I really like that movie, for obvious reasons. This might sound out there, but when I first saw it when I was 7 or 8 I just kinda knew I was autistic. I didn't mention it to anyone back then, out of fear, and I'm no Raymond, but there was something there. The behaviours didn't feel weird to me. I did recite comedy routines over and over again, was very particular about stuff, count things compulsively, take things literally (it did take me a while to understand that I should keep crossing the road even if the light turned red halfway through), and a lot later I would actually count cards during lunchbreak black jack sessions at work. In hindsight I'd say that, where other movies and characters would teach me about the world out there (I'd learn phrases, look for ways to interact, scenarios to play out or make sense of what'd happen around me), this character I already knew. It didn't teach me about the others, it taught me something about myself in a way.
Why it has become somewhat of a hated character for some of us is probably because for a long time it was pretty much the only movie around dealing with autism. So it became a major stereotype, for many it was the only depiction of autism they ever saw. And from what I gather, 'rainman' became a preferred term for bullies.
'If you know one aspie, you know one aspie' is the adage. And that's the problem with any movie. It's always going to show a specific case, or cases, and if that's all people see, they'll generalize. I'm sure the same occurs with people who've only seen Temple Grandin, or any other one movie or documentary. One person I knew had only seen some documentary about this autistic dude with a photographic memory who'd draw The New York skyline from heart, and when he heard I was autistic, it took a while to convince him that we don't all have that superpower, or any other. We're a very diverse group of people, and while there are common traits, this doesn't mean one person's trait will also manifest in the next person. Just as with all people.
Why it has become somewhat of a hated character for some of us is probably because for a long time it was pretty much the only movie around dealing with autism. So it became a major stereotype, for many it was the only depiction of autism they ever saw. And from what I gather, 'rainman' became a preferred term for bullies.
'If you know one aspie, you know one aspie' is the adage. And that's the problem with any movie. It's always going to show a specific case, or cases, and if that's all people see, they'll generalize. I'm sure the same occurs with people who've only seen Temple Grandin, or any other one movie or documentary. One person I knew had only seen some documentary about this autistic dude with a photographic memory who'd draw The New York skyline from heart, and when he heard I was autistic, it took a while to convince him that we don't all have that superpower, or any other. We're a very diverse group of people, and while there are common traits, this doesn't mean one person's trait will also manifest in the next person. Just as with all people.