1 00:00:29,579 --> 00:00:32,268 Ron, do I have to keep my hand pressed on the red button? 2 00:00:32,348 --> 00:00:34,103 - What? - I don't have to keep my hand 3 00:00:34,183 --> 00:00:36,356 - pressed on the red button? - No. 4 00:00:43,024 --> 00:00:46,665 ...shut his eyes tight shut. 5 00:00:46,761 --> 00:00:49,002 Huffed and puffed. 6 00:00:55,971 --> 00:01:00,784 Oh, but the candle barely flickered, and there were 39 left to go. 7 00:01:03,612 --> 00:01:05,100 Can you guys say good night to me? 8 00:01:05,180 --> 00:01:06,801 Can you say, "Good night, Mommy"? 9 00:01:06,881 --> 00:01:08,769 Good-bye. 10 00:01:08,849 --> 00:01:10,771 Good night, angel. 11 00:01:10,851 --> 00:01:13,354 - Good-bye, good night. - Good night. 12 00:01:13,454 --> 00:01:15,229 Okay, blow Mommy a kiss. 13 00:01:32,239 --> 00:01:35,014 - No! - Mommy, pick Owen up. 14 00:01:36,843 --> 00:01:39,666 - Get me up. - Okay, you can both come up. 15 00:01:39,746 --> 00:01:42,920 Okay. One big, happy family 16 00:01:43,016 --> 00:01:46,395 about to go into the water. 17 00:01:46,486 --> 00:01:48,591 - You want to say hi to Mommy? - Hi, Mom. 18 00:01:48,688 --> 00:01:50,599 - Hi, guys. - I want to watch a video. 19 00:01:50,690 --> 00:01:53,179 You want to watch a video? Well, I'm taking a video 20 00:01:53,259 --> 00:01:57,833 of you guys reading The Biggest Birthday Cake in the World. 21 00:01:58,097 --> 00:02:02,875 ...last book reading, which we do every single night. 22 00:02:23,789 --> 00:02:26,861 Walt Disney Pictures. 23 00:02:29,427 --> 00:02:34,433 Okay, our next film is a wonderful children's film. 24 00:02:47,311 --> 00:02:48,722 And the Academy Award... 25 00:02:56,753 --> 00:03:01,168 So what we're gonna do today, when you're out in the community, right? 26 00:03:01,257 --> 00:03:04,136 When you're... Next year, when you're making appointments 27 00:03:04,227 --> 00:03:07,834 and having to find locations, you always have to be... 28 00:03:07,931 --> 00:03:10,553 - Aware. - Aware, right. 29 00:03:10,633 --> 00:03:12,555 So when we're walking through the community, 30 00:03:12,635 --> 00:03:15,258 what's our posture for walking? 31 00:03:15,338 --> 00:03:16,476 - This. - Okay. 32 00:03:16,573 --> 00:03:19,143 - What about our chins? Where are they? - Chin up. 33 00:03:19,241 --> 00:03:23,815 Where's the safest place to cross? Go back and forth across Main Street? 34 00:03:23,912 --> 00:03:28,156 - I-I can... I need help here. - Okay. Who wants to help him? 35 00:03:28,250 --> 00:03:30,025 - I'll do it. - Go ahead. 36 00:03:30,119 --> 00:03:31,655 - The crosswalk. - Crosswalk. 37 00:03:31,754 --> 00:03:33,529 - The crosswalk. - You're right. 38 00:03:33,622 --> 00:03:35,577 So next year you'll be more independent, 39 00:03:35,657 --> 00:03:37,603 and you'll have more choices to make. 40 00:03:41,096 --> 00:03:45,635 I've got to teach my son a lesson. 41 00:03:47,268 --> 00:03:50,306 My name is Owen Suskind. 42 00:03:52,540 --> 00:03:56,798 I'll be graduating in a month. 43 00:03:56,878 --> 00:04:01,952 Then I'll be moving and living into an apartment of my own. 44 00:04:05,887 --> 00:04:07,867 ...since Beauty and the Beast... 45 00:04:17,297 --> 00:04:18,452 I'm home! 46 00:04:18,532 --> 00:04:20,671 - Yay, buddy. - Owen! 47 00:04:20,801 --> 00:04:23,042 Owen, I just got back from the grocery store. 48 00:04:23,136 --> 00:04:25,047 - Oh, that's great. - What would you like for lunch? 49 00:04:25,138 --> 00:04:29,814 A grilled ham and cheese. Excuse me, I need to find... 50 00:04:30,377 --> 00:04:32,721 - Your apples, right? - Okay. 51 00:04:32,813 --> 00:04:34,334 Owen, your sandwich is over there, bud. 52 00:04:34,414 --> 00:04:37,503 Thanks. And I'll get three Chips Ahoy! cookies. 53 00:04:37,583 --> 00:04:39,171 Okay. 54 00:04:39,251 --> 00:04:42,425 You got a big rite of passage coming with graduation. 55 00:04:42,521 --> 00:04:45,177 You're gonna be out of school. 56 00:04:45,257 --> 00:04:48,568 Now we can start thinking a little more about the future? 57 00:04:48,661 --> 00:04:52,318 - Yeah, yeah. - How's that feel? 58 00:04:52,398 --> 00:04:54,854 A little nervous and a little exciting. 59 00:04:54,934 --> 00:04:57,414 A little nervous and a little exciting. 60 00:05:33,770 --> 00:05:35,613 I'm so glad you came back tonight. 61 00:05:35,706 --> 00:05:38,277 - I might never have seen you. - Why? 62 00:05:38,375 --> 00:05:40,116 Because I have to grow up tomorrow. 63 00:05:40,210 --> 00:05:41,365 Grow up? 64 00:05:41,445 --> 00:05:43,482 Tonight's my last night in the nursery. 65 00:05:43,580 --> 00:05:46,459 But that means no more stories. 66 00:05:48,218 --> 00:05:49,907 No, I won't have it! 67 00:05:49,987 --> 00:05:51,708 Come on. 68 00:05:51,788 --> 00:05:54,826 - But where are we going? - To Neverland. 69 00:05:59,061 --> 00:06:00,836 I'll run him through. 70 00:06:01,964 --> 00:06:02,965 Take that. 71 00:06:10,940 --> 00:06:12,578 Blast this hook. 72 00:06:14,277 --> 00:06:15,779 Come on, everybody. 73 00:06:19,482 --> 00:06:20,927 Hurry, Michael! 74 00:06:22,417 --> 00:06:25,523 Don't stand there, you bilge rats! 75 00:06:25,620 --> 00:06:28,430 Get those scurvy brats! 76 00:06:42,103 --> 00:06:43,810 Oh, no! 77 00:06:46,875 --> 00:06:48,820 Daddy and Owen... 78 00:06:50,945 --> 00:06:54,518 Fighting with swords in the leaves. 79 00:06:56,350 --> 00:06:58,523 Owen, who are you? 80 00:06:58,652 --> 00:07:00,941 I'm Peter Pan. And you're Captain Hook. 81 00:07:01,021 --> 00:07:02,728 Oh, I'm Captain Hook. You're Peter Pan. 82 00:07:02,823 --> 00:07:06,361 Okay. Come on, Pan, you demon. 83 00:07:11,532 --> 00:07:14,034 There's a video we came across, 84 00:07:15,501 --> 00:07:18,710 and then once we found it, we couldn't stop watching it. 85 00:07:18,805 --> 00:07:23,413 Oh, thank you, thank you. That's very chivalrous of you. 86 00:07:27,013 --> 00:07:31,004 Now, in a way, it's just an unremarkable video 87 00:07:31,084 --> 00:07:32,839 of a dad and a son playing. 88 00:07:32,919 --> 00:07:36,309 I'm chasing Owen around. He's chasing me around. 89 00:07:36,389 --> 00:07:38,426 He's Peter Pan. I'm Captain Hook. 90 00:07:38,524 --> 00:07:40,059 Oh, no! 91 00:07:42,694 --> 00:07:46,685 At the time we shot it, I'm in my early 30s. 92 00:07:46,765 --> 00:07:51,156 I'm a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, 93 00:07:51,236 --> 00:07:55,241 and our life is taking shape just the way we'd wanted. 94 00:07:55,340 --> 00:07:58,830 We had two beautiful boys. We'd just had our second boy. 95 00:07:58,910 --> 00:08:03,168 We had a little, tiny house, but it was just, like, our dream house. 96 00:08:03,248 --> 00:08:04,955 You want to say hi to Mommy? 97 00:08:05,050 --> 00:08:06,537 - Hi, Mommy. - Hi, guys. 98 00:08:06,617 --> 00:08:09,461 You know, everything was falling into place. 99 00:08:19,597 --> 00:08:22,553 But all of a sudden, 100 00:08:22,633 --> 00:08:26,547 at three years old, Owen vanishes. 101 00:08:28,472 --> 00:08:30,474 Good-bye, Peter Pan! 102 00:08:47,290 --> 00:08:51,796 Owen just started changing really fast. 103 00:08:51,895 --> 00:08:55,085 You know, he wasn't sleeping. That was the first thing. 104 00:08:55,165 --> 00:09:00,546 He'd be up in the middle of the night, and then he'd be up all night. 105 00:09:00,636 --> 00:09:04,345 His motor skills were deteriorating, 106 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:08,063 and then his language processing broke down. 107 00:09:08,143 --> 00:09:11,283 He just started reciting this gibberish. 108 00:09:14,616 --> 00:09:17,028 It was hard for me to understand what people were saying. 109 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:21,028 They were all garbled. 110 00:09:22,825 --> 00:09:25,862 - Owen! Owen! - Owen! 111 00:09:30,164 --> 00:09:31,871 Owen! 112 00:09:34,769 --> 00:09:39,218 It's like... We're looking for clues to a kidnapping. 113 00:09:39,307 --> 00:09:43,464 Someone kidnapped our son. 114 00:09:43,544 --> 00:09:45,967 We went to the pediatrician, 115 00:09:46,047 --> 00:09:48,102 but he had no idea what he was looking at. 116 00:09:48,182 --> 00:09:51,638 He said, "You're out of my league." 117 00:09:51,718 --> 00:09:54,608 So we go see the specialist. 118 00:09:54,688 --> 00:09:57,726 It's not a pediatrician's office like you're used to going to. 119 00:09:57,824 --> 00:10:01,281 It's one that has a special room with a window 120 00:10:01,361 --> 00:10:06,572 to observe children like guinea pigs. 121 00:10:06,666 --> 00:10:11,706 The doctor has Owen walk down a long hall from me to Cornelia, 122 00:10:11,805 --> 00:10:14,628 and I just want to say, you know, 123 00:10:14,708 --> 00:10:19,053 "Just walk like you used to walk." 124 00:10:19,145 --> 00:10:21,167 Like, I'm whispering that to him. 125 00:10:21,247 --> 00:10:26,287 "Okay, buddy, just walk like you know how to walk," 126 00:10:26,385 --> 00:10:29,059 and I let go of him, 127 00:10:29,155 --> 00:10:32,812 and he just weaves down the hall, 128 00:10:32,892 --> 00:10:36,772 like someone walking with their eyes shut. 129 00:10:39,365 --> 00:10:41,854 And he gets to the end, and Cornelia grabs his hand. 130 00:10:41,934 --> 00:10:46,157 I remember literally just, like, holding him in a bear hug 131 00:10:46,237 --> 00:10:48,513 and just thinking, you know, 132 00:10:50,275 --> 00:10:53,331 "I'm just gonna hold you so tight, 133 00:10:53,411 --> 00:10:58,292 and love you so much that whatever is going on will go away." 134 00:11:04,022 --> 00:11:08,471 The doctor says, "He has a pervasive developmental disorder," 135 00:11:10,027 --> 00:11:12,803 and she says the word "autism." 136 00:11:12,896 --> 00:11:16,687 It was... It was devastating. 137 00:11:16,767 --> 00:11:20,557 It was completely devastating. 138 00:11:20,637 --> 00:11:22,092 Then after a few minutes, she says, 139 00:11:22,172 --> 00:11:25,119 "Some of the kids never get their speech back. 140 00:11:25,209 --> 00:11:27,849 They don't ever talk again." 141 00:11:27,945 --> 00:11:31,401 And we just looked down at him and the kid playing on the rug, 142 00:11:31,481 --> 00:11:33,654 looking at his hands, and the doctor saying, 143 00:11:33,750 --> 00:11:37,060 "So let me explain what autism is." 144 00:11:40,323 --> 00:11:45,047 Look what we have here! What is this, Owen? 145 00:11:45,127 --> 00:11:47,004 What do you have here? 146 00:11:49,465 --> 00:11:51,587 Hey, what do these look like? 147 00:11:51,667 --> 00:11:54,457 Oh, let's get this away. All right. 