Ezra Movie Review – A Life-Changing Father-Son Road Trip On Finding Your Way Through Disorder

Featuring an unpredictable family drama and an emotional road trip down the life with Autism, Tony Goldwyn’s latest film stars Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, and Robert De Niro as three adults with differing views on what’s best for one special boy, Ezra. Stand-up comedian Max from New Jersey (Cannavale) recounts stories of everyday chaos, particularly focusing on his son, Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald), who has autism. William Fitzgerald, who portrays Ezra, is autistic in real life, so his performance in the film was amazing and was as real as it gets.

Precocious and impulsive, Ezra has been reading The New York Times since the age of five, but his unpredictable behavior often leads to trouble and sometimes endangers himself and others. At one point a doctor recommends that Ezra be sent to a special school and be medicated, and this is where the movie turns into one rollercoaster road trip as Max as a Father has to do what is best for his son.

They’re all on their way to Los Angeles and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” where Max has been scheduled for an appearance after Jimmy watched a video of Max experiencing a breakdown over Ezra during a performance. The movie appears to be leading to a touching ending, but it’s not what you’d expect. However, the true integrity of “Ezra,” which makes it a sincere film despite some clichéd elements, is its message about supporting children with special needs – there’s no easy solution. It’s about embracing them for who they are and revealing who you are to them.

Tony Spiridakis crafted an outstanding screenplay that was greatly enhanced by his personal experience of raising his own neurodivergent sons, resulting in a nicely masterful script that truly made the movie enjoyable. As the autistic community wisely puts it, “when you have met one autistic person, you have met one Autistic person,” which also holds true for those who consider themselves neurotypical. Ultimately, we are all unique individuals, yet more similar than we are different and this is portrayed perfectly in this film.

Anyone who is human and still has empathy can relate to this movie on some level, parents, grandparents have been through the tough choices, and this film really helped me understand just one version of life with autism and the struggles of parenting with the disorder, Ezra has given me a new respect for those who deal with this on a daily basis. I highly recommend you watch the film, not only for the moving story, but as a form of education as we all need to be the best we can be, and Ezra will help us all do that.

Ezra releases in cinemas this Friday, 31 May 2024.

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Ezra is Rated 16 L P V

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