Premium Essay

Savant Syndrome In Rain Man

Submitted By
Words 881
Pages 4
The Intention of Rain Man Film
Films are not only reflected a society, but it is also influenced the society in many life aspect because of its inspiration that challenges stereotypes which give wrongful, yet negative judgement toward minorities. For example, the movie Rain Man that directed by Barry Levinson, has changed the society’s view about a savant syndrome. The film was a brilliant success and won four awards in the Oscar in 1989 including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Actor in the leading role for Hoffman. Besides the morality of one’s behaviors that people perceive by watching the film, the movie’s emphasis is to give people a better knowledge of the disorder due to the lack of information of the unpopular …show more content…
Rain Man released in 1988 when there was not many people aware of savant condition and received lots of positive evaluation for portraying an autistic savant syndrome. The movie tells the story of Charlie Babbitt, starred by Tom Cruise, who finds out he is not the beneficiary from his deceased father’s wills due to their estranged relationship, and the entire asset has been set up to a trustee for someone that the lawyer cannot disclose it to him. Using his tricky strategy, Charlie finds out the trusted fund transferred to a mental institute that is near by his lost father’s home, as a trustee and the inherited person is Raymond Babbitt, starred by Dustin Hoffman, who has savant syndrome and is the biological brother that he has never met. The upsetting Charlie brings Raymond back to his home in Los Angeles and demands his half of the benefit that he believes it should belong to him. Within the six days of the trip in which Charlie and Raymond have to face each other’s personality, and Charlie who has to alter his manners to adapt to Raymond’s habit since Raymond is sick and has no abilities to follow Charlie’s plans and schedules. Consequently, the two brothers relationship has changed and transformed in the best way that it can bring the most comfort to each other’s lifestyle though it is a …show more content…
For instance, the roles of Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise that allow people to understand the world of people with an autistic savant in order to know how to care and protect them. In the movie, Hoffman successful won people’s emotion by building a close connection between the viewers and the character Raymond. To achieve to such a great performance, Dustin Hoffman had put a great effort into his role by researching the syndrome and its related subjects as well as experiencing in real life with savants, their families and medical expert. Dustin Hoffman depicts the picture of savant but definitely not the sympathy because of his sickness. For example, Raymond’s daily set schedules do not interfere or disturb anyone’s privacy. Dustin Hoffman successful portrays an autistic savant when he embodied himself in the role and capture the viewers’ feelings. Besides the success of Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise excelled in role of a selfish yuppy Charlie Babbitt. For instance, the viewers can feel the different intense tension he faces from how he handles his financial problem while trying to comfort his autistic brother. With a fast paced speech, Tom Cruise spreads out the pressure to the audiences and make them feel like they are facing the pressure themselves. As he takes steps to resolve his troubles, viewers feel as if they, themselves, have taken off the problems. Tom Cruise’s ingenious acting

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Rainman

...Rain Man Introduction: The disorder that showed in the film Rain Man is called, Savant Syndrome. This is a disorder that describes a person who has mentally developmental disabilities, and is thought to be of abnormal of below average intelligence, IQ usually between 50-70. However, they have some remarkable and profound abilities that considered far in excess of normal. Various behaviors associated with Savant Syndrome: 1. Most of the Savant Syndrome patients have prodigious memory that is only focused in a particular area; they exhibit exceptional memory but have difficulty to use it. 2. Children with savant syndrome may be able to memorize extensive amounts of data in such areas as sports statistics, population figures, and historical or biographical data. 3. People with the syndrome are obsessive preoccupations with trivia, license plate numbers, maps, or obscure items. 4. Some of the patients have startling and outstanding skills with little or no previous training, these skills are usually found in one or more five major areas: art, musical ability, calendar calculation, mathematics and spatial skills. 5. People with Savant syndrome were considered to have low IQ. 6. Approximately 50 per cent of persons with savant syndrome have autistic disorder. Treatment/Programs for Savant Syndrome patients: The treatment for Savant syndrome is the same with treatment used to cure Autism. The skills of the Savant may also be used as a tool to treat...

