I put off watching this movie for a long time. A friend actually lent me the DVD and it just sat here unwatched for months until she finally asked me for it back. I just saw it a week ago at a friend's house.
After seeing it, I understood my delay. This is a very thoughtful, powerful film. It's not anything to take lightly. It's not something to view while eating a ham sandwich at lunch. This film moved me deeply. It was a big surprise to me how much I loved this film. It would be a film that I would like to own.
If you haven't heard of this film, it is based on the life of Temple Grandin. She is an autistic woman who became famous as a consultant on how to humanely prepare animals for slaughter. It wasn't a premise that necessarily made me want to see it immediately. But when I saw it, I realized that it was also a film about learning how to achieve your dreams when the way you think about things is different from the norm. It made me think about the different ways that brains work and it made me ponder my own particular strengths and weaknesses. It' was about the power of observation. It was about running businesses well. It was about the politics necessary in being a powerful woman.
Claire Danes amazed me in this role. It was one of those performances that felt channeled. It didn't seem that there was an inauthentic moment in it. This movie inspired me. It moved me to tears. It haunts me. I want everyone to see it.
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