THE MOVIE PAGES presents ROSE BYRNE & HUGH DANCY in ADAM adam.htm

"It’s a striking portrait of life with Asperger’s. A sweet, slightly weird love story, for the most part it’s well-written, funny and touching. Hugh Dancy is astonishingly convincing as Adam, a young man with Asperger’s syndrome. Dancy’s performance is outstanding, and fine-tuned. He’s totally immersed in the character and utterly believable."
Anne Wollenburg FILMSTAR MAGAZINE
"A charming, quietly satisfying work, Adam is a commendable film. Sensitively written and directed by Mayer, it's given shape and dimensionality by Dancy, who delivers a tremendous performance that lends the film genuine humanity."
James Mottram CHANNEL 4 FILM
"A romantic drama with tender and touching characters that shows how those we love can be our greatest spiritual teachers."
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE
"An involving, quirky comedy that rivets thanks to a subtly effective performance by Hugh Dancy."
Harvey S. Karten COMPUSERVE
"It's the kind of movie that lives or dies by its leads, and Adam benefits from Dancy's tricky work conveying Adam's specialized intelligence, and the warm, generous contribution of Byrne."
Gary Thompson PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
"Adam is easily one of the best pictures of the year. It's quite funny. It's a sweet romance. But, most of all, it is a mesmerizing and bittersweet story about an unusual relationship. Full of naturally poignant moments, the film, while it is never manipulative, will frequently have you close to tears, sometimes even tears of joy. As I left the theater, the world seemed like it had somehow become a better place."
Steve Rhodes INTERNET REVIEWS

What Do The Critics Say?

"By accurately representing a person with Asperger’s and dealing with the social challenges that come with the disorder, Adam is something of a breakthrough film on an increasingly relevant topic. It also works pretty well as a romantic drama, thanks to the work of Byrne and Dancy, who nails the physical and verbal manifestations of Asperger’s while capturing the yearning and tentative boldness of Adam."
GROUCHO REVIEWS
"Adam succeeds at getting inside its hero's mind and, gives us entrée to his singular soul."
WALL STREET JOURNAL
"Max Mayer has written a remarkably engaging screenplay about a relationship that isn't meant to be yet somehow is but not quite as we might expect, from this charming yet down to earth romantic comedy."
Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE
"Hugh Dancy is really spectacular in this film.
Ben Lyons AT THE MOVIES
"Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne are truly wonderful in their roles. Unlike the Rain Man or Forrest Gump-type representations of difference, Adam is neither showy nor trite; above all, Dancy never puts a foot wrong. His performance is probably the best reason for seeing this movie."
Liz Braun JAM! MOVIES
"Writer-director Max Mayer, in making his leap from television onto the big screen, delivers a remarkably assured and engaging film about life's daily struggles and the nature of love. Fortunately, he has chosen well in casting British actor Hugh Dancy in the lead role. Dancy winningly portrays Adam as a socially awkward savant struggling to bridge the emotional gulf that separates him from others. The film rides on Dancy's wonderfully authentic performance."
Bruce Demara TORONTO STAR

The Inside Story What happens when you fall in love with someone for whom love itself is an alien concept? In the unconventional romantic comedy, "Adam", the tale of a romance between a bright, sophisticated young woman and a mysterious, sheltered brilliant young man becomes a humor-laced excursion into the riddle of romantic chemistry and the moving ways people find to connect, even when they can’t possibly see the world in the same way. This love affair between Adam and Beth, unique as it is in the world of cinema, contains elements we all can relate to, even if we’re 'neurotypical'. "Really, the bottom line is that all relationships are difficult, and full of misunderstandings, because that’s just how we’re wired," says writer and director Max Mayer. "It’s through no fault of our own, really. But I think a story like this gets at the idea that we also all have a kind of innocence at our core where we can still touch each other." The film marks the breakout feature film from Mayer, who has directed more than fifty new plays Off-Broadway and around the country, and has also directed for some of television’s most prestigious shows, including "Alias" and "The West Wing". His inspiration for "Adam" came, rather appropriately, out of the blue. One day, Mayer was listening to the radio when he was suddenly riveted by a story about a man living with Asperger’s Syndrome, an increasingly common form of high-functioning autism that is hallmarked by an inability to read what other people are thinking and feeling. Those with Asperger’s Syndrome can be highly intelligent, even off-the-charts brilliant, but are often socially cut-off because they perceive ordinary human behavior as strange, irrational and even wildly incomprehensible. They are, essentially, 'mindblind'. It struck Mayer that we all get a dizzying glimpse at that kind of confusion in romantic relationships, when we each become bumbling amateur detectives trying to figure out this total stranger that makes our heart beat faster. Mayer couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like for a person who has Asperger’s Syndrome to carry on a romance with someone who doesn’t. The concept seemed rife not only with relatable mishaps but a vivid new way to view the pinnacle of human emotions. Thus was born the character of Adam. If women are from Venus and men are from Mars, Adam appears to be from another galaxy entirely, but that doesn’t stop him from going after his own, albeit disaster-prone, version of romance with remarkable spirit and courage. "When I heard that man on the radio talking about Asperger’s Syndrome, I realized that not only was he describing his own very moving journey but also something about the general human condition," says Mayer."We are all trapped in our heads, and can only make guesses about what another person’s experience is of the world, even those we love. That’s what inspired me to begin Adam." To create Adam as a fully-fledged character, Mayer began by looking into what little is known today about Asperger’s Syndrome. Like Adam, those with Asperger’s have also been noted as being shockingly straight-forward truth-tellers and entirely unconcerned with social conventions. It is thought that the Syndrome has probably existed for most of human history. "When I went to some Asperger’s meetings, I saw a wide spectrum of people but basically they all share the same trait of not being able to pick up on emotions from facial expressions or instincts. That part of the world is more mysterious to them. Yet, the Syndrome is also associated with a number of verifiable geniuses." Mayer sketched Adam as someone at the upper end of the spectrum: highly intelligent.

