Ezra: Autism- All in the Family

MOVIE INFO:

EZRA follows Max Bernal (Bobby Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father (Robert De Niro), while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra (introducing William Fitzgerald) with his ex-wife (Rose Byrne). When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives. Directed by Tony Goldwyn, who also appears in the film alongside additional cast members Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg, EZRA is an endearing and often funny exploration of a family determined to find their way through life’s complexities with humor, compassion, and heart.

REVIEW:

Ezra is a sentimental drama about fathers, sons and autism. What I found interesting about the movie, is not Ezra, the title autistic boy (William A. Fitzgerald), but the dynamics of a family where everyone might be nudging the spectrum, and who made it to adulthood before autism was acknowledged as an official medical condition.

Fitzgerald, who is slightly on the scale, gives a pretty typical performance filled with all the cliches the audience expects from an autistic character- the standoffishness when people show affection to him, the rising and falling tones of voice, the side glances, the food finickiness, the tantrums when thrown off routines. It’s good, but there is nothing new here.

Bobby Canavale, plays Ezra’s dad- Max, a standup comic with anger issues and a desperate need for his son’s and others acclaim and attention. He too has his idiosyncrasies. His devotion to his son is slightly due to the anxiety he feels when he sees a lot of himself in Ezra. It’s a guilt of the father passing this condition onto the son thing.

Robert De Niro as Max’s father, Ezra’s grandfather, is also very quirky. DeNiro obsessing about a frying pan that needs to be returned shows the hidden misdiagnosis’s that led to the loss of many jobs as head chef and his current employment as a doorman at a fancy high rise. The three’s interactions are filled with the patience the inflicted show their fellow suferers.

The roadtrip Max and Ezra take functions as both therapy and reconnection. It’s not picaresque but neither is it picayune. That’s reserved for Ezra’s mom played by Rose Byrne. She’s the character who exists to demonstrate the frustration, and just plain exhaustion most parents with autistic children feel on a daily basis.

The political statement that comes with Max’s arrest on child abduction charges at the end, is a false note. It doesn’t ruin the picture, but it doesn’t elevate it either.

For parents with autistic children Ezra will have a bit of emotional impact. It might even provide some validation for their difficult parenting journey. For others, their mileage may vary. The bond between Canavale and Fitzgerald (and DeNiro too) is sweet, with good chemistry. It redeems the maudlin and faltering moments— and makes Ezra worth a view.