other little boy. Overnight, everything changed and this once exuberant child completely withdrew. Even walking became a challenge. To his devastated parents, it was like someone had kidnapped their child and they were at a loss to understand what was happening.

A series of paediatric specialists analysed Owen, and he was diagnosed as having a pervasive developmental disorder—autism. For the next year, he didn’t speak a word. When he finally did, it was during a family screening of The Little Mermaid, but doctors dismissed his utterance as mere mimicking.

The only time Owen appeared happy or content was when watching animated Disney films. It would be another four years before he next said anything, but when he noticed his older brother appearing sad after his 9^th birthday, Owen not only spoke, he observed his brother’s upset and related it to a Disney scene.

His father realised that Owen was understanding life through Disney characters, and by communicating to him using a puppet from the film Aladdin, they had their first conversation since he was a toddler. Owen not only understood the films, he had memorised every line, and through these fictionalised characters he could relate to different emotions and relationships.

Throughout his school years, even when bullied horrendously, Owen used Disney films to make sense of the world, to understand the different human emotions that you experience and that provide connection with others. He is not alone. While many young people with autism find socialising challenging, they still desire the connections and the friendships that many of us take for granted.

As a young adult, Owen forms a group with others who have learning disabilities. The group is focussed on a shared love of Disney. Through it, he finds his voice and the friendships he craves. But, as Owen—now 23—looks to move out and begin his life as an adult, he must face further challenges without the guaranteed happy endings that Disney so often provides.

Life, Animated is a film as special as its central subject. Through its own animations, it brings to life the story of Owen’s journey so far; the trials as well as the triumphs.

Autism is often misunderstood, and through this intimate storytelling, we are given an insider’s view from the parents, his brother and Owen himself. It’s a privilege, and you cannot help but become emotionally invested in the future of this incredible young man and his family.

As Owen’s parents face the daunting reality that they won’t always be there to take care of their son, and he will never have the same ability to carve out a career and independence as they have, his father makes the observation: “who decides what a meaningful life is?”

It’s a powerful question. And, like the film itself, it will have you pondering all that we take for granted, for some time after the credits roll.

Please make the effort to see this film; through Owen’s unique lens, your own view of the world will no doubt shift.