148 00:11:54,537 --> 00:11:59,782 All right, we need to stop sillies. You need... Owen. 149 00:12:05,413 --> 00:12:08,792 I first met Owen when he was three years old. 150 00:12:10,352 --> 00:12:13,697 At that point, I think that Ron and Cornelia were devastated. 151 00:12:15,557 --> 00:12:18,580 I think that it shattered their ideal vision 152 00:12:18,660 --> 00:12:23,084 of who this child is going to become. 153 00:12:23,164 --> 00:12:26,906 The image of autism in the early 1990s, 154 00:12:27,001 --> 00:12:29,290 uh, was not terribly flattering. 155 00:12:29,370 --> 00:12:33,627 So they're looking for any glimmer of hope 156 00:12:33,707 --> 00:12:36,764 that there are other possibilities out there 157 00:12:36,844 --> 00:12:41,936 besides an adult that will be forever dependent. 158 00:12:42,016 --> 00:12:45,306 The child with autism is easily overstimulated. 159 00:12:45,386 --> 00:12:49,343 They don't filter the constant stimuli 160 00:12:49,423 --> 00:12:51,733 that come in on a daily basis. 161 00:12:51,825 --> 00:12:55,949 This world is just too intense for their brains, 162 00:12:56,029 --> 00:12:58,151 and that's always what I felt about Owen, 163 00:12:58,231 --> 00:13:01,872 especially when he was a tiny baby. 164 00:13:01,968 --> 00:13:03,709 You know, the vacuum cleaner would go on, 165 00:13:03,803 --> 00:13:08,795 the visual stimulation, the auditory stimulation. 166 00:13:08,875 --> 00:13:13,499 So imagine how difficult it would be to just do the simplest things 167 00:13:13,579 --> 00:13:16,560 if you have this constant noise in your brain. 168 00:13:17,650 --> 00:13:21,426 Owen, Owen, Owen. 169 00:13:22,487 --> 00:13:23,989 Owen, look. 170 00:13:27,259 --> 00:13:29,848 When your child goes into their adult living, 171 00:13:29,928 --> 00:13:31,271 they've also been in an environment 172 00:13:31,363 --> 00:13:33,570 where the adults have been telling them a lot. 173 00:13:33,665 --> 00:13:37,189 So now it's gonna be your turn in a couple of months 174 00:13:37,269 --> 00:13:40,443 to start you telling them things about what you want to do 175 00:13:40,539 --> 00:13:42,494 and what, you know, what you're comfortable with... 176 00:13:42,574 --> 00:13:44,830 what you don't want to do, what you do want to do. 177 00:13:44,910 --> 00:13:48,532 So a lot of those choices that maybe you only had one or two choices here, 178 00:13:48,612 --> 00:13:50,701 now you're gonna have lots of choices. 179 00:13:50,781 --> 00:13:53,337 I have some concerns as far as safety. 180 00:13:53,417 --> 00:13:57,508 Owen tends to walk with his chin down and plow ahead, 181 00:13:57,588 --> 00:14:01,126 like when he comes out between cars in a parking lot 182 00:14:01,225 --> 00:14:04,468 - or going to cross the street. - Yeah. 183 00:14:06,263 --> 00:14:11,055 Hey, Owen, what would you say is your greatest concern about next year? 184 00:14:11,135 --> 00:14:15,139 That I have to do stuff all on my own. 185 00:14:15,238 --> 00:14:17,445 - That's a concern? - Yeah. 186 00:14:17,540 --> 00:14:19,562 - To change, right? - To change. 187 00:14:19,642 --> 00:14:22,816 But is it worth it not having a staff live with you? 188 00:14:22,912 --> 00:14:24,914 - A little bit. - I bet. 189 00:14:35,158 --> 00:14:36,967 How do you feel? 190 00:14:37,060 --> 00:14:41,132 I would say a little nervous 'cause it's a new thing for me, 191 00:14:41,230 --> 00:14:44,677 doing my own things on my own. 192 00:14:44,767 --> 00:14:46,055 Yeah, well, this is the big step. 193 00:14:46,135 --> 00:14:49,014 This is your step through the adult door. 194 00:14:49,104 --> 00:14:52,061 Now you're no different than me. So you kind of... 195 00:14:52,141 --> 00:14:54,485 All these decisions are gonna be you. 196 00:14:54,576 --> 00:14:56,988 They're gonna be for me. 197 00:14:57,079 --> 00:14:58,080 You got to remember, 198 00:14:59,114 --> 00:15:01,321 even though it might seem like you're kind of on your own, 199 00:15:01,417 --> 00:15:02,521 and there's no dorm counselor... 200 00:15:02,618 --> 00:15:03,618 Yep. 201 00:15:04,118 --> 00:15:05,573 ...we're still just a call away, right? 202 00:15:05,653 --> 00:15:06,961 Right. 203 00:15:10,992 --> 00:15:13,448 Pretty excited of what's gonna happen for you, bud. 204 00:15:13,528 --> 00:15:14,529 Yeah. 205 00:15:14,629 --> 00:15:15,869 You got a lot more chapters to write. 206 00:15:15,963 --> 00:15:18,443 A lot more chapters to write. 207 00:15:26,474 --> 00:15:28,351 - I'll be the tosser. - Watch how I'm doing it. 208 00:15:28,443 --> 00:15:30,130 If you hold it in your hand like this... 209 00:15:30,210 --> 00:15:31,298 Yeah? 210 00:15:31,378 --> 00:15:32,632 Gus, over there. 211 00:15:32,712 --> 00:15:33,767 Good boy. 212 00:15:33,847 --> 00:15:34,882 Good boy, come on. 213 00:15:34,981 --> 00:15:36,392 - Good boy. - Come on, boy. 214 00:15:36,483 --> 00:15:38,861 - Come on, Gus. - Come on, buddy. 215 00:15:38,952 --> 00:15:41,728 - Fetch, Gus. Fetch, Gus. - Where is it, Gus? 216 00:16:02,308 --> 00:16:06,085 - There's Mommy and Owe. - Having a little pizza. 217 00:16:06,178 --> 00:16:07,680 Big bite. 218 00:16:17,356 --> 00:16:20,565 We're about a year along into his silence. 219 00:16:20,659 --> 00:16:23,571 The only thing we seem to be able to do as a family 220 00:16:23,661 --> 00:16:27,485 is the one thing Owen and Walter liked to do before the onset of the autism. 221 00:16:27,565 --> 00:16:31,189 They loved to watch the Disney animated movies. 222 00:16:31,269 --> 00:16:36,694 We realized that was the only thing that was keeping Owen calm 223 00:16:36,774 --> 00:16:41,866 and making him happy, and so Owen and his older brother Walter 224 00:16:41,946 --> 00:16:44,290 would watch these together. 225 00:16:46,251 --> 00:16:48,628 I didn't know what autism was. I just knew that autism made 226 00:16:48,719 --> 00:16:49,873 Owen the way he is. 227 00:16:49,953 --> 00:16:54,044 So autism kind of just meant different... drastically different. 228 00:16:54,124 --> 00:16:59,938 So Disney was my chance to have Owen really light up around me 229 00:17:00,030 --> 00:17:02,738 and was something we can come together over. 230 00:17:05,435 --> 00:17:07,691 So, one day, we're up in the bedroom. 231 00:17:07,771 --> 00:17:09,693 We're watching The Little Mermaid. 232 00:17:09,773 --> 00:17:12,863 And, you know, Owen would be speaking sort of gibberish, 233 00:17:12,943 --> 00:17:15,650 and he had been saying, "Juicervose, juicervose, juicervose." 234 00:17:15,745 --> 00:17:18,817 He's murmuring something called... He's saying, "Juicervose, juicervose." 235 00:17:18,915 --> 00:17:20,952 Now, Cornelia thinks he wants more juice. 236 00:17:21,050 --> 00:17:23,706 She gives him the sippy cup. He doesn't want it. He knocks it over. 237 00:17:23,786 --> 00:17:25,741 It's gibberish. 238 00:17:25,821 --> 00:17:29,045 Owen's watching the part where Ariel, the mermaid, 239 00:17:29,125 --> 00:17:31,469 has to trade something to become human. 240 00:17:31,561 --> 00:17:34,474 Go ahead. Make your choice. 241 00:17:34,564 --> 00:17:37,636 I'm a very busy woman, and I haven't got all day 242 00:17:37,733 --> 00:17:40,736 It won't cost much, just your voice. 243 00:17:42,804 --> 00:17:46,342 Owen rewinds. Walt's like, "Owen, just watch the movie." 244 00:17:46,441 --> 00:17:47,977 Owen rewinds a second time. 245 00:17:48,076 --> 00:17:50,147 Third time, Cornelia grabs me and says, 246 00:17:50,245 --> 00:17:53,068 "It's not 'juice.'" I said, "What?" "It's not 'juice.' It's 'just.'" 247 00:17:53,148 --> 00:17:54,684 Just your voice. 248 00:17:54,783 --> 00:17:58,607 I grab Owen, and I say, "Just your voice." 249 00:17:58,687 --> 00:18:00,775 And he says, "Juicervose, juicervose, juice..." 250 00:18:00,855 --> 00:18:03,927 It's the first time he looks at me in a year. 251 00:18:06,860 --> 00:18:10,117 Of course, we read every possible meaning 252 00:18:10,197 --> 00:18:13,701 into the fact he picks those three words. 253 00:18:13,801 --> 00:18:15,956 "Just your voice." 254 00:18:16,036 --> 00:18:20,451 Silent child. The first thing he says. 255 00:18:22,977 --> 00:18:27,050 He's still in there. He's still in there. 256 00:18:29,016 --> 00:18:31,053 We go and see a doctor, 257 00:18:31,151 --> 00:18:34,359 and we tell him about our amazing "juicervose" moment, 258 00:18:34,454 --> 00:18:36,730 and he's like, "Well, let me explain this to you. 259 00:18:36,823 --> 00:18:42,068 "This is... You better sit down. I know you're very pumped up here, 260 00:18:42,161 --> 00:18:44,232 but this is called echolalia." 261 00:18:44,330 --> 00:18:48,244 This isn't like a breakthrough, you know. It's... It's echolalia, 262 00:18:48,334 --> 00:18:52,458 which is just the repeating of language that they hear. 263 00:18:52,538 --> 00:18:55,883 And I said, "Like a parrot?" And he's like, "Well, kind of, yeah." 264 00:18:57,310 --> 00:19:00,381 Is it possible he knows what he's saying? 265 00:19:00,479 --> 00:19:04,723 And the doctor says, "Maybe. But there's no way of knowing, 266 00:19:04,816 --> 00:19:07,922 and the thinking is, probably not." 267 00:19:10,555 --> 00:19:13,900 At that point, Cornelia and I 268 00:19:13,992 --> 00:19:16,515 were set on a rescue mission 269 00:19:16,595 --> 00:19:19,906 to get inside this prison of autism 270 00:19:21,566 --> 00:19:25,010 and pull him out. 271 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:44,922 Okay. Okay, listen up. 272 00:19:45,022 --> 00:19:47,378 Soon as everyone gets here, we will begin. 273 00:19:47,458 --> 00:19:49,267 - Hey, Owen? - Yeah? 274 00:19:49,360 --> 00:19:51,134 Could I just recommend that instead of saying, "Listen up," 275 00:19:51,227 --> 00:19:53,104 say, "May I have your attention, please?" 276 00:19:53,196 --> 00:19:55,972 May I have your attention, please? When everyone gets here, we'll begin. 277 00:19:56,066 --> 00:20:00,724 I started a Disney club so I can get to know more people, 278 00:20:00,804 --> 00:20:05,480 and they can be around me, so I can be more popular. 