Adam - Eine Geschichte über zwei Fremde. Einer etwas merkwürdiger als der andere. (Adam) 
U.S.A.
2009
Opening 10 Dec 2009
Directed by:
Max Mayer
Writing credits:
Max Mayer
Principal actors:
Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison
Founder and producing director of New York Stage and Film, Max Mayer writes and directs his second feature film to spotlight the Asperger Syndrome in Adam. In 1944, an Austrian paediatrician, Hans Asperger, wrote a paper about children in his practice who had normal intelligence and language development but extreme deficiencies in social and communication skills hindering normal psychological growth. While listening to a radio interview from a young man diagnosed with Asperger’s, Mayer was enthralled with the man’s description of his world. Mayer’s response was his film Adam and notes that it is a defence of the imperfect and the joy in finding value in imperfection and further explains that “after all, it is all we know.”
Adam (Hugh Dancy) and Beth (Rose Byrne) live in the same apartment building and become good neighbors sharing the comedy of mishaps in their everyday life at day’s end. Adam is an eccentric electronic engineer, lives an excessive structured life and visits only one person, Harlan (Frankie Faison), since the death of his father. Beth is an elementary school teacher, writes children’s literature and loves people. The story of Adam and Beth is unlikely at first glance but warms the heart as they develop a sweet curiosity for each others’ world and celebrate their imperfections. Beth is fascinated with Adam’s unusual manners, extreme intelligence and childlike wonderment for the world of nature and space. She ignores the abnormality. Adam delights in the attention from Beth, her beauty and talent but cannot express his feelings appropriately. Their worlds collide when irreconcilable differences shatter an incredible depth of shared love and admiration. But, good neighbors find a way toward reconciliation so their lives will move forward. (Karen Pecota)