Words: 401 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Rain Man

...The Hollywood film Rain Man is about the Autistic disorder Savant syndrome. In Rain Man, Raymond Babbitt (played by Dustin Hoffman) has Savant Syndrome and his brother Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise) finds out about Raymond being his brother and that he is good with numbers so Charlie decides to use his brother to make money. Over the course of the time that Charlie and Raymond are together, they become closer and Charlie is not just using Raymond for money. Hollywood portrays Savant syndrome accurately compared to what the APA says about Savant. Savant is a unique form of autism that has its own special skills, which set Savant apart from all other forms of autism. The most common skills found in savant patients are splinter skills. Some of the most common behaviors associated with splinter skills are memorization of music, sports, trivia, maps and historical facts. There are two other forms of savant, talented savants and prodigious savant. Talented savant is when a patient is very talented in one given field such as math. The word Autism can be define in many ways, but according to one definition, “Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized be impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before three years-old. Dustin Hoffman's role in the movie Rain Man does fit the description of autistic persons. In the movie Rain Man, the things that affected For example, when Raymond heard...

Words: 504 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Autistic Savant Research Paper

...an Autistic Savant Terence M. Aud Florida State College at Jacksonville Delving Inside the Mind of an Autistic Savant Unravelling the mind of an autistic savant is a difficult task. The cause and cure of savant syndrome is still unknown. How is it possible to understand an autistic savant without a cause or remedy? New technology, research, education, and observation is the only way to get a closer glimpse of understanding this fascinating syndrome. An autistic savant (also known as savant syndrome) is someone that has overall sublevel intelligence with outstanding ability in an exclusive area. The first known person diagnosed as an autistic savant was in 1751. Only ten percent of the individuals declared to be...

Words: 1642 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Processing of Information in Autistic Savants

...Autism is the most common condition in a group of five developmental disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). These include autism, Rhett’s syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). These disorders are characterized by severe and pervasive impairments’ in several areas of development. All PDD’s are neurological disorders usually evident by age three. Their intelligence quotients average at approximately 50, as compared to the average 100. Children with autism have difficulties with social interactions. They may fail to respond to their name and often avoid eye contact. These children start speaking later than others and may refer to themselves by name instead of “I” or “me”. They are also more likely to repeat words and reverse pronoun. Autistic individuals display many forms of restrictive behaviors, some of which include ritualistic behavior, compulsive behavior, resistance to change, etc. Autism varies widely in its severity and symptoms. Scientists aren’t certain as to what causes autism. There are both environmental and genetic theories. Studies have shown several genes associated with autism, strongly suggesting some families may have a predisposition to autism. In families with one autistic child, the risk of having another child with the disorder is greater than for the general population, at about one in 20 (5%). Scientists are looking for a gene...

Words: 1498 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Autism

...AUTISM Autistic individuals typically have problems processing auditory information. One auditory processing problem occurs when a person hears speech sounds but he/she does not perceive the meaning of the sounds. For example, if someone says the word ‘shoe,’ the person may hear the speech sound, but he/she does not understand the meaning of the sound. Sometimes the lack of speech comprehension is interpreted by others as an unwillingness to comply. However, the person may not be able to retrieve the meaning of the sound at that particular time. Eric Courchesne of the University of California at San Diego has found significant impairments in auditory processing in autistic individuals using P300 brain wave technology (see Courchesne, 1987 for a review). The P300 brain wave occurs 300 milli-seconds after the presentation of a stimulus. (The ‘P’ refers to the positive polarity of the brain wave.) The P300 is associated with cognitive processing, and this brain wave is considered an indication of long-term memory retrieval (Donchin, Ritter, & McCallum, 1978). Edelson et al. (1999) examined auditory P300 activity prior to and three months following auditory integration training (AIT). Three autistic individuals participated in the experimental AIT group and two autistic individuals participated in a placebo group. Prior to AIT, all five individuals had abnormal auditory P300 activity, indicating an auditory processing problem. Three months following AIT, the results...

Words: 2051 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Adddsf

...2nd Summative Test Practice Exam 2011-2012 1.|Your psychology professor has announced that the next test will assess your understanding of sensation and perception. When you receive the test, however, you find that very few questions actually relate to these topics. In this instance, you would be most concerned about the ________ of the test.| A)|reliability| B)|factor analysis| C)|standardization| D)|validity| E)|normal distribution| 2.|One of the most consistently damaging teratogens is:| A)|epinephrine.| B)|testosterone.| C)|serotonin.| D)|dopamine.| E)|alcohol.| 3.|The best predictor of a couple's marital satisfaction is the:| A)|frequency of their sexual intimacy.| B)|intensity of their passionate feelings.| C)|ratio of their positive to negative interactions with each other.| D)|experience or nonexperience of a prior marriage.| 4.|Compared to authoritarian parents, authoritative parents are likely to be:| A)|more conservative.| B)|less educated.| C)|more responsive.| D)|less trusting.| 5.|The relative lack of neural interconnections in the brain at the time of birth most directly contributes to:| A)|poor memory for early life experiences.| B)|decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation.| C)|an insecure attachment to one's primary caregiver.| D)|the fear of strangers commonly displayed by infants.| 6.|The fact that many happy and well-adjusted adults were once rebellious and unhappy as adolescents is most relevant to the issue...

Words: 3387 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Myths

...Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1 BRAIN POWER Myth #1 Most People Use Only 10% of Their Brain Power Myth #2 Some People Are Left-Brained, Others Are Right-Brained Myth #3 Extrasensory Perception (ESP) Is a Well-Established Scientific Phenomenon Myth #4 Visual Perceptions Are Accompanied by Tiny Emissions from the Eyes Myth #5 Subliminal Messages Can Persuade People to Purchase Products 2 FROM WOMB TO TOMB Myth #6 Playing Mozart’s Music to Infants Boosts Their Intelligence Myth #7 Adolescence Is Inevitably a Time of Psychological Turmoil Myth #8 Most People Experience a Midlife Crisis in | 8 Their 40s or Early 50s Myth #9 Old Age Is Typically Associated with Increased Dissatisfaction and Senility Myth #10 When Dying, People Pass through a Universal Series of Psychological Stages 3 A REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST Myth #11 Human Memory Works like a Tape Recorder or Video Camera, and Accurate Events We’ve Experienced Myth #12 Hypnosis Is Useful for Retrieving Memories of Forgotten Events Myth #13 Individuals Commonly Repress the Memories of Traumatic Experiences Myth #14 Most People with Amnesia Forget All Details of Their Earlier Lives 4 TEACHING OLD DOGS NEW TRICKS Myth #15 Intelligence (IQ) Tests Are Biased against Certain Groups of People My th #16 If You’re Unsure of Your Answer When Taking a Test, It’s Best to Stick with Your Initial Hunch Myth #17 The Defining Feature of Dyslexia Is Reversing Letters Myth #18 Students Learn Best When Teaching Styles Are Matched to...

Words: 130018 - Pages: 521

Free Essay

Eqweqeqqe

...Praise for The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down “Fadiman describes with extraordinary skill the colliding worlds of Western medicine and Hmong culture.” —The New Yorker “This fine book recounts a poignant tragedy…It has no heroes or villains, but it has an abundance of innocent suffering, and it most certainly does have a moral…[A] sad, excellent book.” —Melvin Konner, The New York Times Book Review “An intriguing, spirit-lifting, extraordinary exploration of two cultures in uneasy coexistence…A wonderful aspect of Fadiman’s book is her even-handed, detailed presentation of these disparate cultures and divergent views—not with cool, dispassionate fairness but rather with a warm, involved interest that sees and embraces both sides of each issue…Superb, informal cultural anthropology—eye-opening, readable, utterly engaging.” —Carole Horn, The Washington Post Book World “This is a book that should be deeply disturbing to anyone who has given so much as a moment’s thought to the state of American medicine. But it is much more…People are presented as [Fadiman] saw them, in their humility and their frailty—and their nobility.” —Sherwin B. Nuland, The New Republic 3/462 “Anne Fadiman’s phenomenal first book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, brings to life the enduring power of parental love in an impoverished refugee family struggling to protect their seriously ill infant daughter and ancient spiritual traditions from the tyranny of welfare bureaucrats and intolerant...

Words: 134140 - Pages: 537

Free Essay

Windows 7

...English Contents ABOUT THIS BOOK ................................5 THE WORDS.............................................7 WORD ANALYSIS ...............................103 IDIOM AND USAGE ............................117 About This Book English offers perhaps the richest vocabulary of all languages, in part because its words are culled from so many languages. It is a shame that we do not tap this rich source more often in our daily conversation to express ourselves more clearly and precisely. There are of course thesauruses but they mainly list common words. Other vocabulary books list difficult, esoteric words that we quickly forget or feel self-conscious using. However, there is a bounty of choice words between the common and the esoteric that often seem be just on the tip of our tongue. Vocabulary 4000 brings these words to the fore. Whenever possible, one-word definitions are used. Although this makes a definition less precise, it also makes it easier to remember. Many common words appear in the list of words, but with their less common meanings. For example, the common meaning of champion is “winner.” A less common meaning for champion is to support or fight for someone else. (Think of the phrase “to champion a cause.”) This is the meaning that would be used in the list. As you read through the list of words, mark any that you do not know with a check mark. Then when you read through the list again, mark any that you do not remember with two checks. Continue in this...

