TEMPLE GRANDIN: A WINNING MOVIE ALL AROUND

Nature is cruel but we don't have to be. We owe them some respect.

I touched the first cow that was being stunned. In a few seconds it was going to be just another piece of beef, but in that moment it was still an individual. It was calm and then it was gone. I became aware of how precious life was....

Clare Danes is magic. Here she brings to life Temple Grandin, an autistic yet highly functioning woman struggling to make the world a better place. No, not just struggling, accomplishing. Her lack of ability to understand people is forgiven for her uncanny ability to relate with animals and wish them more humane treatment no matter their fate. Grandin thinks in pictures and understands far more than we think she can. Luckily there were some instrumental people in her life Aunt (played with warmth and compassion by Catherine O'Hara) and a very special teacher (David Strathairn in a similar role) and of course a determined mother (Julia Ormond). This movie is full of compassion, determination and exuberance. It was created by HBO, but is as fine if not more so than any movie on the big screen. Danes takes her character and becomes her with nothing but respect and reverence. All glamour aside, she IS Grandin and does a heartwarming job. This is the kind of movie I would love to see more often. A must see!