Snow Cake (Snow Cake)

Country of origin and year: Canada, United Kingdom, 2006 Genre: Drama Screenplay: Angela Pell Director: Mark Evans Music: Broken Social Scene Cast: Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Carrie-Anne Moss Medical topic: autism Description: Alex (Alan Rickman) has recently been released from prison, where he was serving time for murder. He travels to Canada for a meeting that is important to him. At the bar where he stops, he is joined by young Vivienne, who is hitchhiking her way home. The man reluctantly agrees to give her a ride, but on the way, an accident occurs in which the girl dies. Tormented by guilt, Alex decides to find her mother to share his pain and apologize for the tragedy. When he arrives, he is astonished to discover that the mother shows no sadness, anger, or even grief; moreover, she behaves in an unusual way. The reason for this lies in the mother’s condition: Linda (Sigourney Weaver) has autism. Until now, she had managed with Vivienne’s help, but now that Vivienne is gone, she needs assistance not only with organizing the funeral but also with mundane tasks like cleaning the house or taking out the trash. A peculiar friendship develops between her and Alex, during which we learn about the childlike behavior of a person with autism, discover what such a person needs and fears, and realize that they are capable of working independently. At the same time, Alex forms a close bond with her neighbor, slowly uncovering his past and realizing just how much he has changed. The actors performed their roles superbly, creating believable and compelling characters. The most intriguing line, however, comes from a supporting character who delivers an ironic quip, actually directed at the audience: “I know everything about autism; I’ve seen a movie about it.” Of course, to understand the nature of this condition, watching a movie isn’t enough; it’s a much more complex issue.