"Adam functions well and has a lot of really cool interests, like astronomy and theatre, but he’s essentially been cut off from the outside world. He’s doing OK but realizes it isn’t the way to be when he bumps into Beth," 2009 Alfred P Sloan Feature Film Prize winner Mayer explained. In creating Beth, Mayer crafted a volatile chemical mix with someone who is Adam’s complete polar opposite: a highly emotional, intuitive, socially vivacious woman who is looking for a deeper kind of love than she has ever known. As a veteran of the New York dating scene, Beth thinks she has seen it all. But Adam is an experience unto himself. Initially attracted to Adam physically, she is taken aback to find that his odd behavior and strange intensity draws her in even further, and she has to admit, no matter how different he is, she’s never felt like this with anyone. "Beth meets Adam before there’s any label on him, so by the time she learns about his Asperger’s Syndrome, she’s already interested enough in him as a human being that it just becomes another piece of information," Mayer notes. "Of course, she thinks he is cute, but when they get to know each other better, it’s his honesty that really gets to her. It’s something she’s really thirsty for in her life and it’s refreshingly different from what she’s had in her past relationships." When Mayer’s long time theatre producing partner Leslie Urdang ("Twelve and Holding") read his screenplay, she was thrilled to make this their first motion picture together. She brought in her Olympus Productions partner, Dean Vanech ("The Narrows"), and independent producer Miranda de Pencier ("The Half Life of Timofey Berezin") to complete the team. "What drew us all to this script is that it’s a love story that hasn’t been told before but is also about something we all experience: that longing to make a connection," Urdang says. "I’ve known Max a long time and I know how smart he is and what a big heart he has and that heart is really up there on the screen." "This is a very fresh story about love, prejudice and communication," de Pencier notes. "It’s about how hard it is to connect, how hard it is to relate and yet, how in the end, we’re all human and will keep searching for some kind of love. I think what everyone responded to so enthusiastically is that there is both a lot of emotion and a lot of fun involved." As a mysterious young man who retains a disarming, tell it like it is innocence, Adam joins a short list of memorable autistic characters in movies, including Dustin Hoffman in 1988's "Rain Man" (winner of four Oscars ®) and Peter Sellers in 1979's "Being There" (Oscar ® for Best Supporting Actor). But Adam is also quite different because he is a character who has been placed in the midst of a world where people with neurological differences are almost never seen, almost forbidden: that of the romantic comedy. Mayer understood that he was going to need a very particular breed of actor. Early on, he was drawn to Hugh Dancy, a rising British star of stage, television and screen. "The first thing that drew me to Hugh as Adam was his keen intelligence," Mayer recalls. "He has an incredibly active mind and you can see that in his face. The role requires someone who can somehow 'do nothing' in a very dynamic way and I discovered that relatively few actors can do that." And what was Dancy's reaction when Mayer first spoke to him? "I really like to take roles that scare me and this script scared the pants off me." "I knew right when he said that, this young man would be in the fight with me the whole way" says Macey, "and sure enough we had a fantastic time working together." Urdang notes: "Dancy had just the right touch to make the delicate love story work."

