The Upside

More than thirty years ago I applied for a job supporting people diagnosed with autism.

Hell, I didn't know what "autism" was; this was the mid-80s, after all, a few years before "Rain Man." I was in the first years of college, and still pretty green. I heard the word "autism" once in a Child Development class, then remembered it when a woman from a local agency came on campus to recruit students to work for her upstart agency.

There were several reasons I applied for the job. My summer-time gig at Dairy Queen wasn't very satisfying, and the three majors I'd declared during my first two years of college (Speech Pathology, then English, and then Education -- yes, I was THAT student) weren't calling my name. I needed the cash, and I wanted to do something that helped people.

(That sounds like the CV of every human service professional I know.)

So, autism it was.

I met the person I was to support one Friday afternoon, just to become acquainted and help prepare him (and me) for my first shift on Monday. I went expecting to meet a disabled stereotype. Instead, I met a person who was genuinely kind, innocent, and interesting.

I was immediately hooked, and I've worked in the field every day since.

One of the reasons I was immediately hooked was the sudden jolt out of the paradigm with which I went to that meeting. I was told to expect one thing, and I discovered another. Curious, I wanted to hang around and learn more. One of the things I learned first was that the man I was hired to help instead helped me.

He helped me learn about who I am as a human being. He helped me learn to see the world from a new perspective. He helped me understand the joy that can come from selfless service. And most importantly, he taught me to view humanity from a humanistic perspective.

The friendship that is forged during The Upside is wonderful to watch, and the two leads use nuanced, subtle techniques to portray two people who are evolving into better human beings. It's the growth of Dell Scott, played masterfully by Kevin Hart, that's most enjoyable to watch. Scott entered into his caregiver job a selfish person, interested only in helping himself. At the end of the flick we see him understand that it's what we do for others that improves life quality.

The Upside is not just a feel-good movie. Cranston and Hart are worth the price of admission. And if you leave the cinema a better person, that's just gravy.