A
girl born with autism and signs of other severe mental defects is kept
out of institutions as a child and sent to live on a ranch with her aunt (Catherine
O’Hara)as a teen (Clare Danes). There she shows profound animal empathy, even
developing a mechanism to calm the animals. When arriving at the social terror
that is college, she is mentored by a compassionate teacher (David Strathairn)
who fosters her natural ability, leading her on the path of becoming a leading agricultural
adviser. Temple Grandin sidesteps
usual biopic traps and, with excellent performances from Danes and Strathairn,
strives to use innovative techniques to tell the story of a truly unique
individual.
*** out of ****
