How well does this film portray autism?
The movie Fly Away does a good job of portraying a more severe form of autism. This story of a teenage girl with autism, who has constant tantrums and fits of violence, portrays some aspects of autism well, however others it does not. I feel like this film focuses too much on the negative impact that Mandy's autism has on her family's life, and does not focus enough on the beauty of her differences and appreciation of her unique perspective on life.
To describe how this movie presented Mandy as an autistic teenager, I will divide the characteristic behaviors he displayed into five categories.
To describe how this movie presented Mandy as an autistic teenager, I will divide the characteristic behaviors he displayed into five categories.
Communication and Social Interaction:
Mandy displays several differences from neurotypicals in her communication and social interaction. First of all, for a girl of her age, Mandy's language acquisition is largely delayed and she is not able to talk as well as a girl her age should be able to. Also, when Mandy does speak, she has a very monotone voice. When conversing with others, Mandy often uses echolalia, and simply repeats back what others have just said. For example, when Mandy, her mom, and Tom are out to eat pizza, her mother says "shit" and then Mandy begins yelling, "shit, shit, shit, shit...." which gets Mandy and her family kicked out of the restaurant. Mandy is also very straightforward and says whatever is on her mind. When trying to wake her mother up one morning, Mandy taps her shoulder over and over and says, "Mommy, mommy, are you dead?" It appears Mandy just says the first thought that pops into her head, that because her mother is not moving, perhaps she could be dead. Finally, Mandy does not make eye contact very frequently, which is characteristic of autistics.
Most of Mandy's characteristics are similar to what we have learned this semester about communication differences in autistics. We have learned that many autistics have delays in language acquisition, and also that many use echolalia quite frequently when communicating. We did learn as well that autistics tend to be very upfront and honest and therefore could feel the need to ask their mother if they're dead when they are not responding. Overall, I think Fly Away accurately portrays the communication differences seen in autism.
Most of Mandy's characteristics are similar to what we have learned this semester about communication differences in autistics. We have learned that many autistics have delays in language acquisition, and also that many use echolalia quite frequently when communicating. We did learn as well that autistics tend to be very upfront and honest and therefore could feel the need to ask their mother if they're dead when they are not responding. Overall, I think Fly Away accurately portrays the communication differences seen in autism.
Intense Intests:
Mandy is very fascinated by airplanes. She frequently states random facts about the Boeing 747, and every time she spots an airplane passing overhead, she becomes completely enthralled and cannot look away. She also gets very excited and jumps up and down and squeals. Similarly to Oskar Schell's complete obsession with discovering his father's final message to him, Mandy also is obsessed with airplanes. This semester we have learned that intense fascinations are very common in autistics and this movie portrays that aspect of autism accurately.
Tantrums:
One major difficulty Mandy's mother faces, are her numerous and violent tantrums. Mandy melts down in many different situations when she becomes overwhelmed. During a tantrum she usually throws things, yells, viciously rocks her body back and forth, and one time even bit her father. Mandy also yells things such as "I hate myself," and "Mandy's a bad girl" during her tantrums. When talking about Mandy's tantrums, her mother stated that if she is placed in a situation that she cannot handle, such as a park with many noisy kids running around, she will melt down. During one very severe tantrum, Mandy destroyed her entire classroom at school by throwing desks and other objects all around, and her other classmates had to be evacuated to protect their safety.
This semester we have learned that autistics can throw tantrums when they are overwhelmed and placed in overstimulating environments. While tantrums can be characteristic of autism, I believe this film exaggerated Mandy's tantrums. We did not watch or read about any autistics with this extreme of tantrums, and I believe the film simply makes Mandy's tantrums appear so violent to emphasize and increase the stress her mother must deal with. Therefore, I think the tantrums Mandy performs are an inaccurate representation of autism.
This semester we have learned that autistics can throw tantrums when they are overwhelmed and placed in overstimulating environments. While tantrums can be characteristic of autism, I believe this film exaggerated Mandy's tantrums. We did not watch or read about any autistics with this extreme of tantrums, and I believe the film simply makes Mandy's tantrums appear so violent to emphasize and increase the stress her mother must deal with. Therefore, I think the tantrums Mandy performs are an inaccurate representation of autism.
Stimming Behavior:
Mandy also performs stimming behavior, such as flapping her fingers and hands, and rocking back and forth. Particulary when she is overcome with excitement, Mandy performs this stimming. For example, while watching her cartoon in the morning Mandy starts laughing and becomes very excited to the point where she is rocking back so violently that she falls out of her chair. Again, I think the fact that Mandy rocks so energetically that she falls out of her chair is an exaggeration, however it is true that autistics perform stimming behavior, such as rocking and hand flapping when they are excited or overwhelmed. For the most part I believe Fly Away accurately captures the stimming behavior of autistics, it is just slightly over the top.
Other:
One other characteristic behavior Mandy displayed was her need for routine. Each morning, Mandy's mother wrote out what activities they were going to do that day, accompanied by the times each one should take, so Mandy would know exactly what to expect for the day. Mandy is also shown covering her ears quite a bit when she is frustrated or overwhelmed. Mandy also gets very upset when her mother does not immediately fulfill her promise that she will buy Mandy ice cream if she stays at school for the whole day. Additionally, Mandy is seen playing with toys and performing activities (coloring and playing with stuffed animals) customary of children much younger than her.
I believe demonstrating Mandy's need for routine accurately portrays autism. We have learned from numerous sources that autistics do not like surprises that catch them off guard so a strict routine will help the individual excel. We have witnessed many parents of autistics utilize the strategy of keeping a strict schedule to help their child, for example, Tito's mother. We have also learned that autistics may cover their ears when overwhelmed with sensory stimuli, and therefore Mandy's behavior accurately portrays this behavior. From reading many works written by autistics (ex: Jasmine O'Neill), we have also discovered that autistics do not like when plans are changed on them, and they become very upset, most likely because it creates unpredictability for the autistic. Mandy demonstrates this animosity towards changing plans when she becomes upset when her mother does not take her for ice cream immediately. One thing that is not accurately portrayed is Mandy's choice in toys. Similarly to Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, just because an individual is autistic does not mean they have lesser mental capacity an can only enjoy toys aimed very young age groups. This portrayal of Mandy wanting to color and play with dolls inaccurately and negatively portrays autistics.
One final characteristic Mandy demonstrates, which is not solely characteristic of autism, but that I'm glad the film Fly Away incorporated, is Mandy's demonstration of empathy toward her mother when she tries to comfort her when she is crying. We learned this semester that there is a huge misconception that autistics lack empathy, and we have read and watched many pieces that completely disprove this notion, but I am appreciative that this film is not furthering this misconception by inaccurately suggesting autistics lack empathy.
I believe demonstrating Mandy's need for routine accurately portrays autism. We have learned from numerous sources that autistics do not like surprises that catch them off guard so a strict routine will help the individual excel. We have witnessed many parents of autistics utilize the strategy of keeping a strict schedule to help their child, for example, Tito's mother. We have also learned that autistics may cover their ears when overwhelmed with sensory stimuli, and therefore Mandy's behavior accurately portrays this behavior. From reading many works written by autistics (ex: Jasmine O'Neill), we have also discovered that autistics do not like when plans are changed on them, and they become very upset, most likely because it creates unpredictability for the autistic. Mandy demonstrates this animosity towards changing plans when she becomes upset when her mother does not take her for ice cream immediately. One thing that is not accurately portrayed is Mandy's choice in toys. Similarly to Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, just because an individual is autistic does not mean they have lesser mental capacity an can only enjoy toys aimed very young age groups. This portrayal of Mandy wanting to color and play with dolls inaccurately and negatively portrays autistics.
One final characteristic Mandy demonstrates, which is not solely characteristic of autism, but that I'm glad the film Fly Away incorporated, is Mandy's demonstration of empathy toward her mother when she tries to comfort her when she is crying. We learned this semester that there is a huge misconception that autistics lack empathy, and we have read and watched many pieces that completely disprove this notion, but I am appreciative that this film is not furthering this misconception by inaccurately suggesting autistics lack empathy.
Overall...
...I think Mandy's behaviors accurately portray autism. Besides her extreme tantrums which I believe are slightly exaggerated for the film, I believe Fly Away correctly captures autism.
What is the relationship between Mandy and her family like?
I really enjoyed seeing Mandy's mother's complete dedication and support for her daughter, and her relentless attempts to help her in whatever way she can. Both Mandy's father and the principal of her school are constantly urging Mandy's mother to consider institutionalization for her daughter. After every one of Mandy's tantrums they argue that Mandy needs more help and trying an institution may be helpful. Despite enduring a job loss and several bruises acquired from trying control Mandy during her tantrums, Mandy's mother does not give up. When confronted by Mandy's principal one day, and urged to look into institutionalization, Mandy's mother firmly asserts, "My daughter is not a problem, my daughter is a person." Mandy's mother is caring and supportive and realizes that while sending Mandy away is the easy way out, it is not what is best for Mandy and she therefore refuses to consider the option. Eventually, Mandy does end up finding a school for autistics that suits her well, and again Mandy's mother is there to offer support as Mandy learns to become more independent.
There was one comment made by Mandy's mother however, I did not enjoy. After her and Mandy spent the day with Tom, Mandy's mother was talking to Tom in the kitchen and she asks why he would want to be with her when there are so many other girls out there who do not have daughters like Mandy. I was quite shocked that Mandy's mother made this comment, especially when she seemed so supportive in the rest of the movie.
There was one comment made by Mandy's mother however, I did not enjoy. After her and Mandy spent the day with Tom, Mandy's mother was talking to Tom in the kitchen and she asks why he would want to be with her when there are so many other girls out there who do not have daughters like Mandy. I was quite shocked that Mandy's mother made this comment, especially when she seemed so supportive in the rest of the movie.