Plot

A 12-year-old gifted boy wants to be a jazz pianist much to the chagrin of his more classical oriented piano instructor. With his mother's help, he is an underage regular at a local nightspot, where he is teamed up with a sax superstar. Both come to learn that each suffers from Tourette's Syndrome (thus the film title). The older man has developed mannerisms to cover up his own fallibilities and resents the boy and his mother's acceptance of the condition.—John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>

The difficulty with providing a synopsis for THE TIC CODE is in describing the frustration and anger that always seem to run hand-in-hand with Tourette's Syndrome, one of the most misunderstood neurological conditions known to modern man -- all of which, in itself, is the problem behind this great story. I say great story, because every 'come-back-from-being-deep-in-despair' story is usually so remarkable, so unimaginable, that no one who is totally unfamiliar with the condition honestly has little to no chance of relating to what the characters are experiencing and going through. This incredible 10-year-old being portrayed here, not only demonstrates that one can come back, despite the ridicule, embarrassment, and absolute minute-to-minute suffering he endures, but that he can excel in something as complex and seemingly impossible as focusing on playing piano well. Not only does he play well, but he demonstrates playing jazz piano superbly -- which requires total concentration and focus -- and imagination to be able to conceal the loss of control of his hands and eyes once the syndrome begins to take over -- always under times of stress. No one can do that, yet he knows he must, and has every reason to want to. Watch this performance with your eyes open to the difficulty, as well as your heart bursting with his great accomplishment, and you'll see how great life can be-- regardless what medical condition you have.