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The Story of Luke- sp  If any of you know any young people  on the autism spectrum and some of the trials and tribulations which they may experience, you will appreciate the great accomplishment of this film. The credit for it goes to screenwriter/director Alonso Mayo and to Lou Taylor Pucci who plays Luke as well as an excellent supporting cast It is not surprising that Mayo’s mother runs a school for developmentally disabled people, many with autism, in Peru. Not only did he get his inspiration through his experience in knowing many such people but he also arranged for his lead actor to spend two weeks prior to filming, getting to know four individuals and their families who mirrored in many ways the character that he was playing. The result was a very sensitive, consistent and realistic portrayal of a young man in his early 20’s who was raised by his grandparents after his mother abandoned him to them While he has very little social skills, he speaks his mind which show the values that grandmother who raised and home schooled him provided . The grandmother has recently died and the grandfather passes shortly thereafter and Luke finds himself living with uncle and aunt and their children in a dysfunctional family. It becomes the most important thing in the world to Luke to somehow get a job and then hopefully a girl friend and to try to find a space in the world for himself. His brave determination in beginning this journey impacts and changes many of the  people around him. On one level this film is humorous because when Luke speaks his mind, he is saying the truth that  some may think but never say. Seth Green playing a very high functioning man with Asperger’s Syndrome, who becomes Luke’s mentor also provides comedic relief. But really, the over all effect of this movie is the poignancy, which is conveyed as a young man struggles to achieve dignity and his potential as a human being. (2013)

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The Answer Man – sp – This is another one of those independent films that is rising to the top based on a very good script with rich juicy roles which attracts grade A actors who take a chance, in this case, on writer and first time director John Hindman. Veteran actor Jeff Daniels, whom we recently saw on the Broadway stage in the hit God and Carnage, plays a middle aged reclusive author of highly successful spiritual books but hasn’t made much of his own personal life. He meets and connects with a struggling single mother ( Lauren Graham ) as well as a young book store owner ( Lou Taylor Pucci ) who is  fresh out of alcohol rehab and chases our guru down seeking advice on how to keep his own life together. You might call this a solid comedy but the attraction here is the touching relationships between these improbable people. We agree with the word out of the Sundance Film festival that this film stands out from the crowd.  (2009)