Chapter 9: The Rain Man Effect

  Rain Man was a beloved movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, in which Hoffman played a man with autism and who was introduced to his brother, who had previously not been aware of his existence. This was the first movie that had a huge impact on the world’s perception and awareness of autism, and it changed the world for the better. 

    Barry Morrow, who was one of the screenwriters of the film and conceived of the story, had an experience as an adult befriending a man named Bill, who eventually came to play harmonica in Morrow’s band and be his child’s unofficial grandpa.

    Once the movie was released, it became clear that it had huge effects on society. Some mothers with autistic children discussed about how prior to the movie coming out, they would be scolded if their child misbehaved or had a temper tantrum in a store by others. After the movie came out, it provided an opportunity for parents to have dialogues with the other adults about Rain Man, and how their child was like Rain Man. Partially because the movie was so beloved, the outcomes of these dialogues was often positive and continued to help raise awareness for the autism community.