LISTEN

Read essays and reviews about the film MUSIC written by nonspeaking autistic people:

• • • Mickayla for ShonaLouise.com (February 13, 2021)
    • Ben Breaux for CommunicationFIRST (February 12, 2021)
    • Niko Boskovic for the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities (February 12, 2021)
    • Hari Srinivasan for the Disability Visibility Project (February 6, 2021)

CommunicationFIRST organized a team of autistic and nonspeaking people to preview Sia’s movie MUSIC in late January 2021, two weeks before it was released in the United States. The people who agreed to preview the film had to promise not to speak publicly about it until February 12, 2021, when it was released to the general public. CommunicationFIRST has compiled a selection of the reactions the nonspeaking members of the preview team had after watching MUSIC and we share them here:

ON THE PORTRAYAL OF NONSPