One winter day Alex (Alan Rickman,) a troubled middle-aged man, reluctantly picks up a loquacious young hitchhiker named Vivenne, agreeing to drive her to Winnipeg, Canada. Although he is somewhat standoffish and doesn't much care for 'chatty people,' he starts to enjoy the company of the eccentric young woman. Unfortunately, they haven't gone far when they are hit by a truck driver. Alex gets out unhurt, but Vivienne is killed instantly.
Wracked with guilt, Alex goes to the house of Vivienne's mother, Linda (Sigourney Weaver,) and apologizes for what happened. As soon as he meets her, he can tell that Linda isn't quite normal. A socially challenged neat freak, she refuses to let him come in her kitchen and seems more interested in the "sparklies" Vivienne got her from a gas station then her death. He learns from a next-door neighbor that Linda has high-functioning autism.
Linda tries to convince Alex to stay until the funeral, hoping that he will take out the trash, Vivenne's old job. He agrees, mostly because he needs his clothes, which she insisted on washing. Alex soon meets Maggie (Carrie-Anne Moss,) a woman who lives nearby. She and him soon begin a relationship. It is Linda and Maggie who help him face his past and learn to move on.
This slow, well-acted movie has some flaws, chiefly the fact that the premise is unlikely. If you get past these, it's actually a good film. All the characters are very interesting (except Maggie, who seems to be there just to ease Alex's pain,) and it's quite moving at times. It's plot is not really mostly about Autism, so people who aren't interested in developmental disabilities might enjoy it. It's not perfect, but it's probably one of the better movies I've reviewed so far. (Rated NR)
Wracked with guilt, Alex goes to the house of Vivienne's mother, Linda (Sigourney Weaver,) and apologizes for what happened. As soon as he meets her, he can tell that Linda isn't quite normal. A socially challenged neat freak, she refuses to let him come in her kitchen and seems more interested in the "sparklies" Vivienne got her from a gas station then her death. He learns from a next-door neighbor that Linda has high-functioning autism.
Linda tries to convince Alex to stay until the funeral, hoping that he will take out the trash, Vivenne's old job. He agrees, mostly because he needs his clothes, which she insisted on washing. Alex soon meets Maggie (Carrie-Anne Moss,) a woman who lives nearby. She and him soon begin a relationship. It is Linda and Maggie who help him face his past and learn to move on.
This slow, well-acted movie has some flaws, chiefly the fact that the premise is unlikely. If you get past these, it's actually a good film. All the characters are very interesting (except Maggie, who seems to be there just to ease Alex's pain,) and it's quite moving at times. It's plot is not really mostly about Autism, so people who aren't interested in developmental disabilities might enjoy it. It's not perfect, but it's probably one of the better movies I've reviewed so far. (Rated NR)
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