The Story of Luke

It was another Netflix night for me. As happens from time to time, I stumbled on another amazing move that most people have probably never heard of. I know I hadn’t before seeing it on their website.

What drew me to this one? While I like Cary Elwes, this particular story is about a subject near and dear to my heart – autism.

Just a quick warning, the language isn’t always PG-rated, but it’s not as bad as a lot of movies. There are also teenage guy kinds of conversations about the opposite sex.

 Abandoned by a mother who couldn’t handle a handicapped child, Luke (Lou Taylor Pucci) was raised by overprotective grandparents who not only loved him, but home-schooled him when the grandmother decided he wasn’t being treated well enough in the public school system.

The movie opens with Luke getting ready to attend her funeral. Afterward, he and the now mostly senile grandfather stay with his Uncle Paul, whose wife and kids aren’t exactly pleased with the arrangement. In short order, the grandfather winds up in a nursing home, but not before he offers a little lucid advice to Luke – get a job, and find a nice girl who doesn’t nag and likes to travel.

What I love the most about this movie is how Luke starts off as a barely tolerated guest with his uncle’s family, but as they get to know him, their attitudes change.

It’s for that very reason I recommend this 2013 movie. It fairly accurately portrays an autistic young man, and shows how he’s not as different from ‘normal’ people as everyone originally believed. They came to realize that Luke needed the same love and acceptance as everyone else in the world.

If you’re looking for a movie that will make you laugh one minute, reach for a tissue the next, and just leave you with a smile when the credits start rolling, this would be a good choice.

I also think it’s a great choice because I’m all about letting people know that autism isn’t contagious. And that getting to know someone with autism might just turn out to be a really rewarding experience.

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