How well does this film portray autism?
The movie Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close does a fantastic job of portraying autism. Oskar Schell is a nine-year-old boy who, although not formally diagnosed as autistic, displays many characteristic behaviors of autism and was tested to determine if he had Asperger’s Syndrome, however the tests were inconclusive. Through Oskar’s journey to understand his dad’s final message to him and try to elongate his time with him, the viewer helps understand Oskar’s unique and wonderful perspective on the world.
To describe how this movie presented Oskar as an autistic boy, I will divide the characteristic behaviors he displayed into four categories.
To describe how this movie presented Oskar as an autistic boy, I will divide the characteristic behaviors he displayed into four categories.
Communication and Social Interaction:
One major difference from neurotypical children that Oskar displayed throughout the movie was his differences with communicating and interacting with other people. Particularly, Oskar was very blunt when talking to other people, and would say whatever was on his mind, even if it was not necessarily polite by society’s standards. One moment in particular is when he woke his mom up in the middle of the night because he was upset and missing his dad. He was getting very upset and blurted out that he wished is was her who was in the World Trade Center on September 11th, instead of his dad. This is a very harsh statement to make, and even though he did not say it with the intention of hurt his mother’s feelings, this obviously affected her. Oskar would also use pseudo-vulgar language when talking with other, specifically the doorman, Stan. When walking in and out of his building everyday he partakes in a conversation with the doorman, during which he usually says either “dipshiitake,” “succotash my balzac,” “fukasawa you” or a combination of these words. Another difference is while most nine-year olds may like to hangout with their friends a lot, Oskar admits that he enjoys being alone and when we were shown a clip of him at school, instead of playing with the other kids on the playground, he was standing off to the side with one other friend, playing on their GameBoys. Finally, Oskar mentions that he has a hard time communicating with other people. However, this difficulty interacting with others does not seem to get in his way once he has his mind set on deciphering his father’s message to him, and has to talk to all the people in New York City with the last name Black.
I think Oskar's differences in communication do a good job of capturing what some individuals with autism experience. Because autistics feel like being up front with others is the honest and appropriate way to interact with others, the fact that Oskar says whatever is on his mind, even if it doesn't abide by social rules, is a characteristic that accurately describes some autistics. Also, the fact that Oskar admits he has trouble communication with other people accurately accounts for how most autistics feel.
I think Oskar's differences in communication do a good job of capturing what some individuals with autism experience. Because autistics feel like being up front with others is the honest and appropriate way to interact with others, the fact that Oskar says whatever is on his mind, even if it doesn't abide by social rules, is a characteristic that accurately describes some autistics. Also, the fact that Oskar admits he has trouble communication with other people accurately accounts for how most autistics feel.
Fascinations/Interests:
Oskar also demonstrates the characteristic intense fascinations some autistics display. Oskar seems to be very interested in numbers and math, and performs many calculations throughout the movie. For example, when he is playing his grandfather the tape recording of his father’s voicemail messages from September 11th, he is able to state where he was at the exact moment all six of those messages were recorded, because he is able to determine his walking pace and in turn, his location. Also, his relentless journey to discover his father's final message to him also becomes a fascination, that he is unable to take his attention off of, and dedicates nearly all of his time to try to understand the message. This journey to find the lock to the mysterious key becomes a consuming interest that controls his life until he finally discovers the answer.
Oskar's inclination towards number and math appears to be characteristic of quite a few autistics, perhaps because of their desire for consistency and ability to predict what will occur, because math is a very constant domain. Also, intense and consuming fascinations are customary of autism, and Oskar's unshakeable determination is probably partly caused by his autism.
Sensory Issues:
Throughout the film, Oskar appears to be very sensitive to different sensory stimuli. Oskar seems to get overwhelmed when he is in hectic places with loud noises and bright lights. He appears very uncomfortable with public transportation, such as the subway, possible because of the sensory overload these crowded places have, with noisy people, bright lights,and strange smells. He also demonstrates sensory stimulation and he is seen smelling and touching different objects, and rubbing objects against his face, which appears to calm him down. Oskar also appears to be sensitive to very minute sounds that other people would be unable to hear, for example, dripping water. Also, when he is very overwhelmed, he often gets upset and covers his ears.
Many autistics have atypical senses, which cause them to be very sensitive to a variety of sensory stimuli. Oskar definitely demonstrates sensitivity to particular noises and smells and becomes overwhelmed when his senses are overloaded.
Many autistics have atypical senses, which cause them to be very sensitive to a variety of sensory stimuli. Oskar definitely demonstrates sensitivity to particular noises and smells and becomes overwhelmed when his senses are overloaded.
Other:
Oskar also demonstrates several other characteristics that we have learned throughout the semester, may be demonstrated by autistics. One example is he is scared of going into unfamiliar places. To help calm himself, he brings a tambourine with him on his journey to discover his father’s message, and shakes it whenever he is made uncomfortable by his unusual surroundings. Oskar’s connection to his tambourine reminds me of Tito’s connection to his fan. Just looking at the ceiling fan spin round and round has a very calming effect on Tito, which is similar to the effect the jingle of the tambourine has on Oskar. Also, when he is overwhelmed or frustrated, Oskar sometimes throws tantrums, where he may scream, rock back and forth, and sometimes destroy things, such as his room after he discovered the key did not belong to him. Oskar also seems to enjoy enclosed spaces, which we have learned some autistics enjoy because is may relieve some of the pressure they feel from sensory overload. Oskar also appears to have trouble telling lies, demonstrated by the fact that he keeps track of all the lies he told throughout his journey. We have learned that autistics do not see the point in lying and have difficulty being deceitful. Oskar also seems to have a very good memory. When talking about his dad he is able to recall an abundance of facts about his father's life, even very minute details. Finally, Oskar performs self-destructive behavior, in the form of pinching himself and leaving nasty scars. Some autistics have been said to partake in self-destructive behavior, usually stemming from the anxiety and depression which can sometimes be co-morbid with autism.
Overall.....
...I think Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close did a fantastic job of portraying many of the major and subtle features of autism. This film demonstrates many of the characteristic behaviors autistics possess, without going over the top and making Oskar's behaviors apear stereotypical of autism.
What is the relationship between Oskar and his family like?
Another aspect of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close that I really enjoyed is the degree to which Oskar's parents embrace his differences and love him for the unique child that he is. It is incredible to watch the amazing connection he has with both of his parents, and the amount of support they provide him. First, Oskar and his dad had an undeniable bond, and his father was able to understand Oskar so well that he was able to think like him. The hunt for the sixth borough his dad created for him, and the lessons he was able to teach him through the journey on which he led him, was inspiring. Oskar's mother, Linda, was also very devoted and supportive of her son. When she first realized that Oskar was up to something when he embarked on his journey to find the lock, his mother said, "I went into your room and I tried to think like you did. I wanted to understand." Oskar's mother attempts to understand how her son thinks, and she discovers that the way he thinks is beautiful. I think as a parent, striving to understand your child and how they view the world is an amazing and rewarding experience for both the parent and the child, and it was really incredible to see Linda's dedication to more deeply understanding her son. Also, when Oskar found out his mom knew of his journey, he apologized to her and said he will be more normal, to which Linda replies, "No, you're perfect." Both Oskar's mom and dad's complete acceptance and appreciation of their son and his difference is beautiful to watch.