Movie Paper

Esmeralda Rodriguez
April 17, 2023

EDUC 2301
Spring 2023
Temple Grandin
Released 2010
Producer: Scott Ferguson
Director: Mick Jackson
Film Company: HBO
Temple Grandin, Aunt Ann, Uncle Mike, Temple’s mom, and Dr. Carlock are the main
characters in this movie. Temple is a girl who grew up in the 40’s and was diagnosed with
Autism which was not something that was very well known at that time. All the main characters
around Temple continuously pushed her and did not allow her diagnosis to overshadow what an
amazing person she was. Dr. Carlock, Temple’s professor in one of her special schools,
presented her with an optical illusion project. While working on her project, she would
continually fail but did not give up. She eventually figured it out and was able to present it to the
class. This is an example of the fourth portrayal in which the person triumphs against all odds to
overcome what is presented to them.
In my experience as an ABLE aide for 12 years, I believe that the movie portrayed people
with Autism quite accurately. Temple did not speak until she was at least four years old and that
is a symptom in Autism. At the beginning of the movie when her Aunt Ann went to pick her up
for the Summer, Temple kept repeating “would you like for me to open the gate?” once they
reached the gate to her aunt’s ranch/farm. People with Autism often have repetitive behaviors.
They also have obsessive interests and Temple certainly had an interest in science, specifically in
animal science. She was quite particular in her food as well eating only jello and yogurt. She was
sensitive to sound and would cover her ears with her hands. These are some more examples that
people with Autism have. When Temple went to college in the 60’s, she certainly struggled with
communicating with her peers and being accepted, but that didn’t stop her from pursuing what
she wanted to do. At her aunt’s ranch/farm, Temple saw how cows were being treated right
before being slaughtered. She noticed that they were extremely anxious and were put in a
contraption to somewhat calm them. Since Temple does not like hugs nor human touch, she
made a squeeze machine that would help her when she was anxious. Yes, the movie was accurate
on what Autism looks like, but obviously not all people with Autism have the same symptoms
nor do they have all at the same time. I believe that the movie put both a positive and negative
spin on Autism. The positive I saw was that no matter the disability, if you work hard and don’t
give up, you can accomplish anything. The negative I saw was that it categorized all people with
Autism having the same specific symptoms such as all being sensitive to sound or not liking
human touch. Again, yes these are all traits for Autism, but they are not all the same. Just like
you and I are different, so are people with ASD.
The roles that each character played in relation to the character with the disability was
extremely important. After diagnosing Temple with Autism, at that time it was a form of
schizophrenia, her mother could not and would not institutionalize her as suggested by the
doctor. She refused to accept that her daughter would amount to nothing in this world. Because
she didn’t listen to society, she hired therapists and worked with Temple on her own to help with
her social interactions when she was a child. Later when she was a teenager, Temple would visit
her aunt and uncle at their ranch/farm. They would allow her to explore and truly let her be
herself. In high school, Temple had a teacher, Dr. Carlock, who really inspired her to pursue her
love for science. He pushed her in ways that other teachers did not. Because he gave her that
drive, she was accepted into college where she excelled. Without all these characters/important
people in Temple’s life, she would probably not have made such a difference in this world and
have become such a success for the Autism community. Like the saying goes, it truly does take a
village to raise children. Can you imagine how many more people need to be involved for the
success of someone with a disability?
I absolutely enjoyed this movie. Even though I work with children with Autism on the
daily, I was able to still see differences and similarities. After watching, I started looking up who
the real Temple Grandin is. I watched a YouTube video where she was speaking in front of
1000’s of people about how the Autism mind works, and she truly is amazing. She often referred
to her movie and how she loved how they portrayed her. In my opinion, the movie did a great job
showing a purpose to it. This movie can help teachers get a glimpse of what someone with
Autism goes through. Of course, since this was set back in the 40’s-60’s, times have changed and
resources have gotten better, but none the less the symptoms of Autism are alike. I know that the
movie industry can exaggerate on certain parts, but since this was based on a true story and
Temple gave her input with her details, I believe that it came out as accurate as can be. I would
definitely recommend this to future teachers.

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Esmeralda Rodriguez

April 17, 2023

overcome what is presented to them.

you and I are different, so are people with ASD.

success of someone with a disability?

definitely recommend this to future teachers.

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