Stand Clear of the Closing Doors

Barry Levinson’s Rain Man is a decent film, but it did commit at least one serious mistake: it gave audiences almost no reasonable idea of what autism actually is. Being the first-ever movie about autism put it in the spotlight, but it also ensured that Dustin Hoffman’s character would be the most simplistic, audience-friendly, easy-to-grasp person with the condition that anyone is likely to see. The more impressive, artfully done portrayal of autism on film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last week, in the form of Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.

Barry Levinson’s Rain Man is a decent film, but it did commit at least one serious mistake: it gave audiences almost no reasonable idea of what autism actually is. Being the first-ever movie about autism put it in the spotlight, but it also ensured that Dustin Hoffman’s character would be the most simplistic, audience-friendly, easy-to-grasp person with the condition that anyone is likely to see. The more impressive, artfully done portrayal of autism on film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last week, in the form of Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.