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Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, Catherine O'Hara, David Strathairn

Director Mick Jackson teams with screenwriters Christopher Monger and William Merritt Johnson to tell the story of autistic icon Temple Grandin, a woman who refused to let her disorder limit her true ... read more read more...potential. Adapted from Grandin's own writings, the film allows the audience to experience the world much like she does while recounting her colorful life and remarkable achievements from childhood to adulthood. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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95% liked it

3,120 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

6 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Mick Jackson

Release Date: February 6, 2010

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DVD Release Date: August 17, 2010

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Stats: 731 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (731)

  • RCCLBC
    March 28, 2012
    RCCLBC
    I have always been sort of indifferent about Claire Danes, but I believe that with this film she has really proved herself to be quite an actress.

    It's a performance that if done poorly could have come across as over the top are cartoonish, but Danes nuanced performance bring... read mores the quirky Grandin to life in a very believable, moving yet empowering way.

    The supporting cast (particularly Ormond & O'Hara) are also superb.

    In addition to the great acting, the film was edited and enhanced in a delightful way, that really helps the view have a better understanding of the complex way that Grandin's (brilliant) mind works.

    An exceptionally good film about an exceptionally brilliant woman.
  • paulkoh110
    January 30, 2012
    paulkoh110
    The film takes a completely new approach to autism. The editing for one thing grabs your mind and expands it for people unfamiliar with the disorder. Claire Danes is fantastic and brings strong emotions when displaying the biographical character. A fun watch for those who have th... read moree opportunity to watch it.
  • axadntpron
    January 6, 2012
    axadntpron
    For someone who knew nothing about Temple Grandin prior to this film, I really had no idea what I was in for. In fact, I was not very excited due to the presence of Claire Danes. I know she has talent, but I have not really seen a film of hers that has really impressed me. Enter ... read moreTemple Grandin. A role that can be seen as merely Oscar bait, but is deftly handled by Danes. Never once did I feel as though she was an actress playing a woman with autism. Hell, had Danes never been in a film before, I would just have assumed that they cast an actual person inflicted with the disorder. While this seems like acting 101, it amazes me just how many actors chew the scene in such a way that draws way too much attention to themselves.
    As for the film itself, it is well done. The sound design is masterful and the images fly at you in such a way that help get the viewer immersed into such a complex mind.
    However, it does in the end feel like a tv movie. Things are too often overstated and the music swells in a way that frequently drew my attention to the artifice and prevented me from truly immersing in the film. Also, there were a few scenes that looked like they were pulled from a Hallmark special of the week.
    In the end, it is a fascinating and well told story. Yet, it is mainly a vehicle for Danes and she does not disappoint.
  • hunterjt13
    July 11, 2011
    hunterjt13
    Temple Grandin, the author of Animals in Translation and Thinking in Pictures succeeds in getting her education, designing revolutionary livestock handling methods, and adjusting to a world that doesn't understand her, nor vice versa.
    In most cinematic presentations... read more of autism, the characters are either uncommunicative (Silent Fall) or superheroes (Rain Man and his Blackjack brilliance), but what sets Temple Grandin apart is the film's ability to present what is special about Temple at the same time that her autism causes her to behave in cringe-worthy manners. And the film's quick cutting and graphics allow us to understand how Grandin thinks, and I like how the story is often told intertwined with visual special effects; it's almost as though how Grandin sees the world and how we see the film are dramatically enmeshed.
    Claire Danes won a richly deserved Golden Globe for this performance. She doesn't descend in caricature, and there wasn't a moment I didn't believe that I was watching a real person. Likewise, Julia Ormond has a thankless role as Temple's mother; this character doesn't have any scene-stealing moments, but Ormond makes the most of her screen time, and the last moment, though tipping the scales toward a Lifetime movie, is a tear-jerker only because of Ormond's performance.
    Essentially, the film is saying what a former teacher has been writing for years: autism is a rhetoric, a way of being in the world, a paradigm, a different way of perceiving, processing, and responding to stimuli. It is not a superpower that will make you a billion dollars in Vegas because autism and savantism are two different things; it is not a disability or a form of retardation. Now, this is the opinion coming out of autistic communities, of which Grandin is a part, and there are counter-arguments, but this film and Temple Grandin's life and work serve as convincing evidence in my view that autism is closer to a diversity issue than a medical issue.
    Overall, Temple Grandin is a stirring portrait of a very strong person's mind with a tour de force performance by Claire Danes and fine direction by Mick Jackson.
  • CloudStrife84
    June 28, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    Wonderful in every way! I can't say that Claire Danes is a name that falls often on my lips, but after seeing this extraordinary performance by her - not to say pitch perfect and deeply touching - I'm now instantly ranking her among Hollywood's most prominent talents. An amazing,... read more compelling and visually delightful story, that deserves to be seen by a larger audience. For this is what great acting is all about and the very reason why I love movies.
  • itsjustme2004
    June 21, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    Fantastic movie. I have to admit, the first 10 min or so I was not sure whether this was a movie for me..it seemed a little strange. BUT, it quickly became clear that this was a special movie about a very special person. Very well done, inspiring, and heartfelt film.
  • MrsInsomnia
    April 19, 2011
    MrsInsomnia
    It's an unforgettable true story! At first it'll be weird if you had never had an experience with an autistic person (and believe me i had never had ) but after watching a lot of her life , you 'll put yourself into her place ,for a while, and feel how she feels .Claire Daines' a... read morecting couldn't be better!
  • purplemegan
    January 2, 2011
    purplemegan
    Amazing...if ever there was a story of overcoming the odds, this is it.
  • rubystevens
    December 10, 2010
    rubystevens
    outstanding bio of an unusual woman: temple grandin is america's most famous autistic person. the fact that she wasn't institutionalized growing up in the 50's is a testament to her mother and a series of teachers who struggled to penetrate temple's thought process. the film i... read mores the most realistic depiction i have yet seen of the world of an autistic person. temple went on to become a doctor of animal science who revolutionized the cattle industry and a leading spokesman for autistic people everywhere, showing great courage in the face of others' rejection and scorn along the way. claire danes is an actress of whom i never thought much but she is remarkable here. and the director of the bodyguard? seriously? i laughed, i cried, i learned stuff...
  • PedroPauloA
    October 10, 2010
    PedroPauloA
    What made her different made her exceptional.