279 00:20:05,575 --> 00:20:07,530 It worked! 280 00:20:07,610 --> 00:20:09,612 Tonight we're watching some of The Lion King, 281 00:20:09,713 --> 00:20:13,069 because this year is the big 20th anniversary 282 00:20:13,149 --> 00:20:16,039 of the original release of The Lion King. 283 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,707 - Shall we? - Of course. 284 00:20:18,787 --> 00:20:21,631 Not only am I a big Disney fanatic, 285 00:20:21,724 --> 00:20:26,048 but I also like to play magical movie scores on this piano. 286 00:20:26,128 --> 00:20:28,108 Yeah! 287 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:35,257 We watch parts of Disney animated films 288 00:20:35,337 --> 00:20:40,082 and discuss them and see what they're really about in our lives. 289 00:20:52,420 --> 00:20:55,576 That's not my father. It's just my reflection. 290 00:20:55,656 --> 00:20:58,413 No. 291 00:20:58,493 --> 00:21:01,303 Look harder. 292 00:21:02,363 --> 00:21:03,785 Look. 293 00:21:03,865 --> 00:21:07,540 - You see? - You see? 294 00:21:07,635 --> 00:21:11,207 He lives in you. 295 00:21:13,540 --> 00:21:15,520 I'm not who I used to be. 296 00:21:15,609 --> 00:21:19,800 Remember who you are. 297 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:24,454 You are my son and the one true king. 298 00:21:25,519 --> 00:21:28,942 Remember who you are. 299 00:21:29,022 --> 00:21:33,232 - No, please, don't leave me. - Remember. 300 00:21:33,326 --> 00:21:35,066 - Father. - Remember. 301 00:21:35,161 --> 00:21:37,402 - Don't leave me. - Okay. 302 00:21:38,664 --> 00:21:42,988 What was Mufasa teaching Simba? Jessica? 303 00:21:43,068 --> 00:21:48,541 They're teaching us that there's more to you than you ever would see. 304 00:21:48,641 --> 00:21:51,163 And there's more than meets the eye, right? 305 00:21:51,243 --> 00:21:52,965 More than meets the eye. 306 00:21:53,045 --> 00:21:55,753 Their parents are teaching how, when you grow up, 307 00:21:55,848 --> 00:21:57,837 to... to be on your own and... 308 00:21:57,917 --> 00:22:01,261 and how to learn how to, like, live on your own. 309 00:22:01,352 --> 00:22:03,923 Yeah. It's important 310 00:22:04,022 --> 00:22:07,731 that when our parents no longer can help us, 311 00:22:07,826 --> 00:22:10,815 that we have to figure things out by ourselves. 312 00:22:10,895 --> 00:22:12,238 Yeah. 313 00:22:31,715 --> 00:22:36,130 Four years have passed since our "juicervose" moment. 314 00:22:36,220 --> 00:22:40,635 Owen has said almost nothing but gibberish since then. 315 00:22:40,724 --> 00:22:44,968 We're beginning to give up hope. 316 00:22:45,062 --> 00:22:49,602 So on Walt's ninth birthday, he's in the backyard with his buddies. 317 00:22:51,235 --> 00:22:54,190 Party ends, the kids leave, 318 00:22:54,270 --> 00:22:56,978 and Walt gets a little weepy, a little emotional, 319 00:22:57,073 --> 00:23:01,283 and then Owen follows us into the kitchen, looking expectant. 320 00:23:01,377 --> 00:23:02,879 Like, he's looking at the two of us. 321 00:23:03,713 --> 00:23:08,371 He stands there, stock still, like something's bubbling up, 322 00:23:08,451 --> 00:23:10,658 and he says, 323 00:23:10,753 --> 00:23:13,709 "Walter doesn't want to grow up 324 00:23:13,789 --> 00:23:17,168 like Mowgli or Peter Pan," and off he runs. 325 00:23:17,260 --> 00:23:21,173 I was like, "What the hell just happened? 326 00:23:21,263 --> 00:23:23,752 "Did Owen just say, 'Walter doesn't want to grow up, 327 00:23:23,832 --> 00:23:25,971 like Peter Pan or Mowgli'?" 328 00:23:26,067 --> 00:23:28,013 Peter Pan doesn't want to grow up 329 00:23:28,103 --> 00:23:30,926 'cause he wants to stay a boy and be in Neverland. 330 00:23:31,006 --> 00:23:34,180 Once you're grown up, you can never come back. 331 00:23:34,276 --> 00:23:36,431 Never. 332 00:23:36,511 --> 00:23:40,857 I felt the same way that Walter felt when he was nine at teeny, tiny bits. 333 00:23:40,949 --> 00:23:44,573 When you grow up, you lose all your magical, 334 00:23:44,653 --> 00:23:47,292 enchanted childhood times. 335 00:23:48,756 --> 00:23:50,326 This wasn't just a sentence. 336 00:23:50,424 --> 00:23:55,498 This was a complex sentence of a complex thought, 337 00:23:55,596 --> 00:23:58,419 of something that we didn't even see, 338 00:23:58,499 --> 00:24:01,343 and all the sudden it became clear to us. 339 00:24:01,435 --> 00:24:03,757 He's using these movies 340 00:24:03,837 --> 00:24:07,683 to make sense of the world he actually is living in: our world. 341 00:24:07,775 --> 00:24:10,847 But I said to Ron, "You know, we've got to try and figure out 342 00:24:10,945 --> 00:24:13,288 if we can have him talk to us at all." 343 00:24:15,682 --> 00:24:17,491 So I go up to his room. 344 00:24:18,217 --> 00:24:21,790 I see Owen on the bed, flipping through a Disney book, 345 00:24:23,122 --> 00:24:26,446 and I see, sort of over to my left... 346 00:24:26,526 --> 00:24:29,449 I see Iago, the puppet. 347 00:24:29,529 --> 00:24:34,454 Now, Iago is the evil sidekick to the villain Jafar from Aladdin. 348 00:24:34,534 --> 00:24:39,414 - Now, I know Owen loves this puppet. - Jafar, Jafar! Get a grip! 349 00:24:40,339 --> 00:24:44,253 I grab the puppet, I pull it up to my elbow, 350 00:24:44,343 --> 00:24:47,813 and I begin to crawl across the rug as quietly as I can, 351 00:24:48,814 --> 00:24:50,969 and Owen turns to the puppet 352 00:24:51,049 --> 00:24:54,223 like he's bumping into an old friend. 353 00:24:54,319 --> 00:24:56,731 I say to him, "Owen, Owen, 354 00:24:56,822 --> 00:25:00,812 how does it feel to be you?" 355 00:25:00,892 --> 00:25:05,237 And I said, "Not good, 'cause I don't have any friends." 356 00:25:06,163 --> 00:25:08,575 Now, I'm under the bedspread, 357 00:25:08,666 --> 00:25:14,492 and I just bite down hard, you know. 358 00:25:14,572 --> 00:25:18,748 I just say to myself, "Stay in character," 359 00:25:18,843 --> 00:25:21,414 and I say, "Okay, okay. 360 00:25:21,512 --> 00:25:25,085 "Owen, when did you and I 361 00:25:25,182 --> 00:25:28,873 become such good friends?" 362 00:25:28,953 --> 00:25:32,798 And he said, "When I watched Aladdin, you made me laugh." 363 00:25:33,423 --> 00:25:38,515 And then we talk, Owen and Iago, 364 00:25:38,595 --> 00:25:40,268 for a minute, minute and a half. 365 00:25:41,097 --> 00:25:46,775 It's the first conversation we've ever had. 366 00:25:46,870 --> 00:25:48,975 And then all of a sudden, I hear him say... 367 00:25:49,072 --> 00:25:53,987 I love the way your foul little mind works. 368 00:25:54,077 --> 00:25:57,733 That's the next line of dialogue. That's Jafar, the villain, 369 00:25:57,813 --> 00:25:59,793 to his evil sidekick, Iago. 370 00:25:59,882 --> 00:26:04,039 I love the way your foul little mind works. 371 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:05,496 And then I run down and grab Cornelia. 372 00:26:05,587 --> 00:26:07,328 I'm like, "He's memorized all the movies. 373 00:26:07,423 --> 00:26:09,578 "I mean, he's memorized them all. 374 00:26:09,658 --> 00:26:12,915 If you throw him a line of dialogue, he'll throw you back the next line." 375 00:26:12,995 --> 00:26:17,052 And at that point, it was like a window opened, 376 00:26:17,132 --> 00:26:20,477 like a light went on, 377 00:26:20,569 --> 00:26:25,313 and we began to speak to him in Disney dialogue, the whole family. 378 00:26:30,778 --> 00:26:35,022 I memorized every Disney animated movie ever made. 379 00:26:38,186 --> 00:26:42,157 I memorized the credits, and that's how I taught myself to read. 380 00:26:42,256 --> 00:26:45,965 It felt like a great, wonderful... 381 00:26:47,261 --> 00:26:49,171 world of enchantment. 382 00:26:49,262 --> 00:26:51,367 When we'd be down in the basement watching movies, 383 00:26:51,465 --> 00:26:53,286 when it would kind of all come together where, 384 00:26:53,366 --> 00:26:56,370 you know, that's when we drew Owen out. 385 00:27:04,945 --> 00:27:10,054 And these were hand-drawn figures with exaggerated expression, 386 00:27:10,150 --> 00:27:12,391 exaggerated emotion. 387 00:27:12,486 --> 00:27:15,557 It was easier for him to interpret all of this. 388 00:27:18,190 --> 00:27:21,501 I think the idea that it never changes, 389 00:27:22,194 --> 00:27:25,284 and everything else is changing constantly... 390 00:27:25,364 --> 00:27:27,037 every other part of his life. 391 00:27:27,133 --> 00:27:30,790 Our lives, as his parents, we're getting older. 392 00:27:30,870 --> 00:27:33,908 You know, Walter's getting older. 393 00:27:34,006 --> 00:27:37,749 You know, people are dying. Everything's changing, 394 00:27:37,843 --> 00:27:42,967 and that's the one thing that he can hang onto that never changes. 395 00:27:43,047 --> 00:27:45,755 - What's Mommy doing? - I'm making plans 396 00:27:45,850 --> 00:27:48,339 for our trip to Disney World in two days. 397 00:27:48,419 --> 00:27:51,509 Are we gonna want to go to the Beauty and the Beast show? 398 00:27:51,589 --> 00:27:52,844 - Yeah. - Is it too scary? 399 00:27:52,924 --> 00:27:54,846 - No. - I think Mickey has a friend. 400 00:27:54,926 --> 00:27:58,430 There's Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and blah, blah, blah. 401 00:28:00,431 --> 00:28:04,174 He began to use different movie scenes to express his feelings, 402 00:28:05,069 --> 00:28:07,446 like Hercules for not giving up, 403 00:28:07,538 --> 00:28:10,951 The Jungle Book for wanting friends, 404 00:28:11,041 --> 00:28:13,783 and Pinocchio for learning what it feels like 405 00:28:13,877 --> 00:28:17,256 to be a real boy. 406 00:28:17,347 --> 00:28:20,191 Cornelia and I are not therapists, but we're kind of faking it here. 407 00:28:21,518 --> 00:28:24,863 And the goal was... whatever works to get to Owen. 408 00:28:58,053 --> 00:29:01,543 These are 409 00:29:01,623 --> 00:29:03,967 for you. 410 00:29:04,059 --> 00:29:08,917 - Thank you, Owen. - You're so welcome, Emily. 411 00:29:08,997 --> 00:29:10,719 I love you. 412 00:29:10,799 --> 00:29:12,472 "To Owen. 413 00:29:12,567 --> 00:29:17,846 "Thank you for always being there for me 414 00:29:17,939 --> 00:29:22,979 "in the happy times and in the sad times too. 415 00:29:23,078 --> 00:29:26,600 I love you more than anything." 416 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:31,857 And I also have this necklace for you too. 417 00:29:31,952 --> 00:29:34,694 Thanks, Emily. 418 00:29:34,788 --> 00:29:38,112 And... And I made it myself. 419 00:29:38,192 --> 00:29:41,173 Wow, what a wonderful thing. 420 00:29:41,262 --> 00:29:45,938 - It's Mickey Mouse on it. - Yeah. Yeah. 421 00:29:50,270 --> 00:29:53,760 Emily is wonderful and cute and adorable 422 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,684 and sweet, soft, and gentle. 423 00:29:59,045 --> 00:30:00,767 When I move into my apartment, 424 00:30:00,847 --> 00:30:03,136 Emily will move into the apartment above me, 425 00:30:03,216 --> 00:30:05,738 and we'll be neighbors in love. 426 00:30:05,818 --> 00:30:09,129 Another day, another day. 427 00:30:10,456 --> 00:30:11,778 Hi, how are you? 428 00:30:11,858 --> 00:30:13,112 - Hi. - Good. 429 00:30:13,192 --> 00:30:14,614 Good to see you again this morning. 430 00:30:14,694 --> 00:30:16,615 - Good to see you again. - Hey, Owen, good to see you again. 431 00:30:16,695 --> 00:30:19,484 - Come on back. - Okay. 432 00:30:19,564 --> 00:30:22,487 Owen, here's one of the things that gets hard for you. 433 00:30:22,567 --> 00:30:24,456 Not easy for you to talk to people. 434 00:30:24,536 --> 00:30:29,494 So we are going to just say things about our lives 435 00:30:29,574 --> 00:30:31,330 we don't think someone else knows. 436 00:30:31,410 --> 00:30:34,983 Okay, so I'm gonna make a comment, and my comment is, 437 00:30:36,014 --> 00:30:40,588 my 27-year-old daughter rescued a kitten recently. 438 00:30:40,686 --> 00:30:44,508 My girlfriend Emily, she has a pet cat. 439 00:30:44,588 --> 00:30:48,312 I didn't know that. That's perfect. Put that on there. 440 00:30:48,392 --> 00:30:50,648 That's great. And we're not working on questions right now, 441 00:30:50,728 --> 00:30:52,264 so I'm not gonna ask you any questions about it, 442 00:30:52,363 --> 00:30:54,900 but that was the perfect comment to follow that up. 443 00:30:54,999 --> 00:30:57,070 - Yeah. - I grew up with cats. 444 00:30:57,168 --> 00:30:58,943 I thought I only liked cats. 445 00:30:59,036 --> 00:31:03,828 I never liked dogs, and it turns out I love dogs. 446 00:31:03,908 --> 00:31:09,289 - I love our dog, Gus. - That was a perfect comment. 447 00:31:11,214 --> 00:31:16,630 Owen, given his autism, he really likes things scripted. 448 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:20,793 In fact, things that are unpredictable make our folks really anxious, 449 00:31:20,924 --> 00:31:22,178 so they really like the script. 450 00:31:22,258 --> 00:31:24,295 So can we pull out your phone, 451 00:31:24,394 --> 00:31:26,931 and you show me your text history with Emily? 452 00:31:27,030 --> 00:31:28,805 Yeah, my girlfriend and sweetheart. 453 00:31:28,898 --> 00:31:33,313 You kind of get in a routine of telling her that you really care about her. 454 00:31:33,403 --> 00:31:35,190 - Yeah. - But you don't really 455 00:31:35,270 --> 00:31:39,616 - give her anything to think about. - Well, but I want to. 456 00:31:39,708 --> 00:31:41,085 - So could we work on that? - Yeah. 457 00:31:41,910 --> 00:31:45,983 But Owen, he's just filled with the desire to relate, 458 00:31:46,081 --> 00:31:48,871 and he's born to a brain that makes it hard. 459 00:31:48,951 --> 00:31:51,830 That does look... 460 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:53,542 This is for putting your thoughts on, 461 00:31:53,622 --> 00:31:56,125 'cause I'm pushing your brain to do some stuff that's hard. 462 00:31:56,225 --> 00:32:01,382 At his age, he wants to have a job. He wants to grow up. 463 00:32:01,462 --> 00:32:03,169 And he tries to make sense of the world 464 00:32:03,264 --> 00:32:07,178 by fitting it into a Disney script, right, 465 00:32:07,268 --> 00:32:09,009 whereas we grow up, we try to go, 466 00:32:09,103 --> 00:32:11,092 "Okay, we just can make sense of the world on our own." 467 00:32:11,172 --> 00:32:13,761 So for Owen, I think it keeps things neat and tidy 468 00:32:13,841 --> 00:32:16,981 and fits into the black and whiteness of the Disney. 469 00:32:17,078 --> 00:32:20,268 But the real world is not a Disney script. 470 00:32:20,348 --> 00:32:22,737 I kinda have a lot going on. 471 00:32:22,817 --> 00:32:24,906 Yeah. Is it also about how you feel 472 00:32:24,986 --> 00:32:28,775 in terms of moving and all the changes going on? 473 00:32:28,855 --> 00:32:31,111 - For sure. - So does that also kind of feel... 474 00:32:31,191 --> 00:32:32,913 Does it feel scary? 475 00:32:32,993 --> 00:32:34,973 - A little bit. - Yeah. 476 00:32:39,166 --> 00:32:43,012 I think it's easy, when a kid has had so much therapy, 477 00:32:43,103 --> 00:32:47,461 and is 23, to think that the trunk 478 00:32:47,541 --> 00:32:49,963 is a lot stronger than it is, you know? 479 00:32:50,043 --> 00:32:51,681 And the roots are stronger than the are. 480 00:32:51,778 --> 00:32:52,798 Yeah. 481 00:32:52,878 --> 00:32:57,554 But when I see him working with you and really on these very basic conceptual... 482 00:32:57,650 --> 00:33:02,065 ability for conceptual thinking, it makes it very clear how... 483 00:33:02,154 --> 00:33:04,657 how great the deficits were. 484 00:33:06,192 --> 00:33:10,038 You know, 23-year-olds are off graduating from college. 485 00:33:10,129 --> 00:33:12,541 You know, moving around the world independently. 486 00:33:12,631 --> 00:33:14,787 - Right. - No one expects that 487 00:33:14,867 --> 00:33:17,905 of Owen at this point, but the question is, what can we expect for him? 488 00:33:18,003 --> 00:33:19,379 - Right, right. - What do you think 489 00:33:19,471 --> 00:33:23,495 Owen's contributions are to his community, to his family? 490 00:33:23,575 --> 00:33:26,331 We asked ourselves that for so many years, 491 00:33:26,411 --> 00:33:29,000 and at one point, Ron just looked at me and said, 492 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,924 "So who decides what a meaningful life is?" 493 00:33:54,938 --> 00:33:57,043 - Clap. - Yay. 494 00:33:57,674 --> 00:34:01,532 This is my Disney friend 495 00:34:01,612 --> 00:34:03,956 Jonathan Freeman. 496 00:34:07,518 --> 00:34:11,008 - Yeah! Hi, Jonathan. - Hi, how are you? 497 00:34:11,087 --> 00:34:12,760 How's it going, my friend? 498 00:34:12,855 --> 00:34:15,631 - How are you? - Good. 499 00:34:15,725 --> 00:34:17,713 Jonathan Freeman is a great actor 500 00:34:17,793 --> 00:34:20,850 who also does voices for animated Disney films. 501 00:34:20,930 --> 00:34:24,605 Your father's charged me with keeping peace in Agrabah. 502 00:34:24,700 --> 00:34:26,556 The boy was a criminal. 503 00:34:26,636 --> 00:34:30,059 He is the voice of the evil Jafar in Disney's Aladdin 504 00:34:30,139 --> 00:34:33,062 and now my official buddy, pal, and friend of the family. 505 00:34:33,142 --> 00:34:37,487 So, Jonathan and I first became pals and friends 506 00:34:37,579 --> 00:34:42,204 for my 19th birthday weekend when me and my mom and dad 507 00:34:42,284 --> 00:34:45,959 went to New York to see Disney's Mary Poppins on Broadway. 508 00:34:46,054 --> 00:34:49,077 - I saw that! - And he was the Admiral, 509 00:34:49,157 --> 00:34:52,798 and my dad wrote him a note and sent it to him, 510 00:34:52,894 --> 00:34:55,670 and he called me up on my birthday, 511 00:34:55,764 --> 00:34:59,109 and Jonathan is a great friend of mine now. 512 00:35:02,671 --> 00:35:04,592 - So what are we gonna do? - We're gonna... 513 00:35:04,672 --> 00:35:06,927 We're gonna do several scenes from Aladdin. 514 00:35:07,007 --> 00:35:09,487 - We're gonna do a few scenes, yeah. - Okay! 515 00:35:09,577 --> 00:35:12,233 - Yeah. - Sands of time, 516 00:35:12,313 --> 00:35:15,736 reveal to me the one who can enter the cave. 517 00:35:15,816 --> 00:35:19,127 That's him! That's the clown we've been waiting for. 518 00:35:22,456 --> 00:35:23,867 - You're Iago. - Yeah. 519 00:35:23,958 --> 00:35:27,167 - And I'm Jafar. You ready? - Ready. 520 00:35:27,261 --> 00:35:28,782 - Okay. - Wait a minute, wait a minute. 521 00:35:28,862 --> 00:35:32,919 Jafar, what if you were the chump husband? 522 00:35:32,999 --> 00:35:34,842 - What? - Okay, okay. 523 00:35:34,934 --> 00:35:38,124 You marry the princess. All right? 524 00:35:38,204 --> 00:35:41,628 Then... Then you become the sultan. 525 00:35:41,708 --> 00:35:46,384 Oh, marry the princess. The idea has merit. 526 00:35:46,479 --> 00:35:51,304 - Yes, merit. - Gilbert Gottfried! 527 00:35:51,384 --> 00:35:56,196 I don't believe it! 528 00:35:56,288 --> 00:36:00,612 Gilbert Gottfried! I... 529 00:36:00,692 --> 00:36:05,539 I am so unbelievably surprised! 530 00:36:09,201 --> 00:36:13,081 One... All right. I can't believe it! 531 00:36:13,171 --> 00:36:15,583 I just don't believe it! 532 00:36:15,674 --> 00:36:21,181 We're never gonna get a hold of that stupid lamp! 533 00:36:25,816 --> 00:36:29,593 I hope you weren't doing the lines better than I do. 534 00:36:30,988 --> 00:36:32,977 - It's okay. - Yeah, good. 535 00:36:33,057 --> 00:36:37,148 That... That's all I need: him doing the lines better 536 00:36:37,228 --> 00:36:39,674 and working cheaper than I do. 537 00:36:40,898 --> 00:36:43,854 - I don't think I've met you before. - It's me, Owen. 538 00:36:43,934 --> 00:36:48,882 Yeah, yeah, you don't look familiar to me. Get off the line. 539 00:36:51,608 --> 00:36:53,519 So... 540 00:37:09,259 --> 00:37:11,466 Owen went to his first school. 541 00:37:12,696 --> 00:37:15,884 We end up getting him into the Lab School of Washington, 542 00:37:15,964 --> 00:37:18,020 which is expensive. 543 00:37:18,100 --> 00:37:21,056 At this point, my career as a journalist is taking off. 544 00:37:21,136 --> 00:37:25,194 Sending Owen to this school is something we can do. 545 00:37:25,274 --> 00:37:27,777 Many of the kids there are learning disabled, 546 00:37:27,876 --> 00:37:33,121 which is things like dyslexia, maybe ADHD, stuff that's more manageable. 547 00:37:33,215 --> 00:37:35,738 They definitely accept him with the caveat that, 548 00:37:35,818 --> 00:37:38,407 you know, we're gonna really have to make sure 549 00:37:38,487 --> 00:37:41,990 that this continues to be the right place for him. 550 00:37:42,090 --> 00:37:45,560 So from day one, it was a struggle. 551 00:37:47,295 --> 00:37:49,751 His speech was still very limited, 552 00:37:49,831 --> 00:37:55,008 and his social skills were even more limited. 553 00:37:55,103 --> 00:37:59,594 After another year or two, it's clear the other kids are moving forward, 554 00:37:59,674 --> 00:38:02,597 but he is not 555 00:38:02,677 --> 00:38:05,600 making enough progress, the school tells us. 556 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:09,603 Basically, he's not running fast enough, 557 00:38:09,683 --> 00:38:14,462 and the school says, "Sorry, you're out. This isn't gonna work." 558 00:38:18,658 --> 00:38:20,763 It was really hard on him. 559 00:38:22,295 --> 00:38:26,753 He was really falling back, regressing in a big way. 560 00:38:26,833 --> 00:38:28,835 It was a glop. 561 00:38:28,935 --> 00:38:32,258 A glop is down years, 562 00:38:32,338 --> 00:38:34,648 rough down years. 563 00:38:41,814 --> 00:38:44,437 When I was in the glop, I started to think 564 00:38:44,517 --> 00:38:47,225 my best years were behind me. 565 00:38:47,319 --> 00:38:51,961 I wasn't into any animated films that time. 566 00:38:55,728 --> 00:38:58,037 After I homeschooled Owen for a year, 567 00:38:58,129 --> 00:39:02,339 we got him accepted to a high school for special needs kids. 568 00:39:04,469 --> 00:39:09,494 But something happens. 569 00:39:09,574 --> 00:39:12,077 Owen really became very withdrawn, even more, 570 00:39:12,177 --> 00:39:13,331 and he was very sad, 571 00:39:13,411 --> 00:39:15,834 and it was really a tough time. 572 00:39:15,914 --> 00:39:18,258 He is so high-strung, he barely can breathe. 573 00:39:18,349 --> 00:39:21,639 When I would go to pick him up in the carpool, like, 574 00:39:21,719 --> 00:39:23,475 he would dart out so fast into the car. 575 00:39:23,555 --> 00:39:25,397 I'd be like, "Owen, are you okay?" 576 00:39:25,489 --> 00:39:29,403 "Yeah, yeah. Let's go, let's go, let's go." 577 00:39:29,493 --> 00:39:31,598 Ron sat him down one day and said, 578 00:39:31,695 --> 00:39:35,233 "Owen, is everything okay? What's going on?" 579 00:39:35,332 --> 00:39:37,321 And he said, 580 00:39:37,401 --> 00:39:42,659 "There are boys at school that are bullying me." 581 00:39:42,739 --> 00:39:45,686 The bullies said they were gonna burn my house down and hunt me down. 582 00:39:48,212 --> 00:39:52,284 These kids basically just tormented him, 583 00:39:52,381 --> 00:39:56,420 and because he's so literal, he literally thought 584 00:39:56,519 --> 00:39:58,760 that our house was gonna be burned down, 585 00:39:58,855 --> 00:40:00,877 and his parents were gonna be killed. 586 00:40:00,957 --> 00:40:05,599 In that moment, I fell into darkness and walked the halls of fear. 587 00:40:30,652 --> 00:40:32,707 Well, I was just enraged about it. 588 00:40:32,787 --> 00:40:35,043 Like, it was like I failed to protect him. 589 00:40:35,123 --> 00:40:39,748 You know, I would've rounded up a posse and, you know, 590 00:40:39,828 --> 00:40:45,004 kicked the shit out of them, but I didn't, 591 00:40:45,099 --> 00:40:46,554 and I think that's why I still think about it. 592 00:40:46,634 --> 00:40:49,672 I'm still bitter about it 'cause I was, like... 593 00:40:49,770 --> 00:40:53,448 was, like, right there when I could've been there for Owen. 594 00:40:56,477 --> 00:41:02,018 Quasimodo! Quasimodo! Quasimodo! 595 00:41:02,116 --> 00:41:04,426 You think he's ugly now? Watch this. 596 00:41:11,925 --> 00:41:13,700 Hail to the king! 597 00:41:57,903 --> 00:42:00,992 After the bullying, in the weeks that follow, 598 00:42:01,072 --> 00:42:03,575 Owen goes down to the basement. 599 00:42:03,674 --> 00:42:06,998 It's odd. He seems like he's working on something downstairs. 600 00:42:07,078 --> 00:42:11,469 I go down, and I see he's been drawing, 601 00:42:11,549 --> 00:42:14,758 and then I sit down with the book, and I start flipping pages. 602 00:42:15,987 --> 00:42:17,898 A hundred pages of pictures. 603 00:42:17,989 --> 00:42:22,495 And every character is a sidekick. 604 00:42:23,861 --> 00:42:26,932 There are no heroes. They're all sidekicks. 605 00:42:27,030 --> 00:42:28,600 There are hundreds of them in Disney. 606 00:42:29,499 --> 00:42:32,412 Some are goofy. Some are resourceful. Some are wise. 607 00:42:33,436 --> 00:42:38,579 Merlin, Rafiki, Jiminy Cricket... They're all sidekicks. 608 00:42:39,409 --> 00:42:43,414 At that point, I didn't feel like a hero. I felt like a sidekick. 609 00:42:45,181 --> 00:42:48,594 The sidekicks are fun-loving, comical, wacky, playful, 610 00:42:48,685 --> 00:42:51,097 friendly, and delightful, 611 00:42:51,187 --> 00:42:53,542 and they help the hero fulfill their destiny, 612 00:42:53,622 --> 00:42:56,603 and they support the heroes. 613 00:42:56,692 --> 00:42:59,882 On the last two pages, in his scrawl, 614 00:42:59,962 --> 00:43:04,377 "I am the protector of the sidekicks," 615 00:43:05,534 --> 00:43:09,892 and the last thing he writes, on the last page is, 616 00:43:09,972 --> 00:43:14,443 "No sidekick gets left behind." 617 00:43:19,814 --> 00:43:23,921 I created a story about sidekicks searching for a hero in my head, 618 00:43:25,486 --> 00:43:28,228 and I called it "The Land of the Lost Sidekicks." 619 00:43:30,725 --> 00:43:33,001 The thing he did that I think was interesting 620 00:43:33,094 --> 00:43:37,251 is that sort of using the narrative of his own life 621 00:43:37,331 --> 00:43:38,833 to create these stories. 622 00:43:44,639 --> 00:43:48,562 But the sidekicks were there to support him and... 623 00:43:48,642 --> 00:43:52,065 and help him find his way. 624 00:43:52,145 --> 00:43:55,957 He was really writing little autobiographies. 625 00:43:59,786 --> 00:44:04,633 "The Land of the Lost Sidekicks," by Owen Suskind. 626 00:44:08,695 --> 00:44:12,540 There is a boy who is just like other boys. 627 00:44:13,699 --> 00:44:15,454 Until one night, 628 00:44:15,534 --> 00:44:19,539 he sees from his window a storm on the horizon. 629 00:44:22,808 --> 00:44:27,188 He is small, just three years old, and scared. 630 00:45:48,558 --> 00:45:50,970 Owen, Owen. 631 00:46:57,523 --> 00:46:59,366 Bingo. 632 00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:18,614 - Nice to be out on the water again? - It is. 633 00:47:21,613 --> 00:47:24,992 - Can I stay really close to the boat? - Of course. 634 00:47:27,119 --> 00:47:30,828 I'm in. I'm in. 635 00:47:32,624 --> 00:47:34,900 - Okay, swim to me. - And then I'll get out. 636 00:47:34,993 --> 00:47:37,837 - You've got to do breaststroke. - No, I can do whatever. 637 00:47:39,864 --> 00:47:42,486 I swam to you, I swam to you. 638 00:47:42,566 --> 00:47:45,122 Okay. Hey, let me shake. 639 00:47:45,202 --> 00:47:46,374 - Thanks. - Have you conquered your fears? 640 00:47:46,470 --> 00:47:49,644 - I did. Now I can get out. - Okay. 641 00:47:58,149 --> 00:48:03,895 Happy birthday, dear Walter 642 00:48:03,988 --> 00:48:09,061 Happy birthday to you 643 00:48:09,159 --> 00:48:13,107 - Owen, bring it in. One... - Two, three! 644 00:48:16,933 --> 00:48:18,488 Okay, who would like ice cream? 645 00:48:18,568 --> 00:48:21,412 All right, there you go, my friend. 646 00:48:22,272 --> 00:48:24,995 What do you think about Walter turning 26, Owe? 647 00:48:25,075 --> 00:48:28,698 It's gonna... It's odd but great. 648 00:48:28,778 --> 00:48:30,689 Odd? How is it odd? 649 00:48:33,015 --> 00:48:34,961 'Cause he and I are young men now. 650 00:48:35,050 --> 00:48:40,295 - How do you feel about being that? - Still great, but a little... 651 00:48:43,726 --> 00:48:45,433 Different. 652 00:48:47,429 --> 00:48:50,719 'Cause I'm 23 now. 653 00:48:50,799 --> 00:48:54,804 So what was it like for you, Walt, when you went from living in a dorm 654 00:48:54,903 --> 00:48:58,440 and being in college to living on your own in an apartment? 655 00:48:58,539 --> 00:49:00,895 I thought living alone was... was great. 656 00:49:00,975 --> 00:49:03,398 It was a new, you know, a new breath of freedom. 657 00:49:03,478 --> 00:49:06,550 I could, you know, do what I wanted, when I wanted, 658 00:49:07,715 --> 00:49:10,238 like Owen... Owie, you can now. 659 00:49:10,318 --> 00:49:12,573 You're gonna do what you want when you want. 660 00:49:12,653 --> 00:49:15,293 - Yeah. - You're absolutely right, Walt. 661 00:49:17,091 --> 00:49:19,469 So where are you off to? 662 00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:23,939 - Well, he gave the coconut cake a try. - I did. I tried. 663 00:49:31,638 --> 00:49:33,914 My mom and dad are getting older every year. 664 00:49:37,077 --> 00:49:40,524 Twenty years from now, who knows? And... 665 00:49:42,416 --> 00:49:44,521 It'll be just... 666 00:49:47,754 --> 00:49:51,911 It'll be just me, and I'll be ready. 667 00:49:51,991 --> 00:49:54,246 I've been getting ready my whole life, 668 00:49:54,326 --> 00:49:58,968 but it can kind of be overwhelming to think about the... 669 00:50:01,534 --> 00:50:06,313 the idea of taking care of them and taking care of Owen, and... 670 00:50:08,274 --> 00:50:10,015 how that's gonna look. 671 00:50:12,611 --> 00:50:16,183 Yeah, it can keep you up at night, thinking about it, 672 00:50:16,281 --> 00:50:21,731 and, for some reason, the birthday is sometimes when it rips out of me. 673 00:50:22,787 --> 00:50:27,312 But... most of the time, 674 00:50:27,392 --> 00:50:29,948 I just forget about it and try not to think about it 675 00:50:30,028 --> 00:50:32,508 because it'll come at some point. 676 00:50:34,165 --> 00:50:37,544 I'm his only family he's got, 677 00:50:37,635 --> 00:50:41,960 and I'll have to do 678 00:50:42,040 --> 00:50:43,293 whatever I have to do... 679 00:50:43,373 --> 00:50:44,977 I have to do to make sure he's okay. 680 00:50:56,820 --> 00:50:58,731 Owen, go up! 681 00:50:59,756 --> 00:51:01,258 Run up field, run. 682 00:51:01,358 --> 00:51:03,360 - Owen, go! Go, go, go. - I'll get it, I'll get it, 683 00:51:03,594 --> 00:51:07,007 - I'll get it, I'll get it! - Get it, get it. 684 00:51:08,931 --> 00:51:12,504 Owie, dribble up, dribble up. Dribble! 