Wretches & Jabberers Is A Nationwide Hit!
Wretches and Jabberers is a movie about Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette, two men with autism, as they embark on a global quest to change attitudes about disability and intelligence while promoting the importance of presuming competence.
Wretches & Jabberers opened nationwide on April 2nd in 10 U.S. cities: New York City, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Kansas City, KS; San Diego, CA; Denver, CO; Dallas, TX; Columbus, OH & Miami, FL. Six of the 10 cities SOLD OUT, while others were at near-capacity!
GREATER CINCINNATI April 16.
Wretches and Jabberers will begin at noon on Saturday April 16th at the Newport on the Levy AMC Theatre. To buy tickets for Saturday’s show or other cities click here.
Nora Jones, Carly Simon, Judy Collins and more…
If you can’t attend the movie, perhaps you can still support Autism Awareness Month and The Autism Society.Click here to BUY THE SOUNDTRACK ON ITUNES I have also heard the Soundtrack is available at Barnes and Noble Stores.
The soundtrack features 20 original songs written and produced by J. Ralph in collaboration with: Antony, Devendra Banhart, Paul Brady, Bonnie Bramlett, Vashti Bunyan, Martin Carthy, Judy Collins, Lila Downs, Vincent Gallo, David Garza, Ben Harper, Scarlett Johansson, Nic Jones, Norah Jones, Leah Siegel, Carly Simon, Stephen Stills, Ben Taylor & Bob Weir.
Carly Simon: The Letter
“I’ve spent a lifetime trying to get in touch”
LYRICS: The Letter
Did I tell you
Sorry it took so long
I’ve spent a lifetime
Trying to get in touchJust wrote you a letter
For the very first time
I mailed it to you
Did it arriveI keep a diary that no one can see
It’s got no gold key or paper at all
I filled those pages through all my ages
With all that I’ve seen and all that I’ve learnedI wrote to tell you
Today I got a dog
I named her Hazel
Just like your momShe loves swimming around
Out there in the fog
She’s really happy
She reminds me so much of youI keep a diary that no one can see
It’s got no gold key or paper at all
I filled those pages through all my ages
With all that I’ve seen and all that I’ve learned
Check out what people have been saying about Wretches & Jabberers:
Gerardine Wurzburg’s Wretches & Jabberers may be the best film you’ll see on a subject you probably want to avoid — although you’d be wrong about that. Yes, it’s a documentary about autism but it’s also nearly perfect in doing what an advocacy doc should do: show rather than tell, entertain rather than preach. If this is your first exposure to the world of autism, it will be an eye opener. Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
When Tracy Thresher has something to say, he uses his right index finger – and a special computer that gives voice to what he types. Hunched over the device, he begins. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap…. Autism silences the 43-year-old Vermont man. He doesn’t speak. But he has a message for the world about how people should think of people like him. So he taps it out.”To think intelligence, even if you see wacky, goofy behavior. We are simply intelligence, shown in a different way,” comes the robotic voice, broadcast out of his computer… John Curran, Associated Press
Wretches and Jabberers Explodes Myths About Autism.
The new documentary Wretches & Jabberers follows the journey of two autistic men—Larry Bissonnette, 52, an artist; Tracy Thresher, 42, an advocate—as they travel the world, attempt to banish the myths about autism, and reveal its global face. PARADE spoke to the pair behind the film—Academy-Award-winning director/producer Gerry Wurzburg and co-producer Douglas Biklen, Dean of the School of Education at Syracuse University. Joanne Chen, Parade Magazine
Wretches and Jabberers is a buddy movie, a road trip movie and a moving adventure. But this new film is different than your typical mainstream fare. The documentary stars two autistic friends and advocates who do most of their communicating through typing. The story follows Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher, as well as their assistants Pascal Cheng and Harvey Lavoy, as they travel around the world, meet other autistic people, and advocate for autism rights. John Hockenberry “The Take Away Radio Show.”
For more information about Wretches and Jabberers read The Right to Communicate Part 1
And Larry’s Blog with more of his thoughts and stories.
Summary:
I can’t wait to take Aaron to see the movie this Saturday. As an added bonus, the new Director of the Day Program for Goodwill/Easter Seals is going to go with us. I have to say, this is the first time since Aaron graduated from High School that I am hopeful Aaron will begin to communicate again with facilitated communication (FC).
I am reminded of the quote from the early days of FC:
“Not being able to speak, is not the same as not having anything to say.”
But I’m preparing myself.
Aaron has not used his communication system in over 10 years. Ever since his facilitator moved away and …. long story.
I have been so moved by Larry and Tracy, my faith in Doug Biklen, the W&J trailer, the songs from the Soundtrack and the pre-publication publicity.
Sometimes a movie, a song, a story about hope and a lifetime of endurance is so moving it can take your words away: “Being able to speak, doesn’t mean you will find the right words.” Yep, I’m one of the Jabberers.
Keep Climbing: Onward and Upward
“When we stop to lift one another up on the climb, we all reach a higher place.”
All my best,
Mary
Parts of this were quoted from the Wretches and Jabberers Newsletter: Volume 8 (April 2011)
Comment:
Please add your voice to this story:
What phrase in the song, The Letter, did you find the most powerful? Will you see the movie, buy the Soundtrack, or otherwise support Autism Awareness month? Can you imagine what not being able to speak with words must be like? Anything else you want to add?
“I keep a diary that no one can see” is a very powerful line from the song. Just because words can’t be spoken or written down, people with autism still have a voice.
Keeping a diary that no one can see is a powerful statement. It talks not only about intelligence, but deep thought. These men are so inspirational, I’m so glad their story is going around the world.
I think it’s really neat how you and Aaron go on bonding activities. Also that Aaron likes to watch movies and listen to music is really interesting.
