Temple Grandin

Recently a friend recommended that we watch the film “Temple Grandin.” So we put it in the queue and watched it as a family this week. And all three of us really appreciated this sensitive, creatively done work that seemed to capture well “what it’s like.”

In this HBO movie based on a true story, Emmy winner Claire Danes plays a brilliant young woman who must cope with autism in the 1960s and 70s, when people laughed at kids’ awkward social interactions and blamed moms for their children’s behavior.

Temple's strong support from her family enables her to go to college, get a master’s degree, and earn a PhD studying animal behavior. Her love for animals and her exceptional observation skills combined with her ability to view life as snapshots provide her with a unique ability to understand how animals think. The result is a revolution in the development of a more humane way to handle livestock.

Our girl loved that Temple was played by Claire Danes, and I enjoyed seeing Temple’s mother played by Julia Ormond (the “angel” in “Iron-Jawed Angels”) and her aunt played by Catherine O’Hara  (the mom in “Home Alone”). But more than the terrific acting, we appreciated the powerful illustration of how being different sometimes comes with some serious advantages. What Temple lacked in social skills she gained in the ability to see life through a unique lens.