www.lifeanimateddoc.com
A few days ago my husband and I watched a movie called Life Animated. Life Animated is a documentary about a young man with Autism named Owen, who relates to his world through Disney Cartoons.
Me, being a Disney fanatic, I was immediately intrigued. I had seen a Facebook clip about how the Dad talked to his son as Iago from Aladdin a while back, but had no idea how much of their story would resonate with our own. There were moments where I felt like I was watching quick glimpses of our past and seeing what could possibly be a glimmer of Alex’s future.
I think the reason I fell in love with Owen’s story is because he reminded me so much of my own son. From facial expressions, stimms, or even the way he rewinded his movie to the exact spot with excitement. Our little boy was mirrored through Owen. Sure the age difference was there and Owen is unique in his own right, but that is what made this movie so remarkable. Owen represented our little boy who struggled just like he did at 3 years old, and at 6 years old. He represented hope and perseverance. He saw his world through a Disney lens and that was ok! He found a voice, and though it was different than what may be considered “normal” he was able to use it to make sense of it all.