Life, Animated (2016) The Orchard/Documentary RT: 89 minutes Rated PG (thematic elements, language including a sexual reference) Director: Roger Ross Williams Screenplay: Ron Suskind Music: Todd Griffin Cinematography: Thomas Bergmann Release date: July 15, 2016 (Philadelphia, PA) Cast: Owen Suskind, Ron Suskind, Cornelia Suskind, Walt Suskind, Jonathan Freeman, Gilbert Gottfried.
Rating: ****
For many, animated Disney movies are magic, an essential part of childhood. For Owen Suskind, they’re much more. He uses them to understand the world. At age three, he was diagnosed with autism after he suddenly “vanished” (his father’s word) into his own little world. He stopped talking altogether save for some incomprehensible babbling. For a time, the wall he built around himself was impenetrable. Then his family discovered the way in. His father, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind, snuck into Owen’s room one evening and talked to him in the voice of Iago, the villainous parrot sidekick to Jafar in Aladdin, while playing with his son’s Iago hand puppet. It worked; it was the first time Ron had an actual conversation with his son. That’s when they realized that the animated Disney movies Owen watched over and over again were more than just entertainment.
Life, Animated, a touching documentary based on Ron Suskind’s 2014 memoir of the same name, focuses on a crucial turning point in Owen’s life. The 23YO is about to graduate from school and move into his own apartment at a supervised living facility. It’s a stressful thing for those without disabilities so you can imagine it must be extra hard for Owen. But he copes with it the same way he’s coped with everything life has thrown at him. He applies the lessons taught by Disney movies. When it’s time to pack, Owen asks his father if they can watch three scenes from Dumbo first; specifically, the scene where Dumbo has to move on after his mother is taken from him.
Basically, Life, Animated is a coming-of-age story. It’s one in which the central character identifies more closely with sidekicks than heroes. Owen actually sees himself as the protector of sidekicks. In response to being bullied at school, Owen started drawing Disney sidekicks like Iago, Sebastian the crab (The Little Mermaid) and Baloo the bear (The Jungle Book). He turned his sketches into a story entitled Land of the Lost Sidekicks which director Roger Ross Williams adapted into a short film.
I have to say that Owen is one amazing guy. Life, Animated is also a profile in courage. Here’s a guy that society tends to overlook because of his disability. When we first meet him, he’s walking down the street talking to himself. Most people would make a wide berth around him, but not Williams. He turns his camera on Owen and allows us a chance to get to know the person beyond the initial label of “crazy guy”. We see scenes of his childhood by way of home videos. We see Owen before and after his “vanishing”. In present day, we follow him as he prepares to take that first step on the road to independence. We watch him act as leader of a Disney club he started at school. One day, he brings his friend Jonathan Freeman (aka the voice of Jafar) to read lines from Aladdin with him when comedian Gilbert Gottfried (the voice of Iago) makes a surprise appearance much to Owen’s delight. We share his joy at graduating; we share his pain as he deals with his first big break-up with his girlfriend of three years.
We also hear from his family about life with an autistic family member. In one scene, older brother Walt ponders what will happen when their parents are gone. The role of caretaker will fall to him; it’s a notion that he appears to have accepted long ago.
Life, Animated is moving and inspiring without being manipulative or saccharine. The animated segments depicting Owen’s inner life are a nice touch. I also love that Disney granted Williams permission to use scenes from their movies, a courtesy the company ordinarily doesn’t extend. In a summer filled with one big budget disappointment after another, it’s great to see something as authentic as Life, Animated.
Near the end of the film, Owen is invited to deliver a speech to a roomful of psychologists in Paris. He even attempts to speak a little bit of French. It’s a moment of huge triumph for a person who doctors thought would never speak again. Once again, the audience shares the feeling. Life, Animated is an extraordinary film about an extraordinary individual. It’s an absolute must-see!
