Autism in the movies
by weebo1980 | created - 15 Mar 2011 | updated - 05 Oct 2022 | Publica list of films that have the subject of autistic spectrum disorder.
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1. The Boy Who Could Fly (1986)
PG | 114 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
An autistic boy who dreams of flying touches everyone he meets, including a new family who has moved in after their father dies.
Director: Nick Castle | Stars: Lucy Deakins, Jay Underwood, Bonnie Bedelia, Fred Savage
Votes: 6,510 | Gross: $7.18M
2. Snow Cake (2006)
Not Rated | 112 min | Drama, Romance
A drama focused on the friendship between a high-functioning autistic woman and a man who is traumatized after a fatal car accident.
Director: Marc Evans | Stars: Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Carrie-Anne Moss, Emily Hampshire
Votes: 13,261 | Gross: $0.03M
3. Miracle Run (2004 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 120 min | Biography, Drama
A mom is alone with her fraternal twin sons after they're diagnosed with autism. She tries to give them a normal childhood.
Director: Gregg Champion | Stars: Mary-Louise Parker, Aidan Quinn, Zac Efron, Bubba Lewis
Votes: 1,663
4. The Black Balloon (2008)
PG-13 | 97 min | Drama, Romance
All Thomas wants is a normal adolescence but his autistic brother, Charlie, thwarts his every opportunity. Will Thomas, with the help of his girlfriend, Jackie, accept his brother?
Director: Elissa Down | Stars: Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Toni Collette, Erik Thomson
Votes: 9,232 | Gross: $0.09M
5. Mozart and the Whale (2005)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A love story between two savants with Asperger's syndrome, a kind of autism, whose conditions sabotage their budding relationship.
Director: Petter Næss | Stars: Josh Hartnett, Radha Mitchell, Gary Cole, Sheila Kelley
Votes: 9,293 | Gross: $0.04M
6. Adam (I) (2009)
PG-13 | 99 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Adam, a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome, develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor, Beth.
Director: Max Mayer | Stars: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving
Votes: 35,754 | Gross: $2.28M
7. Cries from the Heart (1994 TV Movie)
93 min | Drama
Michael, a young autistic boy who has trouble with verbalization but a real talent for technology, uses a computer to plead for help after being molested at his school.
Director: Michael Switzer | Stars: Patty Duke, Melissa Gilbert, Bradley Pierce, Markus Flanagan
Votes: 320
8. My Name Is Khan (2010)
PG-13 | 165 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
An Indian Muslim man with Asperger's syndrome takes a challenge to speak to the President of the United States seriously and embarks on a cross-country journey.
Director: Karan Johar | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Sheetal Menon, Katie Amanda Keane
Votes: 116,303 | Gross: $4.02M
9. Dear John (I) (2010)
PG-13 | 108 min | Drama, Romance, War
A romantic drama about a soldier who falls for a conservative college student while he's home on leave.
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Richard Jenkins, Henry Thomas
Votes: 157,664 | Gross: $80.01M
10. Molly (1999)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A bachelor becomes the unwilling guardian of his autistic, intellectually disabled sister; then an experimental treatment works a dramatic change in her brain and his attitude.
Director: John Duigan | Stars: Elisabeth Shue, Aaron Eckhart, Jill Hennessy, Thomas Jane
Votes: 3,131 | Gross: $0.02M
11. Autism: The Musical (2007)
TV-14 | 94 min | Documentary, Music
Follows five autistic children as they work together to create and perform a live musical production.
Director: Tricia Regan | Stars: Hillary Aaron, Joe Aaron, Lexi Aaron, Adam
Votes: 764
12. Silent Fall (1994)
R | 101 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
An autistic boy witnesses his parents' double murder. A controversial therapist seeks to probe the child's mind in order to solve the case.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, Linda Hamilton, John Lithgow, J.T. Walsh
Votes: 4,882 | Gross: $3.18M
13. Mercury Rising (1998)
R | 111 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Shadowy elements in the NSA target a nine-year old autistic savant for death when he is able to decipher a top secret code.
Director: Harold Becker | Stars: Bruce Willis, Miko Hughes, Alec Baldwin, Chi McBride
Votes: 77,534 | Gross: $32.94M
14. David's Mother (1994 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 92 min | Drama
A woman estranged from her husband and family insists on caring for her autistic son alone.
Director: Robert Allan Ackerman | Stars: Kirstie Alley, Sam Waterston, Stockard Channing, Michael A. Goorjian
Votes: 380
15. I Am Sam (2001)
PG-13 | 132 min | Drama
An intellectually disabled man fights for custody of his 7-year-old daughter and in the process teaches his cold-hearted lawyer the value of love and family.