685 00:51:14,537 --> 00:51:15,992 That was a good try. 686 00:51:16,072 --> 00:51:17,827 When you see it, you just stay with the ball. 687 00:51:17,907 --> 00:51:19,614 - Yes, I'll stay with the ball. - Stay with the ball. 688 00:51:21,911 --> 00:51:23,948 Owen, dribble, bud! Go! 689 00:51:34,023 --> 00:51:36,628 - The champ! - Thanks. 690 00:51:36,725 --> 00:51:39,968 - I'm proud of you, buddy. - I did great. 691 00:51:50,405 --> 00:51:55,530 Well, it's like I always say, Your Majesty. 692 00:51:55,610 --> 00:52:00,389 Children got to be free to lead their own lives. 693 00:52:16,330 --> 00:52:20,054 I just can't believe how far Owen has come. 694 00:52:20,134 --> 00:52:23,257 Look at how much distance he's traveled. 695 00:52:23,337 --> 00:52:26,559 Look at how much progress he made from there to there. 696 00:52:26,639 --> 00:52:31,782 It doesn't seem that long ago that we thought he would never talk again. 697 00:52:33,613 --> 00:52:38,358 Owen Harry Suskind from Cambridge, Massachusetts. 698 00:52:43,756 --> 00:52:46,946 - Congratulations. - Thanks. Yay, I did it! 699 00:52:47,026 --> 00:52:49,082 Yay, I did it! 700 00:52:49,162 --> 00:52:50,971 Mom. 701 00:52:53,131 --> 00:52:55,771 - Mom. - I'm so proud of you. 702 00:52:57,202 --> 00:52:59,341 - Hey, buddy. - Dad. 703 00:52:59,438 --> 00:53:02,385 We're so proud of you. You're the greatest. 704 00:53:02,474 --> 00:53:05,853 - I am the greatest. - You are the greatest. 705 00:53:07,012 --> 00:53:09,891 - Hi, Walter. - I love you. 706 00:53:28,232 --> 00:53:30,212 Hey, buddy, we got to... we got to pack up. 707 00:53:30,301 --> 00:53:34,792 Oh, can we watch three scenes of Dumbo to celebrate? 708 00:53:34,872 --> 00:53:37,876 - To celebrate what? - The packing day. 709 00:53:39,210 --> 00:53:43,420 Well, what... Hold on. What scenes are you thinking of? I'm lost here. 710 00:53:43,514 --> 00:53:47,154 I think the packing scenes... 711 00:53:48,818 --> 00:53:51,924 - Dumbo. - Dumbo. Let it rip. 712 00:53:52,022 --> 00:53:54,311 And then packing. 713 00:53:54,391 --> 00:53:56,371 Come on, Dumbo. 714 00:54:00,864 --> 00:54:03,019 When you were little, you'd watch this movie. 715 00:54:03,099 --> 00:54:04,187 Yeah. 716 00:54:04,267 --> 00:54:06,076 When you were facing some pretty tough... 717 00:54:06,169 --> 00:54:08,525 tough challenges. 718 00:54:08,605 --> 00:54:13,529 How did it make you feel when you got to the end? 719 00:54:13,609 --> 00:54:16,453 - So happy. - Yeah. 720 00:54:29,925 --> 00:54:33,134 - It can go right on top. - One more big box. 721 00:54:34,196 --> 00:54:37,768 - Where's your thing? - It's right... Oh, no! 722 00:54:37,865 --> 00:54:41,108 - When did you last see it? - I don't remember! 723 00:54:41,202 --> 00:54:45,059 All right, Mickey Mouse charm. Now, it's got to be on a path. His Mickey... 724 00:54:45,139 --> 00:54:46,527 - What happened? - The Mickey Mouse charm 725 00:54:46,607 --> 00:54:48,211 - that Emily gave him fell off. - Yeah? 726 00:54:49,077 --> 00:54:53,034 Where is it? Oh, where is it? I hope no one stepped on it. 727 00:54:53,114 --> 00:54:55,993 Look around, look around, look around, look around. Should I sniff it? 728 00:54:56,084 --> 00:55:00,541 - Owen, can you smell it? - No, I can't. 729 00:55:00,621 --> 00:55:01,964 - It's somewhere, right? - Yeah. 730 00:55:02,056 --> 00:55:04,044 And if it's not somewhere, you're gonna get one, 731 00:55:04,124 --> 00:55:06,079 and in a few days, it'll be exactly the same. 732 00:55:06,159 --> 00:55:08,799 - Are you sure? - Yeah, I mean, Emily... 733 00:55:08,895 --> 00:55:12,001 - Emily made it for me. - She didn't make the Mickey emblem. 734 00:55:12,099 --> 00:55:14,306 - She bought it. - Bought it? 735 00:55:14,401 --> 00:55:18,225 Did she make the Mickey emblem? Did she go to a metal shop and make it? 736 00:55:18,305 --> 00:55:20,560 No, of course not. 737 00:55:20,640 --> 00:55:25,180 - Any shiny item could be Mickey. - Shiny item. 738 00:55:27,247 --> 00:55:29,852 Owen, could you come here, please? 739 00:55:29,949 --> 00:55:32,938 - What? - I have to give you something. 740 00:55:33,018 --> 00:55:35,828 What? What? 741 00:55:35,921 --> 00:55:40,028 - You found it. Where was it? - On the ground. 742 00:55:40,126 --> 00:55:41,537 Yay. 743 00:55:41,627 --> 00:55:43,783 There's no way Mickey's coming off of there. 744 00:55:43,863 --> 00:55:45,171 - Yay. - Okay? 745 00:55:45,264 --> 00:55:48,921 Perfect. Yay. 746 00:55:49,001 --> 00:55:50,708 All set. 747 00:56:15,026 --> 00:56:17,336 There it is. Exciting! 748 00:56:18,730 --> 00:56:20,539 - Wow. - Here we are, Owen. 749 00:56:20,632 --> 00:56:23,339 Yes, here we are. 750 00:56:25,235 --> 00:56:27,157 So exciting. 751 00:56:27,237 --> 00:56:30,047 What do we got here? What do we got here? 752 00:56:30,140 --> 00:56:32,162 Me, Emily, and John and Julie. 753 00:56:32,242 --> 00:56:34,222 Owen Suskind. 754 00:56:34,311 --> 00:56:35,632 - Number... - Apartment... 755 00:56:35,712 --> 00:56:37,634 Number one. 756 00:56:37,714 --> 00:56:39,636 - Wow. - Do you know what? 757 00:56:39,716 --> 00:56:42,253 - I think you should open the door. - No, no. 758 00:56:43,821 --> 00:56:45,142 There we go. 759 00:56:45,222 --> 00:56:47,724 Oh, boy. Owen! 760 00:56:47,824 --> 00:56:50,513 - Here it is. - Here it is. Yay! 761 00:56:50,593 --> 00:56:53,015 - Your own apartment. - Yay! 762 00:56:53,095 --> 00:56:56,519 - Your own condo. - My own condo, yay! 763 00:56:56,599 --> 00:56:58,521 - What do you think, huh? - So cool. 764 00:56:58,601 --> 00:57:03,025 Owen, this closet is bigger than Mom and my first apartment in New York. 765 00:57:03,105 --> 00:57:07,781 - Yeah. What could be in here? - Cool! 766 00:57:07,877 --> 00:57:10,084 - Videos, that's amazing. - Who would've imagined? 767 00:57:10,179 --> 00:57:12,869 Who would imagine? 768 00:57:12,949 --> 00:57:14,928 Excuse me, coming through. 769 00:57:43,244 --> 00:57:44,780 - Are you good? - I'm good. 770 00:57:44,879 --> 00:57:46,825 - It's a big night for you. - It was. 771 00:57:48,816 --> 00:57:52,127 It will be. Owen. 772 00:57:52,219 --> 00:57:53,707 - Thanks. - Owen? 773 00:57:53,787 --> 00:57:55,242 - Yeah? - Where are you right now? 774 00:57:55,322 --> 00:57:58,303 I'm right... I'm home, my new home. 775 00:57:59,660 --> 00:58:00,832 Good-bye, Mom. 776 00:58:00,928 --> 00:58:03,050 - Good-bye, I love you. - Love you too. 777 00:58:03,130 --> 00:58:04,251 I'll see you and Dad tomorrow. 778 00:58:04,331 --> 00:58:05,832 This is so exciting. Have a great night. 779 00:58:05,932 --> 00:58:07,809 - I love you, buddy. - I love you, too, Dad. 780 00:58:07,901 --> 00:58:10,313 Okay, off we go. 781 00:58:26,319 --> 00:58:29,926 I'm missing my... I gotta find my pills. 782 00:59:01,118 --> 00:59:06,944 You must never rush out on the meadow. There might be danger. 783 00:59:07,024 --> 00:59:12,633 Out there, we are unprotected, so we have to be very careful. 784 00:59:13,698 --> 00:59:17,043 Bambi, quick! The thicket! 785 00:59:22,406 --> 00:59:23,407 Faster. 786 00:59:27,978 --> 00:59:29,548 Mother! 787 00:59:33,583 --> 00:59:35,722 Mother! 788 00:59:41,725 --> 00:59:44,501 Mother, where are you? 789 00:59:49,065 --> 00:59:51,066 Mother? 790 00:59:56,038 --> 00:59:57,540 Mother? 791 01:00:24,098 --> 01:00:27,307 I never lived by myself before. 792 01:00:29,404 --> 01:00:31,441 Emily will move in next week. 793 01:00:33,041 --> 01:00:34,395 One over this flame here. 794 01:00:34,475 --> 01:00:36,955 There are people here to help me. 795 01:00:37,045 --> 01:00:40,234 I get help cooking. 796 01:00:40,314 --> 01:00:43,726 They help me with medication and paying bills. 797 01:00:44,985 --> 01:00:47,795 We all go on fun outings. 798 01:00:49,756 --> 01:00:51,292 They can help me look for a job, 799 01:00:51,391 --> 01:00:55,215 which is something I really want to do. 800 01:00:55,295 --> 01:00:58,765 Independent means... great and fabulous. 801 01:01:21,654 --> 01:01:24,328 Is this the right mailbox? 802 01:01:26,459 --> 01:01:30,669 Excuse me. Is this the right mailbox? 803 01:01:34,100 --> 01:01:36,010 - Okay, can I see which one you have? - Which one's mine? 804 01:01:36,101 --> 01:01:38,342 - Yeah. - I don't... 805 01:01:39,704 --> 01:01:41,960 I'm not sure if that's a mailbox key. 806 01:01:42,040 --> 01:01:44,095 - So... - Let's go check back. 807 01:01:44,175 --> 01:01:46,849 - It had the number on it, so... - It says here, two. 808 01:01:46,945 --> 01:01:48,322 Yeah, let's go check back. 809 01:01:52,851 --> 01:01:54,558 Let's see. 810 01:01:56,354 --> 01:01:59,824 - Yes, you've got mail! - Yes, I got mail. Let's see. 811 01:02:01,158 --> 01:02:03,313 Let's see. Got mail. 812 01:02:03,393 --> 01:02:05,395 - Yeah, all right. - Let's bring it back. 813 01:02:05,496 --> 01:02:08,840 - Mission accomplished. - Mission accomplished. 814 01:02:15,405 --> 01:02:16,960 - Hi, Emily. - Hi, Owen. 815 01:02:17,040 --> 01:02:19,247 Hi, Emily. How are you doing? 816 01:02:19,343 --> 01:02:22,916 - I'm doing good. How are you doing? - I'm doing great. 817 01:02:28,084 --> 01:02:29,839 I'm glad you made it. 818 01:02:29,919 --> 01:02:35,267 - Which one should we do? - I guess... 819 01:02:35,358 --> 01:02:37,647 How about make the cookies and then watch a movie? 820 01:02:37,727 --> 01:02:40,003 - That sounds like a great idea. - Yeah. 821 01:02:47,069 --> 01:02:51,711 - Thanks, Emily. - You're welcome. 822 01:02:54,843 --> 01:02:59,501 I hope we baked them right. 823 01:02:59,581 --> 01:03:03,538 - Did we bake them right? - Oh, no. I don't want to... 824 01:03:03,618 --> 01:03:07,725 - That's okay. - Oh, thanks, Emily. 825 01:03:09,024 --> 01:03:11,129 At least we gave it a try. 826 01:03:11,226 --> 01:03:12,637 - Yeah. - We did good. 827 01:03:12,727 --> 01:03:14,468 We did great. 828 01:03:20,434 --> 01:03:24,974 - Are you okay? - I'm okay. Oh, ouch. 829 01:03:25,072 --> 01:03:26,983 - Are you okay? - Yeah, I'm okay. 830 01:03:27,074 --> 01:03:28,815 I'm okay. I'm okay. 831 01:03:28,909 --> 01:03:31,365 - Are you okay? - Yeah, I'm okay. 832 01:03:31,445 --> 01:03:34,892 You need me to kiss it better? 833 01:03:36,083 --> 01:03:37,585 I think it's good. 834 01:04:00,006 --> 01:04:01,815 - Owie. - Yeah? 835 01:04:01,908 --> 01:04:05,651 - Not going well here. - Not going well 'cause of the rocks. 