Words: 30239 - Pages: 121

Free Essay

Kiki

...THE B L A C K SWAN The HIGHLY I mpact IM of the PROBABLE Nassim Nicholas Taleb U.S.A. $26.95 Canada $34.95 is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpre­ dictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. The astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9 / 1 1 . For Nassim Nicholas Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything about our world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personal lives. A BLACK SWAN Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans until after they occur? Part of the answer, according to Taleb, is that humans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should be focused on generalities. We concentrate on things we already know and time and time again fail to take into consideration what we don't know. We are, therefore, unable to truly estimate oppor­ tunities, too vulnerable to the impulse to simplify, narrate, and categorize, and not open enough to rewarding those who can imagine the "impossible." For years, Taleb has studied how we fool our­ selves into thinking we know more than we actually do. We restrict our thinking to the irrelevant and inconsequential, while large events continue to surprise us and shape our world. Now, in this reve­ latory book, Taleb explains everything we know about what we don't know. He offers...

Words: 158140 - Pages: 633

Premium Essay

The Case of Mike and Marty Scanlon

...Study Guide Essentials of Psychology By Robert G. Turner Jr., Ph.D. About the Author Robert G. Turner Jr., Ph.D. has more than 20 years of teaching and education-related experience. He has taught seventh-grade science, worked as a curriculum developer for the Upward Bound Program, and taught sociology, social psychology, anthropology, and honors seminars at the university level. As a professional writer, he has written nonfiction books, journal and magazine articles, novels, and stage plays. Contents Contents INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS LESSON ASSIGNMENTS LESSON 1: PSYCHOLOGY: THE SCIENCE OF THE MIND LESSON 2: THE MIND AT WORK LESSON 3: MOTIVATION, EMOTION, DEVELOPMENT, AND PERSONALITY RESEARCH PROJECT LESSON 4: PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS LESSON 5: PSYCHOLOGY FOR TWO OR MORE CASE STUDIES SELF-CHECK ANSWERS 1 7 9 43 75 117 127 147 167 171 iii YOUR COURSE Instructions Instructions Welcome to your course, Essentials of Psychology. You’re entering a course of study designed to help you better understand yourself and others. For that reason, you can think of this course as practical. It should be of use to you in living your life and reaching the goals you set for yourself. You’ll use two main resources for your course work: this study guide and your textbook, Psychology and Your Life, by Robert S. Feldman. OBJECTIVES When you complete this course, you’ll be able to ■ Describe the science and methodologies of psychology in the context of its...

Words: 49230 - Pages: 197

Free Essay

The Origins and Development of the English Language (Textbook)

...THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE This page intentionally left blank THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SIXTH EDITION ± ± John Algeo ± ± ± ± ± Based on the original work of ± ± ± ± ± Thomas Pyles Australia • Brazil • Japan • Korea • Mexico • Singapore • Spain • United Kingdom • United States The Origins and Development of the English Language: Sixth Edition John Algeo Publisher: Michael Rosenberg Development Editor: Joan Flaherty Assistant Editor: Megan Garvey Editorial Assistant: Rebekah Matthews Senior Media Editor: Cara Douglass-Graff Marketing Manager: Christina Shea Marketing Communications Manager: Beth Rodio Content Project Manager: Corinna Dibble Senior Art Director: Cate Rickard Barr Production Technology Analyst: Jamie MacLachlan Senior Print Buyer: Betsy Donaghey Rights Acquisitions Manager Text: Tim Sisler Production Service: Pre-Press PMG Rights Acquisitions Manager Image: Mandy Groszko Cover Designer: Susan Shapiro Cover Image: Kobal Collection Art Archive collection Dagli Orti Prayer with illuminated border, from c. 1480 Flemish manuscript Book of Hours of Philippe de Conrault, The Art Archive/ Bodleian Library Oxford © 2010, 2005 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including...

