Adam (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Cynthia S

  
  I think that I must be in love with Hugh Dancy. Anything I see him in I really like..and this movie I just loved. Very touching, romantic and sweet. I am glad that they didn't give us the typical love story ending. I actually really loved the way they approached the conclusion.… More
  I think that I must be in love with Hugh Dancy. Anything I see him in I really like..and this movie I just loved. Very touching, romantic and sweet. I am glad that they didn't give us the typical love story ending. I actually really loved the way they approached the conclusion. Sooooooooo nice

• Nicki M

  
  I wanted to like this much more than I actually did. Interesting character in Adam, a young man who suffers from aspergers syndrome. Hugh Dancy is well cast and makes Adam sympathetic and vulnerable. Rose Byrne, also, nice in the role of Beth. For some reason though, the promising… More
  I wanted to like this much more than I actually did. Interesting character in Adam, a young man who suffers from aspergers syndrome. Hugh Dancy is well cast and makes Adam sympathetic and vulnerable. Rose Byrne, also, nice in the role of Beth. For some reason though, the promising premise felt kind of flat, movie seemed much longer than it actually was , and I found myself getting bored with the whole thing. The film definitely has it's moments and is worth a watch, but personally I thought it could have been much more than what it actually was.

• Steven C

  
  "Adam", liked "Dedication", can support the criticism that love does not cure someones mental condition, but if you take that out of it, especially with a film like "Adam", you will find a lovely story about understanding, love and coming to terms with… More
  "Adam", liked "Dedication", can support the criticism that love does not cure someones mental condition, but if you take that out of it, especially with a film like "Adam", you will find a lovely story about understanding, love and coming to terms with the life that has been given to you. Hugh Dancy plays a young man with high functioning Asperger's Syndrome whom begins a romantic relationship with a beautiful and compassionate neighbor, played by the beautiful and talented Rose Byrne. Dancy and Byrne are great, understated, and nuanced. Writer/Director Max Mayer keeps the films subjects light enough to enjoy but he does let the dark sneak in, adding just enough realism to ground his picture. "Adam" is a sensitive film full of many lovely moments and ends up being something rather unique.

• Curtis L

  
  Another movie to fit in the 'normal hot girl falls in love with a mentally handicapped boy' category, along with Pumpkin, Dirty Filthy Love, and Lars and the Real Girl. This time its aspergers syndrome, wich is interesting to me since I know several people with this… More
  Another movie to fit in the 'normal hot girl falls in love with a mentally handicapped boy' category, along with Pumpkin, Dirty Filthy Love, and Lars and the Real Girl. This time its aspergers syndrome, wich is interesting to me since I know several people with this syndrome (including close family). They pretty much hit the nail on the head with this one. I think the message of the film is that people can be just as happy/unhappy with anyone for different reasons. I'm glad it didn't have a fairytale ending and what not. A great date movie.

• Manu G

  
  This movie was lovely to watch, it's not your typical story in a way but in a way it is. It's about not giving up and when a door closes a window opens. It's such a hard desicion to give up and continue with life but this movie really teach us that is possible and you… More
  This movie was lovely to watch, it's not your typical story in a way but in a way it is. It's about not giving up and when a door closes a window opens. It's such a hard desicion to give up and continue with life but this movie really teach us that is possible and you can be happy following your dreams, and I'm happy it was realistic and didn't have the hapily ever after ending although it wasn't a bad one at all either. Great acting too from both Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. Go watch it, I recommended!!! Soon after moving in, Beth, a brainy, beautiful writer damaged from a past relationship encounters Adam, the handsome, but odd, fellow in the downstairs apartment whose awkwardness is perplexing. Beth and Adam's ultimate connection leads to a tricky relationship that exemplifies something universal: truly reaching another person means bravely stretching into uncomfortable territory and the resulting shake-up can be liberating.

• Lewis C

  
  If there's one genre of movies that really, really, REALLY has to do something different to stand out in my eyes, it's these kind of relationship movies. If one of these movies is formulaic, it's a basic guarantee that I'm not going to be impressed. Sure, if the… More
  If there's one genre of movies that really, really, REALLY has to do something different to stand out in my eyes, it's these kind of relationship movies. If one of these movies is formulaic, it's a basic guarantee that I'm not going to be impressed. Sure, if the right combination of stars is involved, I may be a bit more interested, but what really catches my attention are the occasional movies that put a different spin on the usual. Movies like The Graduate, (500) Days of Summer, High Fidelity, and Adam. Adam works so well because Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne make their relationship seem semi-believable. It's not a stretch to accept that their interactions and the things that happen to them, somewhat represent how things could actually be. Adam (the movie) isn't trite, insipid, or overly-sentimental, it's just a honest look at what a relationship between a pretty cool chick and a "different", but still likeable, man might really be like.

• Carlos M

  
  A bittersweet and unconventional love story that benefits mostly from Hugh Dancy's really good characterization of a handsome young man with Asperger's Syndrome.

