Adam
	Rating
	Type	Video On Demand
	Audience Rating	PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
	Release Date	2010-01-05
	Actor	Hugh Dancy; Rose Byrne; Peter Gallagher; Amy Irving; Frankie Faison;
	Director	Max Mayer;
	Length	99 minutes
	Special Price
	Lowest New Price	$3.99
Categories
Comedy  20th Century Fox
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Description
In this heartfelt romantic comedy, Hugh Dancy (The Jane Austen Book Club, Confessions of a Shopaholic) stars as Adam, a handsome but intriguing young man who has all his life led a sheltered existence - until he meets his new neighbor, Beth (Rose Byrne, Damages, 28 Weeks Later, Knowing), a stunning, cosmopolitan young woman who pulls him into the outside world, together with funny, touching and entirely unexpected outcomes. Their implausible and enigmatic relationship reveals just how far two people from different realities can stretch in search of an extraordinary connection.
Customer Reviews
An honest, endearing and painful film   2010-03-01
By Mike Williams (South Wales, UK)
Like Adam, I have Asperger's, and I want to review this film from that basis. It is essentially a romantic comedy: Adam, who having lost his father, lies alone with the typical regimented lifestyle of someone with Asperger's. This is thrown into disarray with the arrival of Beth, his upstairs neighbour, to whom he feels attraction and wants to get to know better. The awkwardness of their interactions (and Adam's painful emergence into the world of restaurants, theatres, and parties) is gentle, amusing, and extremely realistic. Whilst everyone with Asperger's is an individual, I recognised Adam's behaviours and attitudes from my own. The indictment of Beth's father on charges of dishonesty make her rethink the qualities of honesty and integrity that Asperger's brings to Adam and strengthens their bond. However, when things get difficult for Beth, she turns on Adam and his Asperger behaviour and curses both him and his condition. For me, this was painful as people with Asperger's are governed by the condition - Asperger's is not something that can be switched on and off as events determine. What might, on occasions, seem sweet or cute can, at other times, seem disrespectful and unfeeling. Whilst I found the mirror held to my condition painful, the film was very honest in this regard. (For the record, I saw the situation from Adam's viewpoint - which I think might differ from others watching the film without Asperger's?) Ultimately, the film works and, even if you know nothing of the condition, you'll take something from it. For those that want to understand Asperger's better - perhaps because, like Beth, you have met someone with the condition - it will show you what we are like, for good and bad. Just don't expect us to have the same understanding of what constitutes good and bad as you.
Great movie with ending that's left for thought...   2010-02-24
By Ksenia Wiswall (Vancouver, WA USA)
Great movie. If you're looking for a romantic, feel good movie that you can watch with your significant other, this is your movie. Its a great story line that holds interest through out the end then leaves you with an ending that you speculate from what the author has created in his story line. Five stars hands down! going in my collection.
A Unique Love Story   2010-02-11
By Steven Carrier
this was an excellent film. standout performances by Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne coupled by tender and effecting writing and direction by Max Mayer. One of the more honest, thought provoking and truly original indies of 09.
Huh, WHAT?   2010-02-03
By Matthew Nerber (USA)
Dear Adam. Cross your arms. CROSS 'EM! Cross 'em in front of your chest. IN FRONT OF YOUR CHEST! 'Adam' is actually based on a true story, seen here: [...] This film was pretty good. In the same way that Kee$ha is good. And that is to say, not at all. Like, in the worst way: NOT AT ALL. Buy it. Watch it. And let it remind yourself that life isn't worth living if you have asperger's. Because life SUCKS when you have asperger's. DO YOU WANT SEX? MMMMHMMMM.
'ADAM' is a man, not a disease   2010-02-01
By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States)
ADAM is one of those movies you hope that the filmmaking industry will continue to make - films that are not reliant on big budget and special effects to succeed, but instead films with stories that are meaningful and enrich the lives of the viewers, Max Mayer wrote and directed this very fine film that deals with an extraordinary 29 year gifted man who happens to also have Asperger's Syndrome - a form of autism that the straightforward dialogue of the script defines beautifully without depending on a voice over explanation. Adam Raki (a brilliant performance by Hugh Dancy) has been living an ordered life with his father: as the film opens Adam is at his father's graveside following his funeral. Adam is a genius completely consumed with knowledge of outer space and space technology. He works for a toy factory designing chips to animate toys. His best friend is Harlan (Frankie Faison), an old war buddy of his deceased father, who understands Adam's mental dilemma and is ever present to help him adjust and feel 'normal'. Adam lives in the apartment/condo in New York that he had shared with his father. A new tenant moves in above Adam, one Beth Buchwald (Rose Byrne) who teaches school and is recovering from a broken relationship. Very gradually Adam and Rose connect (the development of this love relationship is one of the most sensitive and uniquely satisfying on film) and Rose learns to appreciate Adam's worth and begins to see a relationship developing despite the warnings of her parents (Peter Gallagher and Amy Irving). But when Rose's father is exposed in a scandal and must face prison, Rose's need for stability and for caring for her mother supersedes her need for Adam. Adam loses his job and is offered work in California, work that directly involves space exploration topics! These changes in the focus of life alter the flow of the love relationship between Adam and Beth and they make their choices. Both Adam and Beth learn to view the world differently than before they met and that is enough. Hugh Dancy has obviously studied people with Asperger's Syndrome, but the manner in which he convincingly plays this role is not one of mimicking or parody: Adam is a thoroughly realized, complex, enormously gentle, lovable being. This is a performance so rich in subtleties that it begs for recognition as an Oscar contender. The entire cast is excellent, no doubt in large part due to the sensitive direction by Max Mayer. The cinematography and the music score are standouts, helping to make this one of the truly fine films of the past year. Grady Harp, February 10