    positive, encouraging, heartening, pleasing, cheery, gratifying, uplifting, touching.

    A biopic of an Autistic young women who is super-smart and discovers way to contribute to society and animals. the movie follows... read more her path through the stages in her life which make her one of the most famous scientists in human society.

    The acting of the movie is marvelous, this is the first movie i have seen with Claire Davis and she surprised me, she has an immense talent, a beautiful way to connect us the audience to the character she built. Temple is so sympathizing you feel that throughout the movie you have actually had a chance to meet her. Besides her we have prodigious actors like O'Hara and Strathaim.

    The movie in general is so astonishing, it will grab everyone by the heart, it has a massage to everyone out there, it tells the story of a very important women in our society, is shows each and everyone of us aspects of autism we have never scene before. This is one of televisions best, this year, and i honestly think it deserves to go out for the movies, because i wont be surprised if this years oscars go to "Temple Grandin".

    Temple Grandin: They will be very calm. Nature is cruel but we don't have to be. We owe them some respect. I touched the first cow that was being stunned. In a few seconds it was going to be just another piece of beef, but in that moment it was still an individual. It was calm and then it was gone. I became aware of how precious life was

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Critic Reviews

Michael Phillips
February 8, 2010
Michael Phillips, At the Movies

Exactly the kind of idiosyncratic project that gave HBO its reputation in the first place. Full Review

A.O. Scott
February 8, 2010
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

The best biopic in a very, very long time. Full Review

Mark R. Leeper
September 22, 2010
Mark R. Leeper, rec.arts.movies.reviews

Clare Danes gives a hypnotic performance and director Mick Jackson keeps the film as visually interesting and full of ideas. Full Review

Renee Schonfeld
September 21, 2010
Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media

Riveting true story of a young autistic woman's journey. Full Review

Jules Brenner
August 27, 2010
Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals

Danes' grand solo interpretation. The integrity of her performance and clear devotion to her subject is second to none and evident in every frame. Full Review

David Nusair
February 13, 2010
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

Anchored by Claire Danes' best performance to date... Full Review

Jay Weissberg
November 2, 2011
Jay Weissberg, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Darcy Paquet
October 11, 2011
Darcy Paquet, Screen International

Click to read the article Full Review

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    • Temple Grandin: But my favorite of Einstein's words on religion is 'Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.' I like this because both science and religion are needed to answer life's great questions.
    • Temple Grandin: Different but not less
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