Just saw The Accountant; a few thoughts...

Page 2 of 2 [ 31 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

brea593
Hummingbird
Hummingbird

User avatar

Joined: 28 Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 23

30 Jun 2017, 9:23 pm

Yeah Starkid, I'm thinking I just didnt watch enough of it because I let myself be turned off. Also Rainman was advertised as being about an autistic but in reality I think you're correct in saying that it was about ID and being it was made in the late 80's it wouldn't surprise me. One of my obsessions for awhile was collecting movies that touched on autism (or advertised that it did) and I've found some really good and convincing films that didn't follow those trends I pointed out. I'm definitely particular because those things do make it difficult to watch.



ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,240
Location: Long Island, New York

01 Jul 2017, 5:18 am

Rainman was intended to be autistic. He was actually labled that in the film. He was based on a non autistic person with autistic traits and two autistic people.


_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


starkid
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Feb 2012
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,812
Location: California Bay Area

04 Jul 2017, 12:00 pm

ASPartOfMe wrote:
Rainman was intended to be autistic. He was actually labled that in the film. He was based on a non autistic person with autistic traits and two autistic people.

Naming or quoting whomever you are talking to helps people understand what you are talking about. Since I was one of the people discussing what Rain Man is about, I assume you are talking about that conversation.

I think that Rain Main was intended to be autistic and cognitively disabled. Although I only mentioned the latter, I wasn't implying that I thought he was not meant to be an autistic character.



Benjamin the Donkey
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Mar 2017
Age: 60
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,305

04 Jul 2017, 9:00 pm

I just saw the movie. While in some ways it was a fairly cheesy action film, I thought the depiction of aspergers/autism was pretty accurate and respectful.


_________________
"Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey."


fakkau89
Raven
Raven

Joined: 19 Jan 2017
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Posts: 106

04 Jul 2017, 10:48 pm

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL!! !

anyways I liked the film, when I did get around to seeing it, I kinda got stuck a couple times the first and second time trying to watch, It was hard to watch that screaming and kicking part of his childhood, I still do not like those parts, but overall the movie was satisfactory.



starkid
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Feb 2012
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,812
Location: California Bay Area

04 Jul 2017, 11:19 pm

fakkau89 wrote:
It was hard to watch that screaming and kicking part of his childhood, I still do not like those parts


Why?



teksla
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jul 2015
Gender: Female
Posts: 783

05 Jul 2017, 5:22 pm

brea593 wrote:
Yeah Starkid, I'm thinking I just didnt watch enough of it because I let myself be turned off. Also Rainman was advertised as being about an autistic but in reality I think you're correct in saying that it was about ID and being it was made in the late 80's it wouldn't surprise me. One of my obsessions for awhile was collecting movies that touched on autism (or advertised that it did) and I've found some really good and convincing films that didn't follow those trends I pointed out. I'm definitely particular because those things do make it difficult to watch.



What good autism movies did you find?


_________________
Diagnosed with
F84.8 (PDD-NOS) 2014
F33.1 Major Depressive Disorder, recurrent, moderate.


SaveFerris
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Sep 2016
Gender: Male
Posts: 14,762
Location: UK

05 Jul 2017, 5:33 pm

liveandrew wrote:
I've not seen the film yet but I do know a little about the character from interviews and trailers:

* I used to hunt for food but for a while, it was my special interest and I was pretty accurate with a rifle. Archery was another special interest. I used to shoot a bare (no sights) recurve bow and could release 12 arrows in a minute with most of them landing in a dinner plate sized area on the boss. I managed a 40 yard Robin Hood (splitting the previous arrow with another arrow) shot once.
* My pain threshold is pretty high: I've broken my leg (compound spiral fracture of the tibia and fibula) and pulled myself 20 metres underwater to the shore and then up the beach for a helicopter rescue.
* However, I suck at arithmetic and accountancy.
* I am now old and fat :)


Hey dude we're very similar as I am also old and fat :lol:


_________________
R Tape loading error, 0:1

Hypocrisy is the greatest luxury. Raise the double standard


underwater
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 10 Sep 2015
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,904
Location: Hibernating

06 Jul 2017, 5:58 am

I really liked the movie. I really related to those scenes with Christian and Dana. It was rather wonderful to see a film portraying an autistic person in control of his own life and having relationships with people, in a way that works for him, not just being shoehorned into other people's lives.

Never mind the beginning, child actors are always a bit hit and miss anyway, and I don't think an autistic meltdown is easy to portray for someone who hasn't experienced it - and I think it would be hard to find an autistic child who would want to show that to anyone else.

Good script, and Ben Affleck did a nice job. First time I liked him in a film. There were some film tropes that I thought unbelieveable, but the conversations between the main characters made up for it.

It was good to see an autistic character as a main character, and not a buffoon or an object of pity. If you get a bunch of autistics to rewiew a film, there will be nitpicking, it's inevitable, and I try not to. However, I've seen so many popular portrayals of autistics or people with some condition where in the beginning it seems that the film or series is managing to take that character's viewpoint, and then suddenly there is this disappointing breakdown where everything becomes unrealistic, and you realize that the people making the show really aren't empathising - they just think they are. This film made it to the end.


