“Life, Animated” – A Remarkable Story About Alternative Communication Comes to the Big Screen in Indianapolis

As the ABC News story, ‘Life, Animated’ Parents Describe How Animated Characters Helped Son With Autism Connect (Jun 29, 2016) reports, “Owen Suskind’s world came to a halt in 1993. The toddler stopped talking, showing affection and engaging in the world around him.” When his parents Ron and Cornelia took him to a doctor, they received the horrifying diagnosis that Owen suffered from regressive autism.

Then, about a year later, a remarkable thing occured – Owen began to talk again, using dialog from Disney animated films to communicate, as this video report shows. Unbelievably, Owen had memorized every line from every Disney movie he’d seen.

Owen’s father Ron Suskind, an award-winning reporter for the Wall Street Journal, documented the family’s 20-year experience in his 2014 book “Life, Animated,” which has been turned into the just-released documentary film of the same name by Academy Award® winning director Roger Ross Williams. While we have not had a chance to see it, yet, based on the ABC report, the film’s trailer, and early reviews, “Life, Animated” looks like an educational, entertaining, and inspirational movie.

Critical Praise for “Life, Animated” Documentary
Click links to read full reviews. (opens in new window)

“A captivating portrait of a young man for whom Disney animated movies have provided a powerful lifeline to progress, language and understanding.”
Justin Chang, Variety

“Incredibly moving documentary takes us into the interior life of an autistic person, and explores how films helped him communicate with the outside world.”
Lanre Bakare, The Guardian

“Like the Disney movie clips that flood its frames, this too-tentative look at how a bound mind found freedom in animation leaves us in little doubt of a happy ending.”
Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times

“Instead of false hope, it offers up possibility, the chance of a stimulus that might get past the blocks of developmental disorder.”
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“Life, Animated” Coming to Indianapolis

Starting July 1st, the documentary will be touring the country in limited release. According to the official “Life, Animated” website, the film will have a run at the Keystone Art Cinema (8702 Keystone Crossing) in Indianapolis beginning August 5, 2016.

While no information about this showing is currently available on it’s website, if you are interested in seeing “Life, Animated” when it comes to Indy we recommend contacting the Keystone Art Cinema directly, (317) 566-8185, for more information.

Watch the Official Trailer for “Life, Animated”