Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

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I'm sure this film came up in discussions here when it first came out in 2011, but I've just recently watched it and wanted to know what you guys think of it. It is the story of a young boy named Oskar who loses his father on 9/11, and his coming to terms with it through a journey to find the lock for a mysterious key. It is based on a novel, but there are several differences as you might expect.

Right away I was convinced that the boy was an Aspie, and later in the film he says that his parents had him tested for Asperger's but that the results were inconclusive. At some points in the film they portray him having meltdowns, and near the beginning he describes the feeling of having a sensory overload (though they don't call it that). Even though I haven't lost a parent, I felt that I could relate to his experiences in many ways.

The director has stated in interviews that they did in fact intend for Oskar to be on the autism spectrum, and that they did a large amount of research on Asperger's for the film. This differs from the novel, in which he does not seem to be on the spectrum.

Have any of you seen this film? If so, what did you think of this character?

If you haven't seen it, I would recommend it, though be warned that it contains many triggers for anyone who was personally affected by 9/11 (and really, who wasn't?), such as images and video of the event. It will make you cry your eyes out.

Great character, great movie, great book!

I haven't seen it yet so thanks for your suggestion.

I thought it was a very good movie. I saw it before my diagnosis and could relate to Oskar in a lot of ways. I'd like to watch it again sometime.

I just finished watching it. I'm puzzled by why the filmmakers describe his condition as "Asperger's Disease." Very confusing and incorrect as there is no pill for Asperger's. It's actually a way of life, a way of thinking that is outside the norm. In any case, it was a good film. I can definitely see the kid being on the spectrum because of his intense devotion to finding every person named Black in the phone books, his frequent meltdowns, and his attention to details. The actor who played Oskar, Thomas Horn, is pretty good and I wish him success in his future film career. Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock had supporting roles to his main role and they played their parts fine. It's definitely recommended for those of us on the spectrum as it's not insulting or stereotypical.