_________________
I sometimes leave conversations and return after a long time. I am sorry about it, but I need a lot of time to think about it when I am not sure how I feel.


underwater
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 10 Sep 2015
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,904
Location: Hibernating

06 Jul 2017, 1:37 pm

Just wanted to add:

starkid wrote:
Honestly, Ben Affleck was kinda sexy. I find flat affect and flatish prosody attractive and soothing. The sexiest part was the bathroom fight, when he gave the womon such a calm look while the guy was pressing him up against the wall.
-------

Me too, sister. That look was special. I never thought in my life I'd find Ben Affleck attractive, but there it was.

And I relate to fighting without having to look at the opponent, simply because you're using some other feedback. There is some body language in the movie that just feels so right. Sometimes it slips, but it seems they've got people instructing who actually know.


_________________
I sometimes leave conversations and return after a long time. I am sorry about it, but I need a lot of time to think about it when I am not sure how I feel.


Higurashi
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

User avatar

Joined: 11 Jun 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 37
Location: Somewhere where you're not

22 Jul 2017, 1:57 pm

fakkau89 wrote:
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL!! !

anyways I liked the film, when I did get around to seeing it, I kinda got stuck a couple times the first and second time trying to watch, It was hard to watch that screaming and kicking part of his childhood, I still do not like those parts, but overall the movie was satisfactory.


I can't wait for the sequel either. The Accountant was one of the more accurate films on autism. This one portrayed high functioning autism (slightly more severe version of Asperger's) quite well. Christian's childhood was a bit over the top I agree.



Valinbean
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 23 Jul 2017
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Posts: 16
Location: Central Texas

24 Jul 2017, 9:42 pm

I just saw the movie two days ago and I immediately did a google search of autism communities and found this place. I have not been diagnosed, but the more I learn about autism, and aspergers especially, the more convinced I am that I have aspergers. The Accountant portrayed it so well, and I associated with Christian's character so much that that was the final straw to push me into seriously considering the possibility. I am very glad that I watched that movie and that I found this website; I have already found several articles that talk about problems that I've always had but simply assumed that it was "just me" and I think maybe they have helped 8O :D .



Last edited by Valinbean on 24 Jul 2017, 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

teksla
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jul 2015
Gender: Female
Posts: 783

24 Jul 2017, 9:48 pm

Valinbean wrote:
I just saw the movie two days ago and I immediately did a google search of autism communities and found this place. I have not been diagnosed, but the more I learn about autism, and asburgers especially, the more convinced I am that I have asburgers. The Accountant portrayed it so well, and I associated with Christian's character so much that that was the final straw to push me into seriously considering the possibility. I am very glad that I watched that movie and that I found this website; I have already found several articles that talk about problems that I've always had but simply assumed that it was "just me" and I think maybe they have helped 8O :D .


Hello and welcome to the forum.

I can see that you have put Central Texas as your location. You might not know this but a few years ago (2013) when the DSM 5 came out Aspergers, autism, PDDNOS and Atypical autism were all combined to Autism Spectrum Disorder. (Your location is important as only the US uses the DSM (the rest of the world uses the ICD, where autism, aspergers etc. all still are separate diagnosis).


_________________
Diagnosed with
F84.8 (PDD-NOS) 2014
F33.1 Major Depressive Disorder, recurrent, moderate.


Valinbean
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 23 Jul 2017
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Posts: 16
Location: Central Texas

25 Jul 2017, 9:36 am

teksla wrote:
Valinbean wrote:
I just saw the movie two days ago and I immediately did a google search of autism communities and found this place. I have not been diagnosed, but the more I learn about autism, and asburgers especially, the more convinced I am that I have asburgers. The Accountant portrayed it so well, and I associated with Christian's character so much that that was the final straw to push me into seriously considering the possibility. I am very glad that I watched that movie and that I found this website; I have already found several articles that talk about problems that I've always had but simply assumed that it was "just me" and I think maybe they have helped 8O :D .


Hello and welcome to the forum.

I can see that you have put Central Texas as your location. You might not know this but a few years ago (2013) when the DSM 5 came out Aspergers, autism, PDDNOS and Atypical autism were all combined to Autism Spectrum Disorder. (Your location is important as only the US uses the DSM (the rest of the world uses the ICD, where autism, aspergers etc. all still are separate diagnosis).


Yah, I know that. The US is stupid. I think it is a more accurate description than just high functioning autism though.

Sorry I misspelled Aspergers; my phone kept
autofilling it as asburgers for some reason and I thought it looked wrong, but assumed that my phone knows more about spelling than I do because I'm dyslexic :? .

Anyway, I think the movie was a pretty good portrayal.



OhkaBaka
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 15 Mar 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 151
Location: Seattle

02 Oct 2017, 11:23 am

brea593 wrote:
With the Accountant in the beginning of the movie they just seem to dramatize it with the puzzle that he was doing and the other autistics wigging out in the room. His "meltdown" over not being able to find the last puzzle piece was kinda silly (despite that kind of thing being a plausible reason for having one).

Not sure I track what you are saying. I remember thinking something was "off" about the meltdown, but I didn't think the scope or reasoning behind it was inaccurate or unrealistic.

brea593 wrote:
mostly the acting was inauthentic.

That was the problem I think I had with it. Someone else mentioned child actors, I think that is fair... I thought Affleck (who I honestly don't love normally) did a great job.

brea593 wrote:
It just doesn't seem convincing I guess (he's extremely low functioning as a child and then suddenly as an adult he's high functioning).

I had trouble with him insinuating what his clients needed to do to get a bigger write off on their taxes. It was higher language skills he seemed to lack for the rest of the movie.

Also... holy crap we got an action hero, how awesome is that.