Why do humans tell stories? This is a question that has been asked and explored throughout the history of humanity with no one answer perfectly explaining the act. One of the major answers repeatedly found and viewed as containing truth is because stories allow individuals to share their views of the world. It documents one’s perspective and translates it in a digestible format that the world around them can take in and experience.
This might not seem like a huge deal for the majority of the public as communicating one’s perspective is a casual and guaranteed experience. For others the act of expressing themselves is not a guarantee and gaining the ability to communicate their experience can mean the world.
Based on a book by the same name, The Reason I Jump attempts to bring the perspective of the nonverbal autistic community to life. By showing how multiple individuals within the community have adapted to the challenges they face. With the backbone of the writings by Naoki Higashida who wrote the original book explaining his experience.
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The nonverbal autistic community has been a group plagued with judgment and stigmatism leading to a massive lack of genuine understanding. The breakthrough within The Reason I Jump is taking the narrative surrounding the nonverbal autistic experience away from those outside the community and giving it to the community to tell their own story. The film, to the best of its ability, takes the audience and tries to bring them into the head of those with nonverbal autism trying to put to words the experience which is a mystery to the general public.
This is where the film clearly thrives, feeling not only important but incredibly honest. The Reason I Jump is not a film to sugarcoat its subject matter making it clear that where there is progress, there still is room for growth and pain. The film is almost poetic in how it brings these perspectives to life. Mixing a powerful narration with strong visuals, creating a captivating and impactful viewing experience that legitimately succeeds with its goals.
Where the film is also incredibly honest with how it is impossible to truly capture what these individuals might be going through, it effectively puts to words the experience in at least the most basic sense and offers actually fresh insights on the experience. It is a film that feels authentic that is actually inspired to do good rather than exploit a minorities perspective. In the conversation surrounding the film, it is impossible not to also mention the controversy surrounding the book.
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Written through facilitated communication which has been heavily criticized, some have called the book’s authenticity to question and where the movie makes it a point to deny these allegations, it also luckily goes beyond simply the material from the book. From following nonverbal autistic individuals throughout their day to day lives to sit down interviews with their families, the movie finds enough unique perspectives to where even if the narration was put into question, the film itself would still hold up.
The Reason I Jump will clearly connect the most with individuals who have direct ties to the nonverbal autistic community. The film remains impactful and worthwhile for universal audiences, giving a community long without a voice a platform to finally share their perspectives and tell their stories.