• Thomas B

  
  Heartfelt if a liittle muddled. Full review later.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"A story about two strangers. One a little stranger than the other..."</i> Adam, a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome, develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor, Beth. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"A story about two strangers. One a little stranger than the other..."</i> Adam, a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome, develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor, Beth. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> The chances of you seeing this movie on the big screen are close to zilch since it's had such a limited cinematic release, so be sure to catch it on television or DVD because it is a rom-com with a special edge. Although the couple are young Americans in New York City, it is the British Hugh Dancy who gives an excellent performance as the eponymous IT professional and amateur stargazer who suffers badly from Asperger's Syndrome, while it is the Australian actress Rose Byrne who is delightful as the young woman willing to make the effort to understand him. The treatment of Asperger's is handled sensitively, but not without humour, and the ending avoids the temptation to be trite. A real accomplishment then for the American Max Mayer who both wrote and directed and whose previous writing and directing has been almost entirely for the theatre.

• Jake .

  
  Overall, I really did like this movie a lot, but at times it really is awfully typical and cliched. Hugh Dancy does a marvelous job of portraying someone with Asperger's. I really liked the way it was portrayed as well. You cannot help but feel sorry for Adam, but at the same… More
  Overall, I really did like this movie a lot, but at times it really is awfully typical and cliched. Hugh Dancy does a marvelous job of portraying someone with Asperger's. I really liked the way it was portrayed as well. You cannot help but feel sorry for Adam, but at the same time the film does not look down upon him. The rest of the characters are just as disconnected and lost as he is, and they're completely normal, functional people. The film has a nice little soundtrack, both with the score and the bona fide songs. Everything else has a really, really washed-out and sterile look to it. I imagine it must have been intentional, and it really is a nice touch. I really felt that the first half hour was the strongest in the film. Its not only charming and light, but also incredibly sad and emotional. The tragic part of this is that the rest of the film goes down hill then. While Adam is never downright unenjoyable to watch, there are quiet a few parts that drag. I think it would have been much better overall had it focused more on Adam and less on Beth and her family. Still, its a good movie. Its just that it could, and should, have been so much better.

• Nate Z

  
  It?s a romantic comedy with a quirk. Adam (Hugh Dancy) has Asperger?s syndrome, a higher-functioning level of autism that makes social interactions difficult. Lucky for him he?s handsome enough that his new neighbor (Rose Byrne) falls for him anyway. What follows is mostly standard… More
  It?s a romantic comedy with a quirk. Adam (Hugh Dancy) has Asperger?s syndrome, a higher-functioning level of autism that makes social interactions difficult. Lucky for him he?s handsome enough that his new neighbor (Rose Byrne) falls for him anyway. What follows is mostly standard romantic comedy stuff, with boy and girl feeling each other out, except Adam has trouble with figurative language and implied speech. The movie works on a low-key cuteness as it hits all the conventional plot destinations, but then it charts its own path for an ending. I give credit to writer/director Max Mayer for bucking formula and following his convictions, refusing to tie everything together so easily. With that said, the Asperger?s portrayal seems to go into an extreme, Rain Man-level of social disability. Adam is crippled with fear even to leave his home; he is a slave to routine. Dancy is a sympathetic lead, though he?s overly reliant on his character?s quirks. Adam isn?t a freak or some delicate flower needing to be protected from the rigors of reality, and I think the movie would have benefited from a broader look at Adam?s ongoing lifelong struggle with his brain. Mostly, audiences are served up a sweet if somewhat plain romance with an extra dash of eccentricity, but not enough to rock any rom-com sensibilities. It?s a non-threatening alternative to the genre. Nate's Grade: B

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  HUGH DANCY, ROSE BYRNE, FRANKIE FALSON, PETER GALLAGHER, AMY IRVING I absolutely loved this movie. This movie and many, many others is why Indie movies are my favorite. Great Story. Great performances. Especially from Hugh Dancy. In this movie he plays a character named Adam who… More
  HUGH DANCY, ROSE BYRNE, FRANKIE FALSON, PETER GALLAGHER, AMY IRVING I absolutely loved this movie. This movie and many, many others is why Indie movies are my favorite. Great Story. Great performances. Especially from Hugh Dancy. In this movie he plays a character named Adam who has Asperger's Disease. He plays this character brilliantly. I am now a fan of Rose Byrne. I thought she was a natural. Liked her a lot. Rose plays Adam's neighbor who just moved into the building. Soon a friendly hello, turns into a friendship, and soon after a romantic relationship. But this is not your typical romance comedy. It is much more then that. The relationship between the two is very real and also very sweet. This movie opened my eye's to a disease that I have never heard of before, and taught me a little about it. This movie doesn't center on a romantic level of a romance movie, it's more of a relationship type movie. Just not on a romantic level, but with parents, friendships, and acquaintances. It shows the struggles Adam has to over come to lead a somewhat normal life. A touching film that I hope everyone gets a chance to see.

• Rico Z

  
  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… More
  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 Syndrome-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.

