Tag Archive for movie

Alvaro Prieto | August 4, 2011
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Skeptiscale! [movies] – Temple Grandin

“Different, but not less.” That is one of the primary messages presented by Temple Grandin in this biopic of the same name.

The movie takes us through the life of Dr. Temple Grandin, who has high-functioning autism. The film does a great job in presenting the world as Temple herself sees it. Sudden flashes during scenes show what Temple is thinking. For example, when someone said “It’s a miracle!”, she sees an image of Jesus walking on water. When someone “wakes up with the roosters” in the morning, she sees her family (and a rooster) crowing together on top of a house.

One of the most interesting things about this movie is that the real Temple Grandin praised the movie on the accurate portrayal of how she sees the world. She calls it “visual thinking”. There are several scenes with digital overlays of blueprints, angles, distances, etc. that show us how an autistic person might see the world. She explains it as “thinking in pictures, and connecting them”.

In addition to the great (and true!) story, there are many great messages presented. Some examples are “Nature is cruel, but we don’t have to be.” (about creating more humane slaughterhouses) and “I don’t want my thoughts to die with me” (about doing something that will be used and remembered). Bad science about autism is presented, then ignored. Doctors mention some of Dr. Bruno Bettelheim‘s bad theories about how autism is the mother’s fault, and that a child with autism should be institutionalized for life. Thankfully, they are proven wrong by Temple in the movie. (Also in real life, but unfortunately that didn’t make it in the film.)

Temple Grandin is a movie you have to watch at least two times. The first to enjoy the amazing story (and wonderful acting by Claire Danes and others) and the second with the DVD commentaries on. Temple Grandin herself, along with the director, talk about her story throughout the movie. This is where I learned how accurate the film really was, how close Claire resembled her character and how those flashes during scenes accurately represent what Temple experiences. When the real Temple Grandin says “This is the way my mind works. See how these pictures come up? That’s exactly how my mind works.” during the film, you can be confident the film is accurate.

Temple Grandin and Claire Danes

Temple Grandin and Claire Danes

I cannot praise this movie enough. Due to the amazing story and very accurate portrayal of autism, Temple Grandin scores a 9.5/10 on the Skeptiscale!

Scientific Accuracy/Believability: 5/5
Quality of the Movie: 4.5/5

Check out the trailer to understand some of these ‘flashes’ I mentioned during the review.

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Alvaro Prieto | July 28, 2011
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Skeptiscale! [movies] – That’s What I Am

Could you explain your solution to world peace in 25 words or less?

Mr. Simon, a high school English teacher played by Ed Harris, submitted this answer to a contest asking that same question:
Human Dignity + Compassion = PEACE

That’s What I Am is set in the 1960′s in Southern California. It’s aimed at younger audiences, but audiences of all ages can learn form it. Among the main themes are bullying and religious animosity/mistrust against homosexuality.

In short, a bully gets in trouble for severely beating a fellow classmate and proceeds to start a rumor that his teacher(Mr. Simon) is gay. Once some parents find out, they begin to pressure the principal to remove Mr. Simon.

Mr. Simon, a widower, refuses to confirm or deny the rumor. When asked directly if he denies the allegations, he responds with “I’m not going to justify that question with an answer.” Why should his sexual orientation matter, when his teaching ability speaks for itself?

Out of all of the problems parents bring up about Mr. Simon, religion and ignorance are the most common. Some examples are “We have a moral obligation[to get Mr. Simon out of the school]. It’s in the Bible.” and “I don’t know if we want someone like that teaching our kid.”

Due an good portrayal of ignorance/animosity towards homosexuals and school bullying, along with a decent story, That’s What I Am scores a 7.5 on the Skeptiscale!

Scientific Accuracy/Believability: 4/5
Quality of the Movie: 3.5/5

(This movie is available on Netflix streaming.)

One more thing I have to mention are the some of the user reviews on Netflix. They show how some people still hold the same values as some of the characters of the movie.

Not impressed that in the description there was nothing mentioned about the theme being “tolerate homosexuals”. It would have been nice to know ahead of time-especially when it is classified as a children and family movie.

if i could rate this movie negative 1 million stars i would. I stopped this movie 3 minutes into it because of a horrible insult to my religion. DO NOT WATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree the movie should be pg13. I like most of the movie but, did not like having homosexuality pushed down my throat. I think the movie would have been better without it. I believe my Bible not what Hollywood or Vince McMahon says.

