Autism: The Musical
Encyclopedia
Autism: The Musical is an Independent
documentary film
by Tricia Regan. In April 2007, the film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival
in New York City
. The film recounts six months of the lives of five children who are on the autism spectrum in Los Angeles
, California
as they write and rehearse for an original stage production.
and their parents in Los Angeles
, California
as their children write and rehearse for an original stage production. Among the children, Henry Stills is an expert on dinosaurs and a budding comedian; Adam Mandela Walden plays the cello and sings in the film. The other children featured in the film have one or more things they excel at doing if only given the training they need to communicate and develop those skills.
Several of the parents appearing in the film are well known in his or her own right. For example, Rosanne Katon-Walden
was Playboy
magazine's Playmate of the Month for its September 1978 issue and her husband Richard Walden (Operation USA) is the president and chief executive officer of Operation USA
, an international organization that shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize
for its work as part of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
. American guitar
ist and singer/songwriter Stephen Stills
is "Stills" in the renowned rock band Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
. They and the other parents round out a cast of real-life parents struggling with their strained marriages while dealing with the sometimes overwhelming needs of their child with autism.
, but did not materialize. However, in that same year, noted acting coach Elaine Hall founded The Miracle Project
, a nonprofit, Sherman Oaks, California based theater group for children with autism and other disabilities. In late 2005, Tricia Regan began filming the six-month rehearsal process at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services recreation room in Los Angeles. Regan is said to have collected more than 400 hours of raw material, winnowing the documentary to five complementary family narratives. The title of the film emerged only in the late stages of editing.
In March 2007, reality show producers Bunim/Murray Productions
expanded its business into films and made "Autism: The Musical" its first acquisition. Bunim/Murray Productions came on board toward the end of shooting to join In Effect Films in producing the film.
's sixth annual Tribeca Film Festival
, the film enjoyed a limited theatrical run in several US cities in 2007. Among its many awards, the film received the best documentary award at the 10th annual Newport International Film Festival in June 2007. The film was purchased for broadcast beginning March 25, 2008 by HBO.
as one of 15 films on its documentary feature Oscar short list
. The film has won awards at 7 major film festivals in the U.S. Following its television broadcast on HBO, the film garnered two 2008 Emmy awards, for nonfiction film editing as well as "Outstanding Nonfiction Special".
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Tricia Regan. In April 2007, the film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The film recounts six months of the lives of five children who are on the autism spectrum in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as they write and rehearse for an original stage production.
Plot
The film recounts six months in the 2005-06 life of five children with autismAutism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
and their parents in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as their children write and rehearse for an original stage production. Among the children, Henry Stills is an expert on dinosaurs and a budding comedian; Adam Mandela Walden plays the cello and sings in the film. The other children featured in the film have one or more things they excel at doing if only given the training they need to communicate and develop those skills.
Several of the parents appearing in the film are well known in his or her own right. For example, Rosanne Katon-Walden
Rosanne Katon
Rosanne Katon is an American model, actress, comedian and activist. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its September 1978 issue...
was Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine's Playmate of the Month for its September 1978 issue and her husband Richard Walden (Operation USA) is the president and chief executive officer of Operation USA
Operation USA
Operation USA is a non profit humanitarian organization dedicated to helping communities alleviate the effects of disaster, disease, and endemic poverty throughout the world by providing privately-funded relief, reconstruction, humanitarian aid and development aid...
, an international organization that shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
for its work as part of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of non-governmental organizations working for a world free of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions, where mine and cluster munitions survivors see their rights respected and can lead fulfilling lives.The coalition was formed in...
. American guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist and singer/songwriter Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
is "Stills" in the renowned rock band Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
Crosby, Stills & Nash is a folk rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, also known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young when joined by occasional fourth member Neil Young...
. They and the other parents round out a cast of real-life parents struggling with their strained marriages while dealing with the sometimes overwhelming needs of their child with autism.
Production
An idea for the film was first raised in July 2005 as a potential 48 Hour Film Project48 Hour Film Project
The 48 Hour Film Project is a contest in which teams of filmmakers are assigned a genre, a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue, and have 48 hours to create a short film containing those elements. Shortly after the 48 hours of filmmaking, the films from each city are then screened at a theater...
, but did not materialize. However, in that same year, noted acting coach Elaine Hall founded The Miracle Project
The Miracle Project
The Miracle Project is a theater and film program for autistic children and their siblings and friends, which was featured in the HBO documentary Autism: The Musical. The documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and won two Emmy awards and many Audience Awards...
, a nonprofit, Sherman Oaks, California based theater group for children with autism and other disabilities. In late 2005, Tricia Regan began filming the six-month rehearsal process at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services recreation room in Los Angeles. Regan is said to have collected more than 400 hours of raw material, winnowing the documentary to five complementary family narratives. The title of the film emerged only in the late stages of editing.
In March 2007, reality show producers Bunim/Murray Productions
Bunim/Murray Productions
Bunim/Murray Productions is an entertainment production company based out of Van Nuys, California, and is considered a pioneer in the reality television genre. It is best known for The Real World, The Bad Girls Club, and Road Rules...
expanded its business into films and made "Autism: The Musical" its first acquisition. Bunim/Murray Productions came on board toward the end of shooting to join In Effect Films in producing the film.
Distribution
After its premiere on April 18, 2007 at Robert De NiroRobert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
's sixth annual Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
, the film enjoyed a limited theatrical run in several US cities in 2007. Among its many awards, the film received the best documentary award at the 10th annual Newport International Film Festival in June 2007. The film was purchased for broadcast beginning March 25, 2008 by HBO.
Reception
On November 19, 2007, "Autism: The Musical" was named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
as one of 15 films on its documentary feature Oscar short list
Short list
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates . The length of short lists varies according to the context.-U.S...
. The film has won awards at 7 major film festivals in the U.S. Following its television broadcast on HBO, the film garnered two 2008 Emmy awards, for nonfiction film editing as well as "Outstanding Nonfiction Special".
See also
- Stanley GreenspanStanley GreenspanStanley Greenspan was a clinical professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Science, and Pediatrics at George Washington University Medical School and a practicing child psychiatrist...
- His floortime approach to engage Autism inspired Elaine Hall to create The Miracle ProjectThe Miracle ProjectThe Miracle Project is a theater and film program for autistic children and their siblings and friends, which was featured in the HBO documentary Autism: The Musical. The documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and won two Emmy awards and many Audience Awards...
, the subject of Autism: The Musical.
Further reading
- Hart, Hugh. (March 23, 2008) New York Times A Season of Song, Dance and Autism. Section: AR; Page 20.
External links
- Official website
- The Miracle Project - Official film location for Autism: The Musical.