"Hugh needed to be completely open and vulnerable to play this part and he was," says de Pencier. From the minute he began reading the script, Dancy ("The Jane Austen Book Club") was riveted by Adam. "Right from the start, Adam is a mystery," he Dancy muses. "There’s something very human about him but he has these oddities that are hard to pin down." Dancy knew his work would be cut out for him. "I knew next to nothing about Asperger’s Syndrome so I realized if I was going to go any further with the role, I’d have to really educate myself. I discovered the reality is that people are really just beginning to understand it." In addition to reading books, searching websites and consulting with Mayer, who had done extensive research on Asperger’s while writing the script, Dancy met with several 'Aspies' in person to get a better sense of what it’s like to live with the syndrome. "People were very generous in talking with me and it was invaluable to me both to listen to what they had to say and to observe them. I felt a real responsibility to do that." ultimately Dancy confesses he found Adam exhilarating to play. "I really had a lot of fun because there’s something so endearing about him. There’s no agenda to Adam, no dishonesty, no duplicity and he consistently says the things that we all wish we could say but are barred by social conventions. I especially enjoyed the kind of strange courting he does of Beth. He is at times a very funny character but one of the keys was never stepping outside the character for the sake of a joke. Max and I both felt that we should never push the humor too far." When it came to casting an actress to play Adam's new neighbor Beth , Mayer was looking for a young woman who had that independent spirit yet could create visceral sparks with Hugh Dancy. Rose Byrne, a talented Australian actress who has come to attention in the U.S. for her starring role as a young lawyer on the popular TV series "Damages", was the perfect choice. Rose is a lot like Beth," says Mayer. "She’s this beautiful woman who is also eccentric and comedic." "Rose really was surprising. I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time, but I found that her humor and quirkiness, her sensuality and curiosity in portraying a woman who could fall in love with a man like Adam was really extraordinary," Urdang observes. "I thought it was a tender, charming love story with characters that are unusually colorful," the 2000 Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup winner ("The Goddess of 1967") Byrne says. "I love romantic stories and human drama so I instantly felt a connection to this. And I felt that Max found just the right line between the funny moments and the tender moments." It also helped that Byrne already knew someone with Asperger’s Syndrome. "I have a family friend who has Asperger’s and I think it’s becoming more common. More and more people are touched by some form of autism." "Adam" is not just an offbeat love story. It’s also very much a New York love story. "I grew up in New York and I knew that if you shoot in New York it becomes a character in the movie because the city always encroaches in its own way on the story and you never get perfect conditions," Mayer notes. Mayer worked closely with a talented production team, including D.O.P. Seamus Tierney ("The Good Guy") and production designer Tamar Gadish ("The Last New Yorker"). "Shooting in New York in the winter isn’t all glamour," Urdang offers, "but the city’s energy becomes part of your filmmaking and that’s very exciting. We had a great team who believed in Max, and who especially believed in Beth and Adam." "It was all done very moment to moment," says Mayer. Synopsis

Adam is a handsome but intriguing young man who, for all of his life led a sheltered existence, until he meets his new neighbor, Beth. His mother died when he was a child and now his father has passed on, leaving him to find his own way through life. For most people it would be simply a matter of grieving and trying to move on. But not for Adam. He suffers from a mild form of autism known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Adam's one and only friend is a kindly older man named, Harlan. Genuinely concerned about Adam's future, Harlan has become a mentor and in some ways, adviser on life. Then Adam meets a bright, sophisticated young woman named Beth who pulls him into the outside world, with funny, touching and entirely unexpected results. They meet in the buildings basement where the laundry is located. She has no key to gain access. He does. She has no card to operate the washing machine. He does. She thinks he's 'quirky'. He doesn't understand she wants to use his key and card. Beth doesn't think the way he does. In time, a special bond forms and through love, Adam discovers a world vastly different from the one he knew.

The Verdict "Cinemagoers are in for a real treat with this limited release Indie film from writer/director Max Mayes. Right from the very start, Mayes debut feature film grabs your attention. That first gorgeous scene, which depicts the street Adam lives in, is a beautiful canvas and one which sets a high standard for the whole film thanks to D.O.P. Seamus Tierney ("The Narrows"). His images are rich, lush and warm. The two leads, Hugh Dancy ("Evening") and 2007 Australian Film Institute International Award winner Rose Byrne (TV's "Damages") were perfect choices and Mayes is to be commended for his insight when it came to casting "Adam". "Adam" is not your run of the mill love story. Indeed, what sets this film apart is the fact that Adam has Asperger Syndrome. To describe him as a sufferer of Asperger's would be most insensitive. That's because Adam feels he is 'normal' and so he should. Highly intelligent and despite the loss of both parents, capable of sustaining his lifestyle, Adam is coping well, until life throws him a few curve-balls. The first comes in the shape of Beth, his new neighbour. Their first meeting is one punctuated with quirky humour. The romance that eventually blossoms between the two and the road it takes both Beth and Adam down, gives rise to a plethora of emotions. Mayes is to be congratulated for delivering a film that is never judgemental or exploitative. The same can be said of Dancy, who's research into Asperger's has paid off handsomely, giving rise to a character audiences will feel they have a heart-felt connection with. Well worth making an effort to see. Delightful! 4 STARS." Who Plays Who?

Hugh Dancy
Rose Byrne
Peter Gallagher
Amy Irving
Frankie Faison

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Adam Raki
Beth Buchwald
Marty Buchwald
Rebecca Buchwald
Harlan

The Production Team

Director
Written by
Producers
Original Music
Cinematography
Film Editor
Casting
Production Designer
Art Direction
Set Decoration
Costume Designer
Key hair stylist
Key makeup artist
Production Manager

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Max Mayer
Max Mayer
Miranda de Pencier/Leslie Urdang/Dean Vanech
Christopher Lennertz
Seamus Tierney
Grant Myers
Sig De Miguel & Stephen Vincent
Tamar Gadish
Natalie Tyler
Anita Chacinska
Alysia Raycraft
Michelle Brown
Amy Spiegel
Marc Lieberman