Movies are an incredible form of escapism, but sometimes they can be so much more than that. At its best, this art form can educate and change minds to inspire empathy and understanding. In 2007, the nonfiction world was taken by storm thanks to a 13-year-old Japanese boy named Higashida Naoki. In his book The Reason I Jump, the young nonverbal autistic boy communicated his thoughts via an alphabet board to give voice to a community of people who are often incorrectly saddled with misconceptions about how they experience the world. While not intended as a guide book to any autistic person beyond himself, The Reason I Jump allowed for general readers around the world to get a first-hand account of an experience that most will never understand. The new film of the same name from director Jerry Rothwell takes that text and uses it as the inspiration to further explore the lives of young individuals on the autism spectrum. Rather than just use the standard narrative documentary approach, this film seeks to allow the audience to glean a small part of what it is like to experience life in this way.
While innovative in many ways, The Reason I Jump is not completely unconventional. The feature follows five young people from around the world diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) who are able to share their story in a way that a neurotypical individual can easily understand. One of the main focuses of the book was to allow people to more clearly understand the lives of people with ASD, and through the expanding of the narrative to even more figures the film captures the spirit of the book more than ever. In the U.K. we meet Joss, a young man who is more verbal than most of the subjects but often becomes emotionally volatile as he tries to separate events of the present from his past. He remembers events from when he was a very young child, but the inability to put every moment in its right place often leads him to become frustrated by the world. Through voiceover narration, we hear of the comforting nature of familiar sounds and how Joss in particular is drawn to the hum of the green electrical boxes around the neighborhood.
Every one of these situations is unique to the person and place. A particularly harrowing story comes from Sierra Leone as we meet Jestina, the youngest of the five individuals and the furthest along on the spectrum. The revelations that many of the eldest in her area believe her to be possessed is a stark reminder of how stigmatized this diagnosis is due to lack of education on the topic. The obstacles to getting a dedicated school for autistic children built in this area is just one fascinating step on the leg of the journey. In India, a nonverbal Amrit is able to express herself through her incredible artwork. While this exploration mostly focuses on the children, the families are given some focus to lend empathy to their plight, as well. The shame that Amrit’s mother feels from not understanding what her daughter was going through before her diagnosis makes for a deeply emotional confession. The final two subjects are the American best friends Ben and Emma, who have basically been life-long companions while communicating to the outside world with letter boards. There are nuggets of wisdom and heartbreaking beauty delivered by these two that are deeply affecting.
All of this sounds fairly conventional, but it is the artistry in the filmmaking that allows this feature to transcend typical narrative boundaries. The framing device of a Japanese-British autistic boy (Jim Fujiwara) roaming through the countryside provides insight both through the content of the narration and the audio and visual cues. It is said that a common hallmark of ASD is hyper-focusing on elements that others may be looking at in a macro context. Watching as this boy takes a hands on approach with the camera zeroing in on close-up imagery of colors, textures and flickers of light is purely sensory experience. When coupled with the sound design, your senses feel enveloped in the most fascinating way that is but an approximation of what one of the individuals may be experiencing on a daily basis. Sound design is an element that is often taken for granted, especially in documentaries, but the effect of the narrative would not be so powerful if they had not crafted something so evocative.
It is easy to dismiss the content of the film if you do not want to engage with it. It is true that there is no real way of knowing if the experiences presented to evoke understanding in the audience comes close to what people with ASD experience on a daily basis. But the fact that it is even getting people to think outside of the narrow boxes that they like to view the world from is a minor win for empathy. You may not be able to understand what is going on inside another person, but nonverbal individuals especially are underestimated much too often with the belief that they are lacking complex thought. The Reason I Jump goes beyond pure entertainment and into the territory of world-enriching. At just over 80 minutes, it is a breezy watch that will wow you with its skillful filmmaking and fascinating subjects. It may also leave you with a deeper understanding of the world.
Video Quality
The Reason I Jump comes to Blu-Ray in an AVC encoded transfer in its OAR courtesy of Kino Lorber featuring some stunning cinematography in the throughline segments. Even the traditional documentary footage which follows the subjects throughout their lives looks immaculate in high definition. This presentation is quite stunning and offers a stable image quality throughout. The documentary nature of the film translates well aesthetically with most shots looking simply breathtaking. The team captures some awe-inspiring shots and textures that really pop in high definition. Not only do the textural details render cleanly, but the bold splashes of color that are so essential to the story radiate with a boldness. There is no evidence of compression artifacts or other digital nuisances of the sort. Skin tones look natural throughout the runtime. I do not see how this disc could have been improved visually because Kino Lorber knocked it out of the park.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray utilizes a Dolby Atmos track that gives the film’s dynamic soundscape a real vitality and immersive quality. There are very few documentaries that are afforded such an enveloping soundtrack, but if any of them deserve it, it’s this one. There is an emphasis on the front channels for a good portion of the sounds, but activity extends to the surrounds, rears and overhead speakers to make the experience of living life with ASD more true-to-life and all-encompassing. The sounds up above are used to great effect quite often, as they feel like they are wrapping you up in a tidal wave of sound. The film really satisfies when it comes to the music, as the magical Nainita Desai score washes over you in a really satisfying, enveloping way. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting lost amongst the music or sound effects. The low end effects from the subwoofer give certain moments of exploration that much-needed extra weight to enrich the world. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered appropriately within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. The Reason I Jump is not your typical feature to be known as an audio powerhouse, but the expanded audio track gives the film the ability to be the best version of itself.
Special Features
- Interview with Director Jerry Rothwell: A two-minute piece in which Rothwell discusses his reasons for bringing this story to life, the way in which he wanted to approach the material to properly capture the ASD experience, what he wants people to take away from this film and more.
- Outtakes: Thirteen minutes of unused material including both Ben and Emma’s mothers discussing their struggle with the educational system, a breakdown of communication methods in the community, more insights into the book and more.
- Q&A with Director Jerry Rothwell: An 18-minute virtual Q&A conducted at the ReelAbilities Film Festival in which Rothwell is joined by Ben and Emma and their mothers. In this piece, there is discussion about the evolution from book to film, trying to use cinema to make audiences think in a different perspective, the experiences of the subjects during filming and more. This is a great supplement to check out if you enjoyed the film.
- Trailer: A two-minute trailer which gives you an excellent sense of what the film is offering.
Final Thoughts
The Reason I Jump is an essential film for those who want to open their minds up to the experiences of others. Everyone has their own preconceived notions of individuals with autism, but the way in which this film allows the subjects to share their own experiences is something to be cherished. Kino Lorber has released a really terrific Blu-Ray with an A/V presentation that is beyond reproach along with some great supplemental features. Even if you are just someone who appreciates a well crafted film, there is more than enough to love and find worthwhile here. Recommended
The Reason I Jump is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray. DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Lorber has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