Weird Message, offensive and a waste of time. This is not family friendly at all and I would never let any kid watch this. Turns the homesexual teacher into the big hero..One sided opinion with a strong left leaning agenda..If you are a liberal this movie is great, if you have strong moral values then dont waste your time with this horrible movie. I am a family man and a father of 3 and cant stand when the left uses hollywood to push their agenda, this movie is another example of it..

How young is ‘too young’ to learn about homosexuality?

 

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Alvaro Prieto | July 14, 2011
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Skeptiscale! [movies] – Made in Dagenham

WE WANT SEX. At least that’s what passers-by thought of the strikers in the film Made in Dagenham. In reality, the word Equality was not quite visible. After getting a lot of attention, they realized the mistake and unfolded the remaining piece of the banner.

Equality...

Made in Dagenham is about women’s rights, specifically equal pay in the workplace. The story takes place in 1968 in the United Kingdom. The female sewing machinists at the Ford Motor Company plant in Dagenham decided to walk out after being re-classified as unskilled laborers. When they found out that they were making less money than their ‘equally skilled’ male counterparts, they decided to make the strike permanent. (At the time, women workers made about 15% less than men.)

The machinists had trouble getting support from their (male dominated) union, so they decided to go to other factories to get support from other female workers. Eventually they reached Barbara Castle, the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity. All these events and more led to the introduction of the Equal Pay Act 1970.
Made in Dagenham
The film is inspired by true events. A good mix of comedy and drama make it fairly entertaining. Despite the happy ending, many of the problems presented in the movie are still present in society today. One example deals with a male schoolteacher’s dismissal of a mother’s complaints after he beat her son, because she was a just a woman and ‘didn’t understand’ discipline. Another has to do with a college-educated housewife whose opinion is not respected by her husband and co-workers. Made in Dagenham provides a fun-yet-serious perspective of the fight for gender equality in the UK.

Due to the mostly accurate(and entertaining) portrayal of a real problems and events, this movie scores a total of 8.1/10 points on the Skeptiscale!

Scientific Accuracy/Believability: 4.1/5
Quality of the Movie: 4/5

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Alvaro Prieto | July 7, 2011
One comment

SkeptiScale! – Ladrón que Roba a Ladrón

pseu·do·sci·ence – a spurious or pretended science; a branch of knowledge or a system of beliefs mistakenly regarded as based on scientific method or having the status of scientific truth.[1]

Ladrón que Roba a Ladrón (which translates to Thief who Robs a Thief) is a movie about the dangers of pseudoscience. It’s basically a heist movie where the target is an infomercial guru that sells miracle cures, ranging anywhere from energy bracelets to “water of god”. A group of con men band together to steal from a person who they consider unethical. The movie is funny and exiting yet thought provoking.

The opening scene of this movie explains a great deal about it. An actor is filming a commercial for a magical bracelet, but according to the owner, he is not convincing enough. The actor asks something along the lines of, “The script says I’m supposed to feel energy all over my body, but I don’t feel anything.” The owner proceeds to tell him how “We’re not here to sell used cars, we sell hope.” “If people didn’t believe the energy bracelet would cause miracles (like curing arthritis), they wouldn’t use it.” Brief clips of some victims help visualize the damage caused by the miracle products.

The worst of all products is the “water of god”. Some claimed effects are longer life and a rejuvenated immune system. It is basically cure for everything, including cancer. It is advertised as a cheaper alternative to “expensive traditional treatments” and recommended by an on-screen “doctor”. One of the most serious scenes is of a man dying of cancer next to his daughter. After his death, the camera shifts position and shows several (empty) bottles of “water of god”.

Even though it’s just a movie, the problems presented are real. Miracle cures are currently sold to vulnerable people around the world. As was mentioned in the movie, these products target people when they are most desperate. In particular, products from the film focus on illegal immigrants, who don’t have much money or health insurance. Many of the tricks used to sell the movie products are still in use. Sometimes it is easier to realize one’s mistakes when observing someone else doing them. Watching this film could make people aware of how ridiculous some miracle products can be (and how ruthless the people selling them can be.)

Due to the negative portrayal of pseudoscience (which is a good thing), funny moments(which I hope translate well), and a decent storyline Ladrón que Roba a Ladrón scores a 7.75/10 in the SkeptiScale.
Scientific Accuracy/Believability: 4/5
Quality of the Movie: 3.75/5

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