Aspies For Freedom

Yea... I'm definitely more of an Isabell than a Donald. Did you read the book? I like the book better... IRL- the character of Isabell had some other problems like PTSD and had a really CRAZY life. None of which was in the movie.

I related far more to Mary, in the book.  I related more to Donald, in the movie.

I voted "can't relate" as an overall.  

However, one scene I related strongly to was when Donald freaked after she reorganized the stuff in his home. I've been on both sides of that.  When it happens to me, people don't understand why I'm freaking out instead of being grateful.  

I was surprised both of them seemed to be okay about changing to different houses/apartments.  I could never move.

(Only seen the movie, not the book.)

I relate quite strongly to both, although more so with Isabelle regarding the above.

Overall, I can relate more to Donald.

Couldn't say exactly why.

I only saw the movie, so couldn't say about the book.

Some parts of the movie, I relate to quite well. Others, not so much.

Wish I could keep lots of pets.

Only a few bits and pieces. Neither are like me.

The real-life Jerry has said that the actress who played the character based on his wife, looked exactly like her at a younger age as far as the acting goes.

I've known people who grew up not knowing they had it and were a lot stranger-looking than the people in the movie.  The problem with sink-or-swim is that while some people swim  (and manage to look "normal") others do sink.

I've known a lot of people with an AS diagnosis.  They range, just like those with an autism diagnosis, from those who pass so well the average person would not see they are autistic, to people who stand out visibly as extremely different.

I relate to both of them alot.  In the book, they tell their life stories, whereas the movie just focuses on a slice of their lives.  I strongly related to Isabelle's telling Donald that guys thought she LOOKED great, but after she put on a show, like at the ring toss, they decided she was too much to take.  So after I got rejected enough for my behavior, it was quite a relief to change my body to where it did not automatically pull men in, men who would later reject me.  

My favorite part of the movie is when Donald's boss comes over for dinner.  That whole scene (minus the birds) is me and my husband.  GOD!!  The bluntness, the anger, the talking over each other, the stupid f'ing hopeless attempt to fit in with normal society, the blood-curdling honesty, it was all totally right on.

I related pretty well to Donald (I've only seen the movie). I don't do arithmetic calculations well, but I do enjoy finding number patterns and stuff to do with the shapes of numbers.

I voted "relate to Donald" and can certainly attest to the fact that I don't like having my stuff reorganised or thrown out. Some people decided a few years ago that I would be "their project" and did a makeover on my house.

Now I asked them to put anything they weren't sure of into boxes and I would go through it when I got back. Instead, they hired a skip and got paint on some of my curtains which had a few years' life in them before that. I ended up fighting with the woman who led the group over some stuff she had thrown in the skip.

Then I sat on a chair under the house and howled for about 10 minutes. She got very offended and thought I was ungrateful. I was grateful and thanked all the people involved but was also upset some of my stuff was trashed and thrown out when I asked for it to be put aside.

I'd also find it hard to move like Donald did. I don't relate much to Isabelle. She seemed like a very manipulative and bossy type of person and would have annoyed the heck out of me. That laugh of hers and her noisiness would have soon driven me insane!

The most striking similarity between us was her reaction to the noise at the funfair. Rings falling wouldn't have bothered me, but other types of noise do and I have had similar reactions to hers in those cases.

Really?  You ball up and scream?

The worst time a house makeover happened to me was when I was away. I had no idea my relatives were doing it. They thought they were helping. I came home to find some trees and my privacy shrubs had been cut down with chainsaws, the drapes were down and the livingroom was bare of furniture because they painted it. Sounds were ringing off the bare walls and windows in a creepy soulless way and the place was filled with flies. I freaked out because all I wanted was to be home but it felt like home was "gone", taken from me and I couldn't get back. Dad scolded me for complaining about each thing that was moved and momentos thrown out. He said "people worked hard" and I should be grateful.

I haven't seen it yet.  I thought it hadn't been released in UK yet?  Not that I live there anymore...  but I thought it didn't have a distributor.

Isabelle being a control freak, I could only relate to that.

I can definitely relate to Donald's reaction when Isabelle cleans up his house.

I've got the book and the DVD last summer. Both my wife and I have read the book. The DVD (regional code for Europe) is still untouched. (This to show how much we liked the book.)