Adam (2009)

Adam, a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome, develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor, Beth.

Director:

Max Mayer

Writer:

Max Mayer

Stars:

Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hugh Dancy	...	Adam Raki
Rose Byrne	...	Beth Buchwald
Peter Gallagher	...	Marty Buchwald
Amy Irving	...	Rebecca Buchwald
Frankie Faison	...	Harlan
Mark Linn-Baker	...	Sam Klieber
Haviland Morris	...	Lyra
Adam LeFevre	...	Mr. Wardlow
Mike Hodge	...	Judge
Peter O'Hara	...	Williams
John Rothman	...	Beranbaum
Terry Walters	...	Michael
Steffany Huckaby	...	Carol
Susan Porro	...	Jen
Maddie Corman	...	Robin

Storyline

Soon after moving in, Beth, a brainy, beautiful writer damaged from a past relationship encounters Adam, the handsome, but odd, fellow in the downstairs apartment whose awkwardness is perplexing. Beth and Adam's ultimate connection leads to a tricky relationship that exemplifies something universal: truly reaching another person means bravely stretching into uncomfortable territory and the resulting shake-up can be liberating.

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Plot Keywords:

asperger's syndrome | neighbor | autism | window washing | fired from a job | 

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Taglines:

A story about two strangers. One a little stranger than the other...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adam - Eine Geschichte über zwei Fremde. Einer etwas merkwürdiger als der Andere.

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$68,377, 2 August 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,277,396, 15 November 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Olympus Pictures, Deer Path Productions, Northwood Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, British and Australian respectively, both had to use American accents for this film.

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Goofs

When Adam is using his laptop at home, the "PowerBook G4" logo is visible below the screen. Two shots later, the logo has been painted out.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Beth Buchwald: My favorite children's book is about a little prince who came to Earth from a distant asteroid. He meets a pilot whose plane has crashed in a desert. The little prince teaches the pilot many things but mainly about love. My father always told me I was like the little prince. But after I met Adam, I realized I was the pilot all along...

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Connections

Features Inside the Actors Studio: Julia Roberts (1996)

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Soundtracks

Can't Go Back Now
Written by Deb Talan and Steve Tannen
Performed by The Weepies
Courtesy of Nettwerk Productions

User Reviews

Realistic, well-written portrayal of a frequently misunderstood subject

As someone who actually does suffer from Asperger's Syndrome, it is easier for me than it might be for some people to understand and relate to many of the things that Adam says and does. I have been apprehensive in the past about viewing films that deal with this sort of subject, as I have learned that many of them paint stereotypical, unrealistic, and occasionally belittling portraits of people in my place or other similar situations. I was pleasantly surprised upon viewing this, as it really hit home in many ways. I often found myself saying "this reminds me of me" when watching Adam live his life from day to day (though we are very dissimilar in that I would never have a tantrum in front of a girl). Finally, this is quite possibly the most down to earth movie of its kind, as there is nothing that happens in it that cannot or is overly unlikely to happen in real life. Unfortunately, I cannot give it a perfect rating, because as impressive as its portrayal of Asperger's syndrome is, the story itself is weak and uninspiring and not as compelling and heart-wrenching as it ought to be.