garthbenham They say that when you've met one person with autism, you've met just one person with autism.Most movies or television shows which contain a character with autism tend to overload that character with the combined traits that would be found in ten to twenty people with autism. Not so in Mozart and the Whale.The characters are very well written, developed and acted. As a teacher who works with individuals with Aspergers/Autsim I was pleasantly surprised by the realistic approach to the characters in the movie, including those in the support group.Additionally the attempts by the lead characters at socializing with neuro-typicals were also portrayed very accurately.The fact the movie is also very entertaining and a joy to watch is a bonus.

jimmieschicken_shack i have aspergers syndrome, and i found mozart and the whale to be a touching and relatable film. i thought this movie did a really good job showing autism as a spectrum with the different characters. most other movies about autism show the syndrome as an extreme, where the characters possess every characteristic of the disorder, and in an exaggerated form. i also liked how the characters the two main characters had different characteristics for aspergers, showing that there isn't a typical aspie. i agree that with the review below that some aspects were exaggerated, though you should remember that the main characters also have savant syndrome, with not all aspies do. and i disagree with the statement that the movie didn't show aspies as higher functioning. it showed the characters in the movie as living on their own and having steady jobs, again showing the spectrum of autism. a big thing with aspergers is the inability to develop strong emotional connections with others. and i think that this movie conveyed that, and it makes the love story between the two main characters all the more relatable.

TxMike We are told this is a fictional story inspired by real people and real events. Asperger's autism is the diagnosis. Many with this affliction can get along just fine in the world, hold down jobs, even be an example to others, but certain characteristics make it hard for them to function "normally" around others and especially enter into positive love relationships.Josh Hartnett is Donald Morton and in the opening minutes we find out (1) he is perhaps on his last cab gig, having lost all the others and (2) he assembles and facilitates a group of others with social disorders and helps them cope. However, talking too much to his fares and not paying attention, he crashes his cab into a parked flower delivery truck, and just walks away from the accident. We can clearly see he has some issues.A new person shows up in the group, Radha Mitchell as Isabelle Sorenson. She works as a hair stylist and also paints. She is very pretty and articulate in an interesting way, and she and Donald start to fall for each other. They become friends then lovers, but it is filled with surprises, and nothing works out very smoothly.Donald is a savant of sorts with numbers, and Isabelle helps him get a job where he has to look over very complex computer print outs and check them for validity or inconsistency, something he is perfect for.I enjoyed the story and the acting seemed very real. The title comes from their choices of costume for an event, she as Mozart and he as a Whale.

pandemo-geo Before I knew of the dissatisfaction of some of the actors associated with this movie, I loved JDH's portrayal of Donald Morton. I've ordered the book, Mozart and the Whale, An Asperger's Love Story, co-written by the real-life man and wife who inspired the story, Jerry and Mary Newport with Johnny Dodd.When I heard of the controversy over making the story comical vs realistic, I knew I'd love to see a director's cut made. If just plain folks can express an opinion about what movie makers think we want compared to what we REALLY want, I say, "TRUST US TO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE TRUTH." Even though I already own a DVD of this movie, should one appear labeled DIRECTOR'S CUT, I'd shell out for it.Maybe THAT one would rate a 20, or even a 50!