Director: Jessie Nelson | Stars: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning, Dianne Wiest
Votes: 155,223 | Gross: $40.31M
16. The Other Sister (1999)
PG-13 | 129 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A mentally challenged young woman seeks independence by obtaining her own apartment and attending college while her family plans her sister's wedding.
Director: Garry Marshall | Stars: Juliette Lewis, Diane Keaton, Giovanni Ribisi, Tom Skerritt
Votes: 13,062 | Gross: $27.80M
After receiving a well-earned certification from a sheltered boarding school, Carla Tate (Juliette Lewis), an ambitious and mildly mentally challenged young woman, returns home to her over-protective mother Elizabeth (Diane Keaton). Elizabeth seems to act as if she is embarrassed about her daughter's disability. During family discussions, Elizabeth adopts an uneasy attitude. Her wisdom-hard-won father Radley ( Tom Skerritt) is a dentist and (former alcoholic). Carla's ambition is to seek more independence from her family by earning a diploma from a trade school. When Carla meets another mentally challenged student, Daniel McMann (Giovanni Ribisi), they become friends and soon fall in love. Envying Danny's freedom, Carla convinces her parents she is capable of living on her own and moves into her own apartment. After a time, Carla and Danny become sexually active together.
17. Rain Man (1988)
R | 133 min | Drama
After a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen
Votes: 546,141 | Gross: $178.80M
18. House of Cards (1993)
PG-13 | 109 min | Drama
A widow tries to find out why her daughter's strange behavior, a reaction to her father's death, is progressively worsening.
Director: Michael Lessac | Stars: Kathleen Turner, Tommy Lee Jones, Asha Menina, Shiloh Strong
Votes: 2,947 | Gross: $0.32M
19. Fielder's Choice (2005 TV Movie)
G | 85 min | Drama
Phillip Fielder is a man who is struggling to rise up in his competitive career. Then his sister passes away leaving him custody of her 8 year old autistic son. Soon Fielder learns responsibilities of being a father.
Director: Kevin Connor | Stars: Chad Lowe, Kesun Loder, Marin Hinkle, Bodhi Elfman
Votes: 320
20. After Thomas (2006 TV Movie)
93 min | Biography, Drama
A true story about a couple's struggles to meet the challenges of their son's autism.
Director: Simon Shore | Stars: Keeley Hawes, Ben Miles, Sheila Hancock, Andrew Byrne
Votes: 653
21. Nell (1994)
PG-13 | 112 min | Drama
In a remote woodland cabin, a small-town doctor discovers Nell - a beautiful young hermit-woman with many secrets.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson, Richard Libertini
Votes: 30,847 | Gross: $33.68M
22. The Wizard (1989)
PG | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A boy and his brother run away from home and hitch cross-country, with help from a girl they meet, to compete in the ultimate video-game championship.
Director: Todd Holland | Stars: Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, Jenny Lewis, Vince Trankina
Votes: 16,543 | Gross: $14.28M
23. Under the Piano (1996 TV Movie)
92 min | Drama
An autistic child growing up in the 1940's and 50's with a mother who is bitter because her fear of success has denied to herself a possible career in opera. This anger translates into an ... See full summary »
Director: Stefan Scaini | Stars: Amanda Plummer, Megan Follows, Teresa Stratas, James Carroll
Votes: 197
24. Temple Grandin (2010 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 107 min | Biography, Drama
A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry.
Director: Mick Jackson | Stars: Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, David Strathairn, Catherine O'Hara
Votes: 32,539
25. Fly Away (2011)
TV-G | 80 min | Drama
The story of Jeanne and her autistic teenage daughter, Mandy. Jeanne has cared for Mandy since the day she was born, growing closer every day to a child who is charmingly offbeat one moment and nearly impossible to manage the next.
Director: Janet Grillo | Stars: Beth Broderick, Ashley Rickards, Aramazd Stepanian, Promotion
Votes: 374
26. A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism (2009)
TV-G | 103 min | Documentary
The mother of an autistic child is determined not to accept the pessimistic prognosis for her son.
Director: Friðrik Þór Friðriksson | Stars: Margrét Dagmar Ericsdóttir, David G. Amaral, Simon Baron-Cohen, David Crowe
Votes: 271 | Gross: $0.00M
27. Mary and Max (2009)
Not Rated | 92 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
In 1976 Melbourne, a lonely 8-year-old girl strikes up a correspondence with an unlikely pen pal: a severely obese 44-year-old New Yorker with Asperger's syndrome.
Director: Adam Elliot | Stars: Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana, Barry Humphries
Votes: 186,675
28. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
PG-13 | 129 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery
A nine-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Director: Stephen Daldry | Stars: Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow
Votes: 105,137 | Gross: $31.85M
29. A Mile in His Shoes (2011 TV Movie)
PG | 89 min | Drama, Family, Sport
Mickey Tussler, an autistic pitcher, joins a minor-league baseball team and has a profound effect on the team and manager Arthur "Murph" Murphy over the course of a season.
Director: William Dear | Stars: Luke Schroder, Dean Cain, George Canyon, Chilton Crane
Votes: 789
30. God's Ears (2008)
PG-13 | 117 min | Drama
Noah Connelly is a boxer with a tireless opponent: Autism. But when he meets a dancer named Alexia, the two discover together that the toughest fight may be not be of the body, but of the heart.
Director: Michael Worth | Stars: Margot Farley, Michael Worth, John Saxon, Mitzi Kapture
Votes: 91
31. Breaking and Entering (2006)
R | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A landscape architect's dealings with a young thief cause him to re-evaluate his life.
Director: Anthony Minghella | Stars: Jude Law, Robin Wright, Vera Farmiga, Martin Freeman
Votes: 23,230 | Gross: $0.93M
32. The Horse Boy (2009)
Unrated | 93 min | Documentary
A writer documents the journey his family takes to Mongolia to consult with nomadic shamans on the healing of their autistic son.
Director: Michel Orion Scott | Stars: Rupert Isaacson, Kristin Neff, Rowan Isaacson, Kendal Stewart
Votes: 720 | Gross: $0.16M
33. Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love (1979 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 120 min | Drama
A young couple is overjoyed when they find out that, after having had two girls, the wife is pregnant again, and this time it will be a son. However, the boy turns out to autistic. Unhappy ... See full summary »
Director: Glenn Jordan | Stars: James Farentino, Kathryn Harrold, Stephen Elliott, Henry Olek
Votes: 225
34. Joyful Noise (2012)
PG-13 | 118 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
G.G. Sparrow faces off with her choir's newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill, over the group's direction as they head into a national competition.
Director: Todd Graff | Stars: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan
Votes: 8,856 | Gross: $30.92M
35. The Story of Luke (2012)
Not Rated | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Sheltered by his grandparents, Luke, a young man with autism, is thrust into a world that doesn't expect anything from him. But Luke is on a quest for a job and true love. And he isn't taking no for an answer.
Director: Alonso Mayo | Stars: Lou Taylor Pucci, Jayne Eastwood, Pam Hyatt, Cary Elwes
Votes: 3,283
36. Alphas (2011–2012)
TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Alphas is a science fiction drama focusing on a team that investigates people with supernatural abilities.
Stars: David Strathairn, Ryan Cartwright, Warren Christie, Azita Ghanizada
Votes: 29,730
37. Parenthood (2010–2015)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
The lives and tragedies of the Braverman family tree.
Stars: Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, Monica Potter
Votes: 37,530
38. Touch (2012–2013)
TV-PG | 43 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A widower struggling to raise his emotionally challenged son discovers that he can predict events before they happen.
Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, David Mazouz, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lukas Haas
Votes: 43,399
39. Ocean Heaven (2010)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama
Explores the subject of parental love and autism in kids.
Director: Xiaolu Xue | Stars: Jet Li, Zhang Wen, Gwei Lun-Mei, Yuanyuan Zhu
Votes: 2,759
40. White Frog (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Quentin Lee's gripping mystery of loss and redemption at the intersections of queerness, neurodiversity, and Asian-American identity.
Director: Quentin Lee | Stars: Booboo Stewart, Harry Shum Jr., Joan Chen, BD Wong
Votes: 2,152
41. Ben X (2007)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama, Thriller
As an alternative to getting bullied at school, an autistic teenager retreats into the world of online role-playing games.
Director: Nic Balthazar | Stars: Marijke Pinoy, Greg Timmermans, Cesar De Sutter, Gilles De Schryver
Votes: 19,377 | Gross: $0.00M
42. Stand Clear of the Closing Doors (2013)
Not Rated | 102 min | Drama
In this intense, immersive journey, a young boy finds himself lost in the lively, dangerous world of the New York City subway, while his mother fiercely searches for him above ground in a race against the clock as Hurricane Sandy nears.
Director: Sam Fleischner | Stars: Jesus Sanchez-Velez, Andrea Suarez Paz, Azul Zorrilla, Tenoch Huerta
Votes: 516
43. A Brilliant Young Mind (2014)
PG-13 | 111 min | Drama, Romance
A socially awkward teenage maths prodigy finds new confidence and new friendships when he lands a spot on the British squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad.
Director: Morgan Matthews | Stars: Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan
Votes: 30,306 | Gross: $0.14M
44. I Am Me (I) (2015)
74 min | Drama, Family
'I Am Me' tells the story of 24 year old Charlie, a young man with a learning disability and autism. Charlie loves gardening and books but hates shouting and graffiti. The story begins as ... See full summary »
Director: Jenni Mason | Stars: Daniel Cameron, Alan Orr, Angela Moore, Dani Heron
Votes: 86
45. Hear the Silence (2003 TV Movie)
99 min | Drama
The four-year-old Nicolas Shield leads a brash and peaceful life, until he gets diagnosed with autism.
