How well does this film portray autism?
The movie A Mile In His Shoes, does a great job of portraying autism and the unique perspective and struggles some autistics may face. Mickey, a teenager diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, is unexpectedly asked to play for a semi-professional baseball team, the River Rats, and must leave the farm he has spent his whole life at. Seeing Mickey's transformation and growth as he encounters new experiences is exciting to watch.
To describe how this movie presented Mickey as an autistic boy, I will divide the characteristic behaviors he displayed into four categories.
To describe how this movie presented Mickey as an autistic boy, I will divide the characteristic behaviors he displayed into four categories.
Communication and Social Interaction:
I think this film does a good job presenting communication differences customary of autism. Mickey displays several communication and social interaction differences throughout the movie. First of all, Mickey takes things other people say very literally. For example, when Murph is teaching him how to pitch he says,"Every now and then you gotta take something off," to which Mickey replies, 'Take something off?' and takes his cap off and throws it. It is very common among autistics to interpret what other people say very literally, which can interfere with communication. Mickey also uses a very monotone voice when conversing with others, which we have learned can be a characteristic of autism.
Intense Interests:
Mickey is very interested in mathematics, and is a "whiz" with numbers. He keeps track of very minute details that neurotypicals would not normally pick up on. For example, after traveling from his farm to the baseball stadium, he remarks when asked about himself, that him and Murph passed under 36 bridges on the trip from his home. Also, after Mickey is attacked at Lefty's party, he is told that he can be the team statistician until he is able to pitch again, because he is so good at working with numbers. This semester we have learned that autistics often have particular areas of very intense interest, and quite a few of them are good with numbers. Mickey is similar to Oskar from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, in his mastery of numbers and extraordinary ability to calculate numbers. Overall, Mickey's intense interest in mathematics is accurate when portraying autism. Mickey also has a great interest in pitching, and has been pitching apples on his farm for years. This intense interest and dedication to pitching is why Mickey has an incredible talent in pitching.
Need for Routine:
Similarly to what we have learned about autistics this semester and their desire for routine, Mickey also has trouble with new environments and experiences. For example, when Murph is trying to convince Mickey's parents to allow their son to try out for his baseball team, Mickey's father reminds his mother of the difficulty Mickey has had adjusting to new experiences in the past, like when he tried going to public school and camp. Mickey's father emphasizes his need for stability and routine, similarly to Mandy in the film Fly Away, in which her mother writes up a schedule for each day and then walks Mandy through it so she knows what to expect. This semester, we have learned that many autistics enjoy and excel when they stick to a strict schedule, and they have a difficult time when their day is unpredictable. Therefore, Mickey's father's hesitation seems like it would be common amongst many parents of autistic children, because such a drastic change as moving to a new city and joining a baseball team could be very difficult for an autistic.
Atypical Senses:
Mickey also displays sensitivity to loud noises. When he is pitching at baseball games, the cheers from the crowd can cause sensory overload and make it difficult for him to focus on his pitching. Mickey has to consciously block out the noises of the stadium so that he can focus on his job of pitching. This characteristic is accurately portrayed and many autistics we have read from this semester have discussed their hypo- or hypersensitivity to different sensory stimuli and how they accommodate when their senses are overwhelmed. In the film, there are also a few moments when Mickey has flashbacks to his childhood and he is shown hiding under the table while his parents are looking for him. We have also read that some autistics enjoy being in enclosed spaces when they feel overwhelmed and that the feeling of being enclosed helps some of them feel calm. Perhaps hiding under the table was Mickey's way of blocking himself from the overwhelming senses of the world to calm down.
Overall...
...I think this film does a great job of portraying autism! It is obvious that Mickey perceives and interacts with the world differently, and while slightly apprehensive or protective, by the end of the film his team, coaches, and family appreciate and celebrate his differences and his unique ability.
How is Mickey treated by others?
While beginning this movie, I did not appreciate Mickey's father's overprotectiveness of Mickey. While I understand he was concerned that Mickey would have difficulty adjusting to so drastic a change, I think he should trust that his son will be able handle this change and allow his son the chance to try playing baseball if he wants to. Eventually, Mickey's father does allow Mickey to go with Murph and play baseball, so even though he was hesitant at first, I am glad Mickey's father eventually had the faith in his son to allow him to go. One statement that Mickey's father made that I did not enjoy was when he said to Murph about his son, "(Mickey is) mentally disabled, out of touch with reality, and he don't belong here." I think the father's pessimistic attitude is quite sad, and if he is so unsupportive and doubtful of Mickey, how can he be expected to accomplish anything at all.
I really enjoyed Murph's interactions and support of Mickey. Not once did Murph ever doubt Mickey's ability to adjust to playing baseball and he had so much confidence in him even after he just met him. Also, once Mickey arrived at baseball tryouts, Murph was very accommodating to Mickey, and did everything he could to make him feel comfortable. Murph explained to the team that Mickey has autism, and what autism is, and he introduced him to his roommate PeeWee. PeeWee was very helpful to Mickey as well and always looked after him and helped him feel like part of the team.