Oskar (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close)

Diagnosis: Suspected Asperger's
Portrayed by Thomas Horn

Oskar is a young boy who is the main character in this movie. Although he has no official diagnosis for Asperger’s (he says “test were inconclusive”), he shows many of the signs and symptoms of the syndrome. He mentions having a hard time talking to people, is sensitive to loud sounds, is paranoid and fearful of new things, is wary of those who are different and panics on public transportation (especially bridges). Oskar also likes rubbing textures on his face, plays the piano, relies on the truth, and is unwilling to try new things (swinging with his father). He makes eye contact and does not care about being touched, and uses a tambourine to keep himself calm while stressed. He is very inquisitive, knows many random facts, and loves learning from his father, who is killed in the World Trade Centers on 9/11. Before his death, his father designs plan to send him all over Central Park to force him to talk to people and gain social skills. The movie focuses on this journey were he does venture out of his comfort zone.

(The Trailer)

(A short clip showing is inability to understand metaphor and symbolism). 

While I did not like this movie in general (it was slow), I though it was a very interesting and unique look into a boy's adventure after his father's death. Even without the official diagnosis, he has many symptoms of a high functioning child with ASD and I would never doubt that he was on the spectrum. This movie shows that you don't need to have all the symptoms, or severe symptoms, for a suspected diagnosis. The adventure allows the viewers to watch an "atypical" child learn and grow from the experiences he has, especially those outside his comfort zone. It would have been better for the screenwriters to officially label the boy, because this message would be valuable to the general public.