Director: Tim Fywell | Stars: Juliet Stevenson, Jamie Martin, Stefan Mervyn, Luke Mervyn
Votes: 86
46. A Boy Called Po (2016)
PG | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy
After his wife dies of cancer, an overworked engineer struggles to care for his son with autism. His son in response to bullying regresses into a fantasy world escape.
Director: John Asher | Stars: Christopher Gorham, Julian Feder, Kaitlin Doubleday, Andrew Bowen
Votes: 1,798 | Gross: $1.55M
47. Life, Animated (2016)
PG | 92 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
A coming-of-age story about a boy and his family who overcame great challenges by turning Disney animated movies into a language to express love, loss, kinship and brotherhood.
Director: Roger Ross Williams | Stars: Owen Suskind, Cornelia Suskind, Ron Suskind, Walter Suskind
Votes: 6,174 | Gross: $0.26M
48. Journey of the Heart (1997 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 120 min | Drama, Music
Janice is the subject of the town gossips for four reasons: she wears too much lipstick, her hair is too big, she is a single-mother and her two children are strange. Ray (6) is a ... See full summary »
Director: Karen Arthur | Stars: Cybill Shepherd, Stephen Lang, Blake Heron, Cassidy Rae
Votes: 252
49. The A Word (2016– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama
The Hughes family work and love and fight like every other family. Then, their youngest son is diagnosed with autism and they don't feel like every other family anymore.
Stars: Max Vento, Lee Ingleby, Christopher Eccleston, Molly Wright
Votes: 2,410
50. Please Stand By (2017)
PG-13 | 93 min | Comedy, Drama
A young autistic woman runs away from her caregiver in an attempt to submit her 500-page manuscript to a "Star Trek" writing competition at Paramount Pictures.
Director: Ben Lewin | Stars: Dakota Fanning, Alice Eve, Toni Collette, Lexi Aaron
Votes: 15,207 | Gross: $0.01M
51. Atypical (2017–2021)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
Sam, an 18-year-old on the autism spectrum, decides it's time to find a girlfriend, which sets Sam's mom on her own life-changing path as her son seeks more independence.
Stars: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Keir Gilchrist, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Michael Rapaport
Votes: 103,383
52. The Reason I Jump (2020)
82 min | Documentary, Drama
Based on the book by Naoki Higashida, this immersive film explores the experiences of non-speaking autistic people around the world.
Director: Jerry Rothwell | Stars: Donna Budway, Emma Budway, Jeremy Dear, Joss Dear
Votes: 1,135
53. Music (I) (2021)
PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Musical
Zu is newly sober when she receives news that she is to become the sole guardian of her half-sister named Music, a young girl on the autism spectrum. The film explores two of Sia's favorite themes: finding your voice and creating family.
Director: Sia | Stars: Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., Maddie Ziegler, Mary Kay Place
Votes: 9,050
54. Duke (2018)
16 min | Short, Drama
When a nonverbal autistic teen's family is falling apart, he must find his voice to keep them together.
Director: Thiago Dadalt | Stars: Robert Solomon, Piercey Dalton, Jeff Marchelletta, Zack Kozlow
Votes: 56
55. The Accountant (2016)
R | 128 min | Action, Crime, Drama
As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities, and the body count starts to rise.
Director: Gavin O'Connor | Stars: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal
Votes: 321,012 | Gross: $86.26M
56. Keep the Change (I) (2017)
Not Rated | 94 min | Comedy, Romance
A New York City romantic comedy, Keep the Change is the unlikely love story of two people who meet in a support group.
Director: Rachel Israel | Stars: Jessica Walter, Christina Brucato, Tibor Feldman, Sondra James
Votes: 946 | Gross: $0.20M
57. As We See It (2022)
TV-MA | 264 min | Comedy, Drama
Three autistic roommates find a way to live together and strive for similar things in life.
Stars: Rick Glassman, Sue Ann Pien, Albert Rutecki, Chris Pang
Votes: 4,226
58. Tyson's Run (2022)
PG | 103 min | Drama
An unathletic boy with autism strives to become an unlikely marathon champion giving his unfulfilled father purpose and a second chance at putting his family first.
Director: Kim Bass | Stars: Major Dodson, Amy Smart, Rory Cochrane, Barkhad Abdi
Votes: 1,237
59. I Used to Be Famous (2022)
TV-14 | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Follows Vince, a desperate former popstar who dreams of making a comeback. An impromptu jam session with autistic young drummer Stevie sparks an unexpected friendship between the two misunderstood musicians.
Director: Eddie Sternberg | Stars: Ed Skrein, Eleanor Matsuura, Leo Long, Eoin Macken
Votes: 10,988
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