• Walter M

  
  Adam's(Hugh Dancy) father just died, leaving him alone in an apartment they once shared. His only family now is Harlan(Frankie Faison), an old army pal of his dad's. Together, they eat lunch in the park where they exchange information on the mysteries of the universe.… More
  Adam's(Hugh Dancy) father just died, leaving him alone in an apartment they once shared. His only family now is Harlan(Frankie Faison), an old army pal of his dad's. Together, they eat lunch in the park where they exchange information on the mysteries of the universe. While Adam talks about the cosmos, Harlan talks about women which is good since Beth(Rose Byrne), attractive and young, just moved into Adam's building on the Upper West Side to teach elementary school temporarily while writing a children's book. Any movie that starts off by referencing "The Little Prince" is already on my bad side. Luckily, "Adam" recovers nicely from that misstep. While Adam has Asperger's Syndrome, this is no mere disease of the week weepie. In fact, by sensitively handling its lead characters, the movie actually has quite a lot to say on the give and take dynamic of relationships, as Adam and Beth have much to show each other about the wider world.(By the way, those raccoons have to be the most normal thing in Central Park at that hour of the night.) Despite their obvious differences, they also have much in common, both being on their own for the first time in New York City to follow their dreams.

• Mark A

  
  Excellent, sensitive treatment of how a person with Asperger's syndrome might respond to the attentions of a beautiful woman, and how that woman might react to him. Rose Byrne, as Beth, plays a complicated character with the right amount of vulnerability and wariness that such a… More
  Excellent, sensitive treatment of how a person with Asperger's syndrome might respond to the attentions of a beautiful woman, and how that woman might react to him. Rose Byrne, as Beth, plays a complicated character with the right amount of vulnerability and wariness that such a relationship would reasonably engender. Hugh Dancy, as the titular Adam, displays both an encyclopedic knowledge of some things, and the social ineptitude required by the character's condition, and did both brilliantly. This viewer found himself drawn into the story and invested in their relationship. Amy Irving, Peter Gallagher and Frankie Faison, as Adam's friend, Harlan, were terrific in supporting roles. The whole story played out with a natural ease, providing an evening well spent.

• Jeff T

  
  The trailer does this sweet little film an injustice. What comes across as a cutesy disease-of-the-week rom com is actually a fairly serious-minded story about a guy with a real condition and the girl he tries to make it work with. To the film's great credit it takes… More
  The trailer does this sweet little film an injustice. What comes across as a cutesy disease-of-the-week rom com is actually a fairly serious-minded story about a guy with a real condition and the girl he tries to make it work with. To the film's great credit it takes Adam's Aspberger's Syndrom completely seriously (which is mostly huge plus). Dancy and Byrne are lovely and their story is terrific; there's an unfortunate subplot involving her father that takes up waaaaaaay too much airtime and knocks the whole proceeding down a notch, but there's much to recommend here, and it's a very nifty surprise.

• Sol C

  
  Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne's performances are the best reason to watch this film. They are well supported by performances from Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, and Frankie Faison. The songs from the film are good too. I definitely recommend this film.

• Andrew F

  
  It's not awards-worthy, but it's a pleasant 90-minute diversion. Plus, the two leads are solid.

• Lesley N

  
  Things I have learned about people with Aspergers Syndrome from watching films. They're very good at gambling (RAIN MAN), they write a mean pen-letter (MARY AND MAX), and they make gentle if emotionally distant romantic partners who tell you lots of things about stars (ADAM).… More
  Things I have learned about people with Aspergers Syndrome from watching films. They're very good at gambling (RAIN MAN), they write a mean pen-letter (MARY AND MAX), and they make gentle if emotionally distant romantic partners who tell you lots of things about stars (ADAM). Unconventional love story about two disparate souls who live in the same building fumbling towards some kind of relationship and really rather sweet.

• Cinema F

  
  Adam is a story of a fumbling love affair between two different young people. The title character (Hugh Dancy) is a brilliant but isolated engineer, whose Aspergers Syndrome makes social interactions awkward at the best of times. Beth (Rose Byrne) is his upstairs neighbour, a… More
  Adam is a story of a fumbling love affair between two different young people. The title character (Hugh Dancy) is a brilliant but isolated engineer, whose Aspergers Syndrome makes social interactions awkward at the best of times. Beth (Rose Byrne) is his upstairs neighbour, a bright and outgoing teacher, who is troubled by her attraction to the strange man in the apartment below. Sweet-natured Adam finds it difficult to emphathise with others, and lives a life of routine and repetition (eating the same macaroni and cheese meal every night and obsessing over the workings of the solar system). Having lost his father and his job in a matter of weeks, Adam is in a state of flux when Beth enters his life, and she proves to be a source of both stability and confusion. What is noteworthy about the film is that both Dancy and Byrne have genuine chemistry as the central lovers. He gives a sensitive and wholly credible performance, while her big eyes make her an irresistible figure in a romantic role. While the twists and turns of this film's plot prove somewhat predictable, it's refreshingly understated, with a minimum of contrivance, and it never makes the mistake of substituting quirkiness for genuinely engaging plot and characters. Although the ending's a bit of a heartbreaker, there's enough sweetness, hope and humour in the film to pull it through.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings