A Boy Called Po

I really did not expect to enjoy this movie, but indeed I did. Never before have I seen such an authentic portrayal of autism . Julian Feder was truly brilliant . (Freddie Highmore could/should take lessons.) Only one other movie captured my heart by its authenticity and that was "Whale Watcher" and the stellar performance by Keisha Castle-Hughes. These two actors were and are talented beyond their age.

To say that it is poorly written is an euphemism. This is one of the worst movies that I have ever seen. It is unrealistic in so many ways that ir almost hurts. Even if it truly represents the challenges of parenting a child with autism, it is impossible to take it seriously since the depiction of the world/society/environment is so far from real.

Even the soundtrack can upset anyone: there is a main song which goes with everything that's played every 5 minutes, loosing it's meaning and making the experience of watching this movie even worse.

If it wasn't for the two main actors, who were surprisingly good, given that their línes were usually terrible, I would rate it even lower.

An autistic son makes life difficult and also a joy for a father who lost his wife and found himself struggling to cope with work, his son's education, and the lack of understanding the "normal" world has for this condition.

This film is suited for Lifetime TV or Hallmark Channel. With falling box office revenues, it's astonishing ithas had limited distribution to theaters.

Autism is a topic of massive concern that deserves to be treated with great care. This film presents a touching portrait of a widowed father trying to raise an autistic son on his own. Unfortunately it has the emotional finesse of a charging rhinoceros both in character-development and tone.

The father and son roles are aptly portrayed, but the script ventures into unknown territory and attempts to define it in ham-fisted ways. Then there's the played out trope of a grieving father who won't discuss his loss, despite repeated questioning from his son asking where his mom is. A lot of their interactions feel like those between two people who haven't met before, such as a dietary issue that could be remedied if the father bothered to incorporate what the boy needs (fiber) into what the boy wants.

The result feels overly ambitious. The school bully and others are one-dimensional and played with such gusto they lose their places. And then there's the person with whom Po most easily relates: a mentally-challenged person. Give me a break.

Most unforgivable was the happy ending; actually the avalanche of happy, tidy endings. The film's final act heads into territory that is so choked with tidy conclusions that I wondered what drama was up next to be neatly and much too easily solved. This script doesn't know when to stop.

This movie is a must see for everyone of all ages! This movie was a beautifully written depiction of the everyday challenges and triumphs for families who have children with autism. It also gives a glimpse of what autism can look like through the eyes of the child. This movie will make you laugh, cry, and smile.