836 01:04:05,745 --> 01:04:07,986 Yeah, I was just thinking. You and Emily 837 01:04:08,081 --> 01:04:10,493 are the same age Mom and Dad were when they... 838 01:04:10,583 --> 01:04:11,993 - Yeah. - Started dating. 839 01:04:12,084 --> 01:04:13,529 Yeah. 840 01:04:13,619 --> 01:04:15,496 You kind of see yourselves like Mom and Dad? 841 01:04:15,587 --> 01:04:17,576 - Yes, we do. - How so? 842 01:04:17,656 --> 01:04:20,612 'Cause we take it slowly. 843 01:04:20,692 --> 01:04:24,834 - Yeah? - Yeah. We have the same interests. 844 01:04:24,930 --> 01:04:26,432 Yeah? So what are... 845 01:04:28,000 --> 01:04:30,537 - You got Disney. - Yeah. 846 01:04:30,636 --> 01:04:33,674 Pretty serious thing, a girlfriend of three years, you know. 847 01:04:33,772 --> 01:04:37,929 Yeah, it is pretty serious. 848 01:04:38,009 --> 01:04:40,298 You've had a class on this at school, right? 849 01:04:40,378 --> 01:04:42,266 Have you thought about those things? 850 01:04:42,346 --> 01:04:44,302 Sometimes I have. 851 01:04:44,382 --> 01:04:46,270 How does it make you feel? 852 01:04:46,350 --> 01:04:51,776 It makes me feel a little nervous and a little excited. 853 01:04:51,856 --> 01:04:54,700 Okay, how does it make you feel a little nervous? 854 01:04:54,792 --> 01:04:57,815 - Let's start with that. - I haven't tried it before. 855 01:04:57,895 --> 01:05:00,341 Have you seen it? 856 01:05:01,365 --> 01:05:03,708 - Yeah. - Yeah? Where'd you see it? 857 01:05:03,800 --> 01:05:05,643 - Movies. - Yeah? 858 01:05:06,636 --> 01:05:09,626 For instance, you see how some people kiss. 859 01:05:09,706 --> 01:05:14,297 - Yeah. - They might use their what? 860 01:05:14,377 --> 01:05:17,133 They don't just use their lips. They use their... 861 01:05:17,213 --> 01:05:21,355 - Their feelings. - All right. 862 01:05:22,319 --> 01:05:24,765 - Ice cream time, bud? - Yes, let's go! 863 01:05:28,224 --> 01:05:30,396 For Owen, unknown things make him uncomfortable, 864 01:05:31,660 --> 01:05:36,518 whether it's an unknown place or someone he doesn't know, or sex. 865 01:05:36,598 --> 01:05:38,520 It's been a little tricky to navigate 866 01:05:38,600 --> 01:05:43,345 because Owen's basis for pretty much everything is Disney, 867 01:05:44,239 --> 01:05:49,416 and Disney, beyond the, like, kind of final kiss in every movie... 868 01:05:49,511 --> 01:05:53,755 the, you know, straight kiss, no tongue... 869 01:05:53,849 --> 01:05:57,171 it doesn't really delve into relationships 870 01:05:57,251 --> 01:06:00,095 and sex really that much. 871 01:06:00,188 --> 01:06:04,295 I've tried a number of tactics that work to varied degrees. 872 01:06:04,392 --> 01:06:07,271 Bringing up the idea of a French kiss, I found out just didn't work. 873 01:06:08,596 --> 01:06:10,269 You know, he's a red-blooded American man. 874 01:06:10,365 --> 01:06:13,554 He's got his same biological needs as everyone else, 875 01:06:13,634 --> 01:06:18,893 but in terms of, like, full-on sex, I have... 876 01:06:18,973 --> 01:06:23,614 I mean, I have no idea how to really get to that point, short of... 877 01:06:25,412 --> 01:06:29,485 I don't know. Showing him Disney porn, maybe? 878 01:06:29,583 --> 01:06:32,873 I really don't know. 879 01:06:32,953 --> 01:06:35,242 Owen, you know your favorite Little Mermaid songs? 880 01:06:35,322 --> 01:06:38,745 - Yeah, "Kiss the Girl." - What do I mean by that? 881 01:06:38,825 --> 01:06:43,831 - Just kiss her, using my tongue. - Okay. 882 01:06:43,930 --> 01:06:45,841 I will do it. 883 01:06:54,340 --> 01:06:56,429 - How you doing? - I'm doing good. I'm Owen. 884 01:06:56,509 --> 01:06:58,597 Nice to meet you. My name is Jeffrey Ortiz. 885 01:06:58,677 --> 01:07:01,817 - Hi, Jeffrey. - You can have a seat right here. 886 01:07:02,748 --> 01:07:06,161 All right, so why are you interested in working for us here? 887 01:07:06,252 --> 01:07:09,408 'Cause I love going to movie theaters and cinemas all the time. 888 01:07:09,488 --> 01:07:10,990 And do you come here pretty often? 889 01:07:11,090 --> 01:07:12,330 - Yes, I do. - Yeah? Very good. 890 01:07:13,658 --> 01:07:15,580 How many hours were you looking to work? 891 01:07:15,660 --> 01:07:16,832 - Twenty. - Okay. 892 01:07:17,796 --> 01:07:21,920 - So this is the concession area. - Yeah. 893 01:07:22,000 --> 01:07:24,089 Do you do any cash handling? 894 01:07:24,169 --> 01:07:25,477 - No. - No? Okay. 895 01:07:26,971 --> 01:07:27,959 I'll walk you out if you'd like. 896 01:07:28,039 --> 01:07:29,347 - Okay. - All right. 897 01:07:31,309 --> 01:07:33,631 - Thanks for having me, Jeff. - Oh, you're very welcome. 898 01:07:33,711 --> 01:07:35,600 When can I hear a response? 899 01:07:35,680 --> 01:07:37,135 As soon as we get your references back. 900 01:07:37,215 --> 01:07:39,058 It should be a pretty quick turnaround after that. 901 01:07:39,150 --> 01:07:40,355 - Okay. - All right? 902 01:07:40,451 --> 01:07:42,453 - Thanks. - You're welcome. 903 01:08:03,841 --> 01:08:06,162 I just got a call. 904 01:08:06,242 --> 01:08:10,657 Apparently Emily broke up with Owen. 905 01:08:11,981 --> 01:08:14,837 There was a meeting with all the caseworkers today, 906 01:08:14,917 --> 01:08:17,397 so basically, the caseworkers told Owen 907 01:08:17,487 --> 01:08:19,592 that it was over with Emily in the room. 908 01:08:19,689 --> 01:08:22,011 It sounds bad. 909 01:08:22,091 --> 01:08:24,264 I'll give him a ca... Is he just... Yeah. 910 01:08:25,728 --> 01:08:27,935 He needs a brother call right now. 911 01:08:28,030 --> 01:08:32,603 Emily gave these reasons, like, five points about Owen being too close 912 01:08:32,701 --> 01:08:36,114 and needing space and everything else, so... 913 01:08:37,939 --> 01:08:39,680 Goddamn it. 914 01:08:55,557 --> 01:08:59,766 I don't think it is. 915 01:08:59,860 --> 01:09:03,884 Why, Mufasa. 916 01:09:03,964 --> 01:09:05,966 Hi, Emily. 917 01:09:06,066 --> 01:09:08,410 Emily? 918 01:09:14,842 --> 01:09:18,153 - No. - Good luck, Emily! 919 01:09:19,747 --> 01:09:22,036 Come on, guys. Come on, come on, come on. 920 01:09:22,116 --> 01:09:23,459 We've got to get in the van, okay? 921 01:09:25,218 --> 01:09:26,822 Hey, Emily. 922 01:09:34,260 --> 01:09:36,433 At least I waved to her. 923 01:09:43,570 --> 01:09:45,811 - Hi, honey. - Mom? 924 01:09:45,905 --> 01:09:49,762 - Yeah, sweetie? - Why is life so full 925 01:09:49,841 --> 01:09:53,899 of unfair pain and tragedy? 926 01:09:53,979 --> 01:09:56,435 Owen, it's just the way life is. 927 01:09:56,515 --> 01:10:01,191 That's... That's the way life has always been and will always be. 928 01:10:01,286 --> 01:10:04,109 We have incredibly joyous times... 929 01:10:04,189 --> 01:10:06,945 - Yeah! - ...and relaxing times, 930 01:10:07,025 --> 01:10:10,282 but we also have sad times and painful times. 931 01:10:10,362 --> 01:10:15,787 I can't... But it's... But it's not fair. 932 01:10:15,867 --> 01:10:20,713 I know, honey. It's... So much things that happen in life aren't fair. 933 01:10:20,805 --> 01:10:22,960 So many things. 934 01:10:23,040 --> 01:10:27,632 What do we have to do? Just face the truth and be sad forever? 935 01:10:27,712 --> 01:10:30,468 No, not forever at all. 936 01:10:30,548 --> 01:10:34,972 Just... You have to face the truth and grit your teeth 937 01:10:35,052 --> 01:10:39,159 and... and know that things are gonna get better. 938 01:11:19,662 --> 01:11:25,187 - Yeah. Yeah, hi, Mom. - How are you, buddy? 939 01:11:25,267 --> 01:11:27,907 - I'm so glad to see you. - I'm so glad to see you too. 940 01:11:32,508 --> 01:11:36,531 And I fear Emily will be this way forever. 941 01:11:36,611 --> 01:11:38,366 She won't, honey. She won't. 942 01:11:38,446 --> 01:11:41,950 Have you started a journal about your feelings, 943 01:11:42,050 --> 01:11:43,927 that you can write things out and you can write... 944 01:11:44,018 --> 01:11:47,875 But I don't want to be alone and single. 945 01:11:47,955 --> 01:11:50,959 Well, that's really not a choice right now, huh? 946 01:11:51,059 --> 01:11:52,936 - It's not a choice. - But it doesn't mean 947 01:11:53,027 --> 01:11:58,186 - you're gonna always be. - But I don't want her to forget me. 948 01:11:58,266 --> 01:11:59,687 - Hey, Owen? - Yeah? 949 01:11:59,767 --> 01:12:02,804 - Emily's fine. - I don't want her to forget me. 950 01:12:02,903 --> 01:12:05,192 Do you know who I'm a little bit concerned about? 951 01:12:05,272 --> 01:12:08,695 - Me. - It's you. Most people at your age, 952 01:12:08,775 --> 01:12:12,232 they don't meet the love of their life forever... 953 01:12:12,312 --> 01:12:13,985 - What? - At your age. 954 01:12:16,650 --> 01:12:19,995 What's the saying? "Boy loves girl, boy loses girl, 955 01:12:20,087 --> 01:12:24,878 boy love... gets girl back in the end." 956 01:12:24,958 --> 01:12:28,734 - Boy finds another girl. - But I... 957 01:12:31,263 --> 01:12:35,302 - This is driving me crazy. - Yeah. 958 01:12:35,401 --> 01:12:38,591 Why did this have to happen 959 01:12:38,671 --> 01:12:41,675 to make my life sad forever? 960 01:13:09,701 --> 01:13:11,956 I created Fuzzbutch, who is a villain 961 01:13:12,036 --> 01:13:16,428 in the Land of the Lost Sidekicks. 962 01:13:16,508 --> 01:13:21,684 Fuzzbutch's evil powers are to blow fog into people's head 963 01:13:21,779 --> 01:13:25,769 to make the world look like a weird place to them 964 01:13:25,849 --> 01:13:28,386 and make them look sad. 965 01:13:38,195 --> 01:13:40,698 There is evil in the forest. 966 01:14:50,130 --> 01:14:53,441 - Owen, Owen! - Owen, Owen. 967 01:14:53,534 --> 01:14:56,538 - Owen, Owen. - Owen, Owen, Owen. 968 01:15:17,724 --> 01:15:19,879 - So, Mom... - Owen, has Daddy talked to you 969 01:15:19,959 --> 01:15:23,099 - about going to France? - France? When? 970 01:15:24,063 --> 01:15:27,533 - France. - France. 971 01:15:27,634 --> 01:15:32,090 - You don't want to go? - I love Paris, France. 972 01:15:32,170 --> 01:15:37,518 So there's a conference on autism where they want you to speak. 973 01:15:37,609 --> 01:15:40,021 It's actually the very first time, Owie, 974 01:15:40,112 --> 01:15:42,820 that people have gotten together to learn about 975 01:15:42,915 --> 01:15:46,605 how autistic people use their passions to help them understand the world, 976 01:15:46,685 --> 01:15:49,074 just like you use Disney. 