Mozart and the Whale is loosely based on the true story of two people with Asperger’s syndrome, and tells the story of how they developed a relationship and eventually married. Nearly the entire cast is composed of characters with disabilities who have been joined together as a support group by the main character, Donald. Donald has Asperger’s syndrome and forms the group so he can have friends. Isabelle, who also has Asperger’s Syndrome, joins Donald’s group and the two have a lot in common. Most of their similarities come from Asperger’s Syndrome - they never know what to say, they yell out inappropriate comments, they share a love for animals, and both have strong preferences. They struggle to sort out their differences, most of which
Their disabilities factored into their relationship, but they did not have any troubles that any other couple has not experienced. I saw their troubles as what other couples have to deal with when two lives are joined together, regardless of any disabilities. They worried about finding employment and buying a house. They worried about what impression they would have on Donald’s boss when they invited him over for dinner. In this way, it is shown that people with disabilities look for love and a partner just like everyone else, and they experience common relationship issues as well.
Overall Theme
The overall theme of the movie was to provide insight into the lives of people with disabilities, and how they struggle with the same issues everyone else does. They seek out friends and a sense of belonging, they want a good job and a house, and they want to find love. Mozart and the Whale is a love story that just so happened to have characters with disabilities.
Conclusion
When I explained Asperger’s Syndrome to my mother, she asked me if, since they had trouble reading non-verbal cues, they also lacked emotion. I am not sure if that is a common perception, but if so, this move provides a positive view of how people with disabilities experience the same range of emotion as everyone else. The unfortunate thing is while this movie would provide a positive view of people with disabilities, it was not picked up for distribution and was