Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher

Adam, a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome, develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor, Beth.

Flixster Users

71% liked it

1,046 ratings

Critics

64% liked it

115 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 39 min.

Directed by: Max Mayer, Michael Tuchner

Release Date: July 29, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (468)


  • October 28, 2009
    Audiences will likely respond to "Adam" in one of two ways: they'll either see it as a schmaltzy and condescending soap opera, or they'll snuggle up with it as a sort of cinematic comfort food. It's a bit of a silly movie, one that had broad intentions, we assume, but in the end ...( read more)is nothing more than a manipulative little melodrama. Saying this film brings any awareness to Aspberger's syndrome is like saying "Step Brothers" was a harrowing look at dementia. But, as much as I tried to resist it's mawkish sentimentality, the charms of the two leads won me over so much that... (gasp) I guess I... kind of liked it?

    Adam Raki (Hugh Dancy) seems like the perfect catch. He's intelligent, he's handsome, he has a good job, he's passionate about many things... oh, but he has Aspberger's syndrome. Some call it a close relative of autism, a sort of high-functioning version: his social skills are subpar, unable to pick up on sarcasm or body language, but beyond that he can live a perfectly healthy life on his own. Shortly after his father dies, leaving him alone in his spacey New York apartment, he meets a new neighbor, Beth (Rose Byrne). Adam wins her over by showing her his personal planetarium, however things get a bit weird when he asks if she was sexual excited when they went to the park to look at raccoons the prior night.

    "I have this thing, called Aspberger's syndrome..."

    Beth asks co-workers for advice - they tell her that he's not prime relationship material. She doesn't care. She still brings him to parties, giving him a nudge here or there when he mumbles on too much, but together they have a perfectly loving and functional relationship. Her family life is under great stress, however, as her father, Marty (Peter Gallagher), could be facing a two-year jail sentence for corruption charges.

    "Adam"'s biggest fault is the Peter Gallagher character, no matter how capable his performance is. He does a commendable job at not being a one-note slimy corporate rat, but did this movie really need courtroom drama? How many daytime soaps are we trying to parody?

    As much as i'd like to tease the movie, however, both Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne are more than pleasant company. Their enormous charms elevate the material, perhaps undeservedly so, into a highly involving melodrama. Adam also has a friend, Harlan (Frankie Faison), the ever-so-wise elderly black man (was Danny Glover busy?), and together they have some of the film's most tender sequences. It's hard to justify such a maudlin film devoid of any sort of edge, but you'll be satisfied if you go in expecting a cheesy sort of romantic drama.
  • August 4, 2009
    Adam is a film that tries to make you relate and empathize with its characters so much that eventually you do. Of course, the premise is ripe for empathy: a young, socially-inept, reclusive Asberger's Syndrome-sufferer falls for a young, socially-savvy, extroverted Asberger's Sy...( read more)ndrome-NON-sufferer. He's a child in a man's body and she's a woman who teaches and writes for children.

    It may sound somewhat contrived; and to a certain degree it is. But what ensues is a heartwarming story of love told from the perspective of a couple that really has nothing going for it from the beginning. The chances of its survival are slim to none. With a father who is over-bearing in his opinion of Adam (Hugh Dancy), Beth (Rose Byrne) must learn to cope with outside forces that attempt to interfere with her looking past her own prejudices and preconceived notions about Adam in order to ultimately love him.

    What is the hardest for these characters, however, is the lack of emotional involvement that Adam himself seems to display. Of course, there is really no way for Adam to know what others are feeling for him unless they tell him. But Adam himself--despite his inherent bluntness and straightforwardness, lacks the ability to be completely honest himself.

    There are themes of love and loss woven throughout the entire film that will strike a chord with many people who have dealt with a challenging relationship. It will also resound with those who have ever felt for someone in need and tried to help them in order to discover something new about the world.

    Whether you wind up learning about the way the big bang works or the rate at which the universe is expanding isn't what matters. What's important is that you learn that two beings who seem inexplicably incompatible can sometimes converge--nay--collide and create a spark so fervent that it will resonate throughout the remainder of their lives. Sometimes a little bit of love is all that's needed to halt the velocity of the ever-expanding universe and bring it back together.
  • September 7, 2007
    heart touching movie
  • August 23, 2009
    Adam is a good movie. It's not great, but the actors, Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, are both fantastic. They present their characters so well that it's easy to fall into the movie and just enjoy Beth and Adam going through their lives. They are both incredible in their roles.
    The ...( read more)movie always has somewhere to go. It's a slow pace, so I had time to take everything in and stay involved.
    It's not a tear jerker, but it's definitely worth a rent or watch on a movie channel when you come across it.
  • August 20, 2009
    I liked the story, with a realistic ending. I'm now a fan of Rose Byrne. I thought it was ass-burgers disease only to discover it is asperger's disease the title character has. I learned more about astronomy though :-)
  • November 7, 2009
    Interessante, drama, mas os atores nao seguram
  • October 11, 2009
    BIG SCREEN. Bien actuada y contada competentemente, pero lo presenta todo demasiado bonito y con cierta propensidad a usar sentencias huecas. / Well acted and competently told, but presents everything in too tidy a manner and shows propensity for hollow statements.
  • September 28, 2009
    A. wow. amazing. 9/09
  • September 25, 2009
    Great drama,great cast
  • September 25, 2009
    dont know what its about

Critic Reviews


August 21, 2009
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Sure, it's complicated, but isn't that always true of romance? And doesn't it blow the hinges off the universe -- every single time? full review

August 13, 2009
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Adam is a minor, tolerably enjoyable romance that doesn't add up to anything much. full review

August 7, 2009
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

Everyone dallies and dithers and radiates well-meaningly. This is mental illness served up for romcom pathos and sentimentality. full review

August 6, 2009
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

To its credit, Adam doesn't go for the cheap, easy solution. In that way, the film shares something of the spirit (and realism?) of (500) Days of Summer: an acknowledgment that not every close encount... full review

August 6, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Adam wraps up the story in too tidy a package, insisting on finding the upbeat in the murky, and missing the chance to be more thoughtful about this challenging situation. full review

July 31, 2009
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Adam succeeds at getting inside its hero's mind and, more impressively still, gives us entrée to his singular soul. full review

July 30, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Adam is a cut above most romances and boasts a intriguing conclusion. One comes away with a sense of hope, leavened by realism. full review

View more Adam reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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