Words: 164520 - Pages: 659

Premium Essay

Game Change

...GAME CHANGE OBAMA AND THE CLINTONS, MCCAIN AND PALIN, AND THE RACE OF A LIFETIME JOHN HEILEMANN AND MARK HALPERIN FOR DIANA AND KAREN Contents Cover Title Page Prologue Part I Chapter One – Her Time Chapter Two – The Alternative Chapter Three – The Ground Beneath Her Feet Chapter Four – Getting to Yes Chapter Five – The Inevitables Chapter Six – Barack in a Box Chapter Seven – “They Looooove Me!” Chapter Eight – The Turning Point Chapter Nine – The Fun Part Chapter Ten – Two For the Price of One Chapter Eleven – Fear and Loathing in the Lizard’s Thicket Chapter Twelve – Pulling Away and Falling Apart Chapter Thirteen – Obama Agonistes Chapter Fourteen – The Bitter End Game Part II Chapter Fifteen – The Maverick and His Meltdown Chapter Sixteen – Running Unopposed Chapter Seventeen – Slipping Nooses, Slaying Demons Part III Chapter Eighteen – Paris and Berlin Chapter Nineteen – The Mile-High Club Chapter Twenty – Sarahcuda Chapter Twenty-One – September Surprise Chapter Twenty-Two – Seconds in Command Chapter Twenty-Three – The Finish Line Epilogue – Together at Last Index Author’s Notes About the Authors Copyright About the Publisher Prologue BARACK OBAMA JERKED BOLT upright in bed at three o’clock in the morning. Darkness enveloped his low-rent room at the Des Moines Hampton Inn; the airport across the street was quiet in the hours before dawn. It was very late December 2007, a few days ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Obama had been sprinting flat out...

Words: 160589 - Pages: 643

Free Essay

La Singularidad

...NOTE: This PDF document has a handy set of “bookmarks” for it, which are accessible by pressing the Bookmarks tab on the left side of this window. ***************************************************** We are the last. The last generation to be unaugmented. The last generation to be intellectually alone. The last generation to be limited by our bodies. We are the first. The first generation to be augmented. The first generation to be intellectually together. The first generation to be limited only by our imaginations. We stand both before and after, balancing on the razor edge of the Event Horizon of the Singularity. That this sublime juxtapositional tautology has gone unnoticed until now is itself remarkable. We're so exquisitely privileged to be living in this time, to be born right on the precipice of the greatest paradigm shift in human history, the only thing that approaches the importance of that reality is finding like minds that realize the same, and being able to make some connection with them. If these books have influenced you the same way that they have us, we invite your contact at the email addresses listed below. Enjoy, Michael Beight, piman_314@yahoo.com Steven Reddell, cronyx@gmail.com Here are some new links that we’ve found interesting: KurzweilAI.net News articles, essays, and discussion on the latest topics in technology and accelerating intelligence. SingInst.org The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence: think tank devoted to increasing...

Words: 237133 - Pages: 949

Free Essay

Phsychology

...Educational Psychology: Developing Learners This is a protected document. Please enter your ANGEL username and password. Username: Password: Login Need assistance logging in? Click here! If you experience any technical difficulty or have any technical questions, please contact technical support during the following hours: M-F, 6am-12am MST or Sat-Sun, 7am-12am MST by phone at (800) 800-9776 ext. 7200 or submit a ticket online by visiting http://help.gcu.edu. Doc ID: 1009-0001-191D-0000191E DEVELOPING LEARNERS JEANNE ELLIS ORMROD Professor Emerita, University of Northern Colorado EIGHTH EDITION ISBN 1-256-96292-9 Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, Eighth Edition, by Jeanne Ellis Ormrod. Published by Pearson. Copyright © 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. Vice President and Editorial Director: Jeffery W.  Johnston Vice President and Publisher: Kevin Davis Editorial Assistant: Lauren Carlson Development Editor: Christina Robb Vice President, Director of Marketing: Margaret Waples Marketing Manager: Joanna Sabella Senior Managing Editor: Pamela D. Bennett Project Manager: Kerry Rubadue Senior Operations Supervisor: Matthew Ottenweller Senior Art Director: Diane Lorenzo Text Designer: Candace Rowley Cover Designer:...

Words: 244561 - Pages: 979