The Sunshine Boy

A relatively benign probe into what is steadily becoming our species' most alarming epidemic.

There is no pat resolution here, but the sight of a mother finally able to connect with her child across autism's chasm is more than stirring.

It's heart-rending to watch families struggle mightily to simply connect with stricken kids. Even skeptical viewers (such as this one) will be amazed, though, to see the instances of progress captured in this beautifully shot, fascinating film.

Don't let the unsexy subject, the pseudo-poignant vistas or the heavy-handed Sigur Rs score dissuade you: This documentary is undeniably fascinating.

...an effective primer into the world of autism...

Where this doc primarily succeeds is in painting a broad picture of the true spectrum of autism rather than the often publicized stereotypes.

An incredibly informative and emotionally moving documentary about the challenges and new developments in our understanding of autism.

A Mother's Courage finds other ways to look at autism: as Temple Grandin puts it, "If I could snap my fingers and not be autistic, would I? No."

Appealing documentary about autism is hurt by some aspects of its storytelling.

The film suffers from the attitude embodied by its self-congratulatory title.