977 01:15:49,154 --> 01:15:51,076 Yeah, does that sound good? 978 01:15:51,156 --> 01:15:55,365 - It sounds great. - Good, yeah. It'd be fun. 979 01:15:55,459 --> 01:15:56,529 Yeah. 980 01:15:58,629 --> 01:16:00,700 You're gonna get to give a speech in English 981 01:16:00,798 --> 01:16:04,336 to a delegation, an international delegation. 982 01:16:04,435 --> 01:16:06,847 Most of them are French, but they're from all over the world. 983 01:16:06,938 --> 01:16:08,259 - Yeah. - Okay? 984 01:16:08,339 --> 01:16:13,550 They are gonna translate your speech into French. 985 01:16:13,644 --> 01:16:16,523 So I'll speak in English, but they'll translate into French. 986 01:16:16,614 --> 01:16:19,117 You should just speak in Lumiere's accent the whole time. 987 01:16:20,718 --> 01:16:22,439 - Should I really speak in... - What do you think? 988 01:16:22,519 --> 01:16:24,021 - English. - English. 989 01:16:24,120 --> 01:16:26,776 What should I write? You're not telling me? 990 01:16:26,856 --> 01:16:29,564 No, I can't tell you. It's got to come from... 991 01:16:29,659 --> 01:16:31,605 - Myself. - Right. 992 01:16:31,695 --> 01:16:35,652 The way people see 993 01:16:35,732 --> 01:16:40,545 autistic... autistic people... 994 01:16:41,638 --> 01:16:43,208 Don't look at me. 995 01:16:44,174 --> 01:16:47,296 - This is challenging. - Just write right to here. 996 01:16:47,376 --> 01:16:51,000 - Another ten sentences? - All right? Come on. 997 01:16:51,080 --> 01:16:52,835 - Don't whine? - Don't whine. 998 01:16:52,915 --> 01:16:54,917 A little kid whines. 999 01:16:55,017 --> 01:16:57,006 A little kid whines. You're not a little kid anymore. 1000 01:16:57,086 --> 01:17:00,499 I'm a young adult. What else? 1001 01:17:02,057 --> 01:17:05,527 Think. Think hard. 1002 01:17:16,604 --> 01:17:20,028 You could break into song at any moment. 1003 01:17:20,108 --> 01:17:24,579 They can sing, they can dance After all this is France 1004 01:17:24,679 --> 01:17:29,458 Dinner here is never second best 1005 01:17:29,550 --> 01:17:32,507 Come on and fold your napkin 1006 01:17:32,587 --> 01:17:35,543 Take a glance and then you'll 1007 01:17:35,623 --> 01:17:39,764 Be our guest, be our guest, be our guest 1008 01:17:39,860 --> 01:17:42,382 Beef ragout, cheese soufflé 1009 01:17:42,462 --> 01:17:45,807 Pie and pudding en flambé 1010 01:17:45,899 --> 01:17:49,039 - Is this it? - It looks like a town hall, yeah. 1011 01:17:49,770 --> 01:17:52,559 - Owen. - Owen, this is Marie. 1012 01:17:52,639 --> 01:17:54,528 - Hey, Marie. - She's running the conference. 1013 01:17:54,608 --> 01:17:58,215 - Hi, Marie. Bonjour. - Bonjour, Owen. 1014 01:18:00,280 --> 01:18:02,402 I am very pleased to meet you, Owen. 1015 01:18:02,482 --> 01:18:04,155 Thanks, Marie. 1016 01:18:04,251 --> 01:18:05,786 - Are you fine? - Yeah. 1017 01:18:05,885 --> 01:18:08,161 - Owen, come. Come chat, say hi. - Yes, I am. 1018 01:18:08,254 --> 01:18:11,243 - I don't like the smoking. - He doesn't like smoking. 1019 01:18:11,323 --> 01:18:13,400 A lot of people smoke in France. 1020 01:18:15,361 --> 01:18:17,967 Do you want to do it yourself? Didn't Walter teach you how to do this? 1021 01:18:18,064 --> 01:18:20,374 No. Can you help me? 1022 01:18:20,466 --> 01:18:22,888 Okay, I'm not always gonna be here to do your tie, you know. 1023 01:18:22,968 --> 01:18:24,447 I know. 1024 01:18:31,709 --> 01:18:36,886 I can't believe it. I just don't believe it. 1025 01:18:36,981 --> 01:18:39,985 - Owen, are you ready? - Yeah? 1026 01:18:40,085 --> 01:18:41,758 I'm ready. 1027 01:18:44,656 --> 01:18:48,160 Okay, everybody, let's move it. Okay. 1028 01:19:38,574 --> 01:19:42,818 Bonjour, mesdames et messieurs. 1029 01:19:51,520 --> 01:19:56,594 I am honored 1030 01:19:56,691 --> 01:20:01,868 to be here with you. 1031 01:20:06,001 --> 01:20:08,657 My name is Owen Suskind, 1032 01:20:08,737 --> 01:20:11,911 and I love animated films. 1033 01:20:12,007 --> 01:20:15,920 My friend Connor loves superheroes. 1034 01:20:16,010 --> 01:20:21,289 My friend Brian is an expert on the history of all actors 1035 01:20:21,382 --> 01:20:26,207 and comedians who are Jewish. There's a lot of them. 1036 01:20:26,287 --> 01:20:29,577 The way people see those with autism 1037 01:20:29,657 --> 01:20:33,469 is that they don't want to be around other people. 1038 01:20:33,561 --> 01:20:36,132 That's wrong. 1039 01:20:42,869 --> 01:20:47,978 The truth about autistic people is that we want what everyone else wants, 1040 01:20:48,074 --> 01:20:50,782 but we are sometimes misguided 1041 01:20:50,877 --> 01:20:55,034 and don't know how to connect with others. 1042 01:20:55,114 --> 01:20:58,705 I was bullied in high school. 1043 01:20:58,785 --> 01:21:02,699 The future seemed so scary and uncertain. 1044 01:21:02,789 --> 01:21:05,245 I didn't want to grow up. 1045 01:21:05,325 --> 01:21:09,864 I just watched the world go by from my bell tower, 1046 01:21:09,962 --> 01:21:13,952 like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. 1047 01:21:14,032 --> 01:21:18,757 The Hunchback doesn't end the way some movies do. 1048 01:21:18,837 --> 01:21:21,560 Quasimodo doesn't get the girl, 1049 01:21:21,640 --> 01:21:26,598 but he gets happily welcomed into society 1050 01:21:26,678 --> 01:21:29,768 after a long, hard journey. 1051 01:21:29,848 --> 01:21:32,385 Then he's no longer an outcast. 1052 01:21:32,484 --> 01:21:36,274 That's kind of what happened to me. 1053 01:21:36,354 --> 01:21:38,698 Now, when I look in the mirror, 1054 01:21:38,789 --> 01:21:42,480 I see a proud autistic man, 1055 01:21:42,560 --> 01:21:46,117 strong and brave and ready to meet a future 1056 01:21:46,197 --> 01:21:49,820 that is bright and full of wonder. 1057 01:21:49,900 --> 01:21:53,712 Merci beaucoup. 1058 01:22:16,293 --> 01:22:19,900 Walter! Walt's here! 1059 01:22:19,996 --> 01:22:23,520 - Walt's here. Walt. - Owie! 1060 01:22:23,600 --> 01:22:25,655 - Good to see you, buddy. - Good to see you. 1061 01:22:25,735 --> 01:22:28,157 This is your... I haven't seen your place yet. Look at that library. 1062 01:22:28,237 --> 01:22:29,773 Yeah, I still have a few more to collect. 1063 01:22:29,872 --> 01:22:30,993 You have some more to collect? 1064 01:22:31,073 --> 01:22:33,495 - A few more. - What are the plans? 1065 01:22:33,575 --> 01:22:37,166 Oh, how about you and I hang out together? 1066 01:22:37,246 --> 01:22:42,037 I'll show you the text me and Dad wrote to Emily this past weekend. 1067 01:22:42,117 --> 01:22:43,255 Last weekend. 1068 01:22:43,352 --> 01:22:44,673 - Okay. - I'll tell you. 1069 01:22:44,753 --> 01:22:46,008 All right, read it to me. 1070 01:22:46,088 --> 01:22:49,092 "Dear Emily, I took off the necklace 1071 01:22:49,191 --> 01:22:50,813 "you gave me and put it away. 1072 01:22:50,893 --> 01:22:53,634 "I wanted you to be clear about my feelings 1073 01:22:53,728 --> 01:22:56,607 "that I have accepted our relationship is over. 1074 01:22:56,698 --> 01:22:59,554 "Lots of couples break up and remain friends. 1075 01:22:59,634 --> 01:23:02,323 "I want us to be one of them. 1076 01:23:02,403 --> 01:23:06,818 "We know each other too well to throw our friendship away, 1077 01:23:06,908 --> 01:23:09,821 "so let's just be friends and make lots of new friends. 1078 01:23:09,911 --> 01:23:13,381 Either way, I'm sure I'll see you around. Your friend, Owen." 1079 01:23:14,549 --> 01:23:19,896 - What do you think? - It's good, it's good. 1080 01:23:47,279 --> 01:23:48,758 Morning, Emily. 1081 01:23:50,149 --> 01:23:52,071 Morning, Owen. 1082 01:23:52,151 --> 01:23:57,109 Morning, Emily. Morning, Emily. 1083 01:23:57,189 --> 01:23:59,669 Good morning, Owen. Is that your bike? 1084 01:23:59,759 --> 01:24:00,746 It's my bike. 1085 01:24:00,826 --> 01:24:02,203 That's cool. 1086 01:24:02,294 --> 01:24:03,329 It is. 1087 01:24:03,429 --> 01:24:04,583 How'd you sleep last night? 1088 01:24:04,663 --> 01:24:06,506 I slept good. How did you sleep last night? 1089 01:24:06,599 --> 01:24:07,669 I slept great. 1090 01:24:07,767 --> 01:24:10,256 That's great. Glad to hear it. 1091 01:24:10,336 --> 01:24:11,814 Yeah. I'll see... 1092 01:24:11,903 --> 01:24:12,891 See you later. 1093 01:24:12,971 --> 01:24:14,177 See you later. 1094 01:24:29,287 --> 01:24:33,111 After battling the evil Lord Fuzzbutch, 1095 01:24:33,191 --> 01:24:38,139 the boy finds himself at the bottom of a deep, dark pit. 1096 01:24:46,003 --> 01:24:50,349 He sees something glinting in the darkness around him. 1097 01:25:39,354 --> 01:25:41,561 - Thanks. - There you go. Enjoy the show. 1098 01:25:43,592 --> 01:25:45,435 - Thanks. - Enjoy the show. 1099 01:25:46,061 --> 01:25:49,440 - Okay. - Enjoy the show! 1100 01:25:52,267 --> 01:25:55,656 I've been scared my whole life of growing up 1101 01:25:55,736 --> 01:26:00,661 because you might lose some of the old things you treasured, 1102 01:26:00,741 --> 01:26:03,697 like all my fun films, 1103 01:26:03,777 --> 01:26:06,087 but I never did. 1104 01:26:07,748 --> 01:26:10,456 We definitely worry about getting old. 1105 01:26:10,551 --> 01:26:13,874 My hope and dream, when Ron and I aren't here, 1106 01:26:13,954 --> 01:26:16,594 is that he is independent enough to make it 1107 01:26:16,690 --> 01:26:20,137 and be able to grow older on his own. 1108 01:26:21,694 --> 01:26:24,017 He's gonna have to fail. 1109 01:26:24,097 --> 01:26:26,634 He's gonna have to fall and fail. 1110 01:26:28,468 --> 01:26:32,109 You know, we're not afraid of that as we used to be. 1111 01:26:32,205 --> 01:26:35,152 I think he'll be okay. 1112 01:26:40,647 --> 01:26:43,236 The future? 1113 01:26:43,316 --> 01:26:47,406 I'm still searching for it. 1114 01:26:47,486 --> 01:26:51,059 My childhood days were over. 1115 01:26:52,658 --> 01:26:54,763 That doesn't matter. 1116 01:27:15,079 --> 01:27:19,070 We're way beyond the boundary of the Pride Lands. 1117 01:27:19,150 --> 01:27:21,906 Hey, look, Banana Beak is scared. 1118 01:27:21,986 --> 01:27:26,110 That's Mr. Banana Beak to you, Fuzzy, 1119 01:27:26,190 --> 01:27:30,138 and right now we are all in very real danger.