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| Image courtesy of Bleeker Street |
Representation of people on the autism spectrum has come a long way since Rain Man (1988). Terms like ‘neurodivergent,’ ‘atypical,’ and ‘self-stimming’ are becoming more well-known and replacing uncomplimentary terms like ‘special.’
Ezra (2024) is part of the new batch of shows and series to better depict and represent people on the autism spectrum. While it follows a typical Hollywood formula and relies on some old cliches, it packs an emotional punch and does representation right.
The main character is Ezra, an autistic 11-year-old who sometimes uses movie quotes to communicate and connect. This was one of the many accurate ways that autism was depicted in the film, which is about father Max (Bobby Cannavale) taking his son on a cross-country road trip. Cannavale does a lot of the heavy lifting in this brief film that covers a lot of topical ground.
William A. Fitzgerald plays the titular character and is on the spectrum himself. Director Tony Goldwyn insisted on using a child actor who was autistic. Writer Tony Spiridakis is the father of an autistic child. Both Goldwyn and Spiridakis worked with a producer to make the set more accommodating for Fitzgerald and other crew were were on the spectrum.
Max, a standup comedian, and Jenna (Rose Byrne) struggle to co-parent Ezra after being separated. Disruptive incidents at a public school and at home prompt social workers to get involved and suggest that Ezra be sent to a special needs school and also begin taking anti-psychotic medication.
This conflict is what drives the rest of the film: what does Ezra actually need? Goldwyn’s film becomes very educational about how autism works without being pedantic. The need for more expansive ways of interacting and learning is addressed when Max and Jenna meet with teachers, administrators, and doctors.
Families and friends of those on the spectrum will find these meeting scenes all too real and relatable. Some Hollywood cliches come up during some of these meetings, which can take away from the emotional impact.
This main conflict is also what prompts Max to literally kidnap Ezra, so the child won’t have to take the medication suggested or attend the special needs school. During the road trip, the cast of supporting characters (Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson, and Robert DeNiro) each get their brief scenes to help Max come to terms with his frustrations, his own issues, and also deal with possibly being on the spectrum, too. These scenes also delve into generational trauma passed down from Max’s dad Stan (Robert DeNiro).
All the conversations in the film also address the more popular ideas and misconceptions about autism, including that it might be hereditary. One moving scene later in the movie comes when Max and Ezra hide out with Grace (Vera Farmiga), a childhood friend of Max. During one of the most powerful monologues, Max becomes dysregulated and Grace, being familiar with autistic calming routines, places her hand on his chest and also her thumb on his forehead, rubbing both slightly and slowly.
There’s more showing than telling of the routines and methods of interacting with people on the spectrum, including a scene where Max tells Ezra that he’s using a metaphor instead of speaking literally. The metaphor he explains is used well during the climax of the movie, though it’s pretty cliche and unrealistic. Still, it works as a very moving climax.
Ezra is a part of a new wave of accurate representation of people on the autism spectrum. Though these shows and movies run the gamut in terms of accuracy (Atypical, Community, The Good Doctor, ), each makes some progress in furthering representation. Despite its predictability and cliches, Ezra is a moving film that is a breathe of fresh air to anyone related or connected to someone on the spectrum.
- Eric Beach