Because Aaron used to type, he really watched the videos. If you ever get a chance Abby, check out the trailer. It is an amazing story.
Hi Mary:
Has Aaron continued to use his communication system? It is so exciting to know that he did work with it again after seeing the movie. Like you said after the movie, he was in his own depression and seeing the movie caused him to rise out of it, if only for a little bit. I hope he’s continued.
HI Alison, thanks for your kind thoughts. Yesterday Aaron typed about 3 sentences. It was his best effort in 10 years.
The new director of his day program is going to try some FC, so that is amazing. I felt hopeful for the first time in a long time.
Open House today at the new program. So far, Aaron is their only “consumer” but again, there is a shiny bit of hope — and we’ll take it!
I am thinking about you and Aaron today, knowing that you will see Wretches and Jabberers and will no doubt need a few tissues (I did) but that you will also have some soul mending heartfelt laughter, too.
Yes, struggle, crying and pain have been present or buried (sometimes not so deeply) within many of us for a long time with this issue. We see the many missed opportunities, years of waiting, assumptions that limit rather than assumptions that liberate, old entrenched ways of viewing people as limited rather than limitless, and so forth and so on. It has been wearying to our souls, but hope and determination keep us going–and knowing people like Aaron, Tracy, Larry, and many others whom we meet. Over the years I have been frustrated about the slow rate of progress in making sure that everyone has a method to communicate–in our (and their) lifetime–and in getting acceptance of typing with support. My wise mom would point out how much progress had been made, and I would see her perspective but grumble still about the slow pace of change. She is no longer around, except in my thoughts and heart, so I remind myself now (as she would do) that things are still moving forward on this–and doing so in even more places around the country and the world.
I think we are perhaps starting to experience the beginnings of a grassroots groundswell of acceptance. We’ll see. We’ll keep working to make it happen and will continue until “we” the folks who get it outnumber “them”, the folks who don’t get it yet, and we’ll keep working even longer until “we” and “them” are all “we”–folks who get it and who learn and move forward together.
My mom also helped me to appreciate the cathartic value of a “good cry”. Go for it. I’m with you.
Judy Bailey
Judy your thoughts were beautiful.
Aaron and I just got home. He did great at the theater, so that was a blessing in itself.
I did cry in several spots. I need some process time and will write some more.
Thanks again for all your kind words. They are very touching.
Thanks for this posting. Wretches and Jabberers is creating a growing acceptance of new and different ways to understand, support, and assist people with autism and other disabilities, particularly folks who have difficulty communicating by speaking. It is changing minds through the personal stories and commitment of Larry Bissonnette, Tracy Thresher, and others whom they have met on their journey to “move the world’s knowledge of disability to a positive place.”
As you note, the sound track beautifully captures many of the words of individuals in the film in wonderful ways. In “The Letter”, I love the verse “I keep a diary that no one can see….” It reminds us that everyone has an inner life, even if they cannot express it–yet. This fact is often overlooked and left unaddressed once a person receives a label of autism, intellectual disability, etc. We need to recognize that everyone has a rich inner life and is learning and storing up feelings, information, and experiences–and hopes and dreams. I feel renewed hope seeing the emergence of many people who are telling their own stories at last to a large audience.
It appears that the many years-long period that felt like “winter”–but was filled with hard work moving forward toward this time–appears to be ending with what feels like a spring of renewed hope, growth and expansion of knowledge. All the patient, plodding work and keeping the ideas alive through the years has been in preparation for this emergence. Norah Jones’s song captures it well: “Change is gonna come on my watch, yes it is.” There is still much work to do, but it is joyful work, and we have excellent leaders and teachers like Larry, Tracy and others to guide it.
I look forward to hearing your and Aaron’s reactions and reviews of the film once you see it.
Thanks again,
Judy Bailey
Thanks so much for your words of wisdom Judy.
I loved this paragraph: “In “The Letter”, I love the verse “I keep a diary that no one can see….” It reminds us that everyone has an inner life, even if they cannot express it–yet. This fact is often overlooked and left unaddressed once a person receives a label of autism, intellectual disability, etc. We need to recognize that everyone has a rich inner life and is learning and storing up feelings, information, and experiences–and hopes and dreams. I feel renewed hope seeing the emergence of many people who are telling their own stories at last to a large audience.”
I also loved that verse…it is so difficult to put all the hopes, dreams, disappointments, angst, love in words. We keep them in our heart, mind…but what if, like Aaron, Larry and Tracy–we had no way to let others know what we were thinking and feeling. I can’t hardly breathe thinking about it.
I also feel renewed hope, but it is scary because I felt hope the first time around too. And then the loss, the despair, and the glimpse into Aaron’s inner life became buried in an avalanche of politics, lousy research, and egos. And Aaron suffered and we all lost.
As there are more independent typers, we can never go back. I hope the FC wars are over. It would be nice if the hot shot researchers would admit they were wrong and apologize for the pain they caused people with autism and their families. I can’t get those years back for Aaron, but maybe he will again trust us enough to try again. To use his words and share that inner life.
I’m anticipating crying for most of the weekend, but hope to post something next week. Thanks for your kind words Judy. This is an emotional time for all of us.
I had a girlfriend many years ago who had bipolar disorder, or manic depression as we called it in those days. I’m reading that Catherine Zeta-Jones has developed the condition after being subject to great stress connected with the cancer of her husband Michael Douglas. That this is possible, developing the condition, is certainly news to me as in my day we were only told (so far as I’m aware) that it was a genetic condition, you had it or you didn’t have it. It sounds like more is understood about bipolar disorder these days, so that at least is encouraging news.
I think we are learning more about the human condition. Unfortunately, we love to label people. It will be great when we can just meet each person where they are and offer our love and help==and not need a label.