Product Description
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The United States of Autism weaves the tale of a broad spectrum
of American life in all its faiths, disparities, colors, and
cultures -- and the story of one man's 40-day, 11,000 mile
journey across America to find answers for his family and son.
What he learns along the way changes not only his life forever,
but the lives of those he meets. If ever there were a story that
embodies the heart of America, it's the story found in
individuals affected by autism and their families. Autism is a
bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears
before the age of 3, and is one of the fastest growing
developmental disabilities in the United States, affecting 1 to
1.5 million Americans. The United States of Autism, co-produced
by Richard Everts and Sugey Cruz-Everts, brings a new vision to
the world of autism and is a film that all families living with
autism can look to for answers. Interviewees come from a broad
cultural spectrum from Mormon to Muslim and Hispanic to Chinese.
Each person shows how autism has shaped their world and, in many
cases, made them stronger. The film started as a small idea of
two parents, Richard and Sugey, sitting around a living room
table- a small project they would fund on their own to help their
son, profoundly affected by autism, and the thousands of kids and
individuals they knew could benefit. That idea began to grow when
a friend of the family suggested a new program Refresh
Project which could provide some funding for the movie. They
entered and won. With a grant in place, the project would
eventually lead to dozens upon dozens of TV interviews, newspaper
articles, and radio shows around America- a success they never
could have imagined in bringing their community closer together.
Review
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Richard Everts (also the director and the her of an autistic
son), introduces 20 families dealing with the disorder, visited
during 40 days of road travel across the country. He meets the
highly verbal, troubled only in social situations. He meets the
nonverbal, whose physical struggles exhaust financial and
emotional resources. He meets parents displaying pain or pride,
or both, about their children. The networks of such families,
which rely heavily on one another for advice and comfort, should
search out this modest film... Many scenes... are moving: A
nonverbal teenager withholding eye contact slowly, gently touches
his guest in trust and affection. Mr. Everts meets Puerto Ricans
and Korean-Americans, Christians and Muslims, those with low
incomes and high. All the while, passionate disputes about
causes, and possible recovery are noted but not
refereed. That pluralism is the point. Yes, the animated opening
sequence has a professional polish that the rest of the film
lacks, but the documentary s chosen angle is meaningful: The
world of autism is as diverse as the nation. --New York Times
Richard Everts The United States of Autism is a road trip,
specifically an 11,000 forty-day journey in which the filmmaker
crisscrossed the country to speak to individuals, families,
politicians, doctors and other relevant figures about this
serious issue that has reached epidemic proportions....the film
delivers many profoundly emotional moments in its filmed
encounters with those affected by the condition... Ultimately,
the film succeeds in its admirable goal of putting a human face
on a disorder that many of those who lack a personal connection
to it fail to fully comprehend or, in the worst cases, tolerate.
--The Hollywood Reporter
[Everts] interactions with the families don t have to be long and
wordy because they are honest, human, and beautifully constructed
and because Everts avoids the traps of this kind of filmmaking
insipid narration, icky empathy, lingering fadeouts, tears for
the sake of tears. What you get instead are vivid glimpses of
high-functioning kids and adults, full-syndrome kids who do or
don t respond to various s, siblings who are coping or
not...You have to admire the sheer energy and intelligence that
shines through not just the geographic pace, but the smart
decision to whack the daylights out of just about every interview
and leave the nubbin, whether it s two or three minutes or two or
three sentences...We see an evolution in Everts approach to his
son aided by a remarkable family reunion that is subtle and
unforced but deeply moving. --Age of Autism
Made with a $50,000 grant from , filmmaker Richard Everts
The United States of Autism tours America, interviewing families
with children who are autistic or have Asperger's syndrome two
disorders exhibiting symptoms that include difficulties in
communication and interaction, as well as repetitive patterns of
behavior and interests.Recommended --Video Librarian
[Everts] interactions with the families don t have to be long and
wordy because they are honest, human, and beautifully constructed
and because Everts avoids the traps of this kind of filmmaking
insipid narration, icky empathy, lingering fadeouts, tears for
the sake of tears. What you get instead are vivid glimpses of
high-functioning kids and adults, full-syndrome kids who do or
don t respond to various s, siblings who are coping or
not...You have to admire the sheer energy and intelligence that
shines through not just the geographic pace, but the smart
decision to whack the daylights out of just about every interview
and leave the nubbin, whether it s two or three minutes or two or
three sentences...We see an evolution in Everts approach to his
son aided by a remarkable family reunion that is subtle and
unforced but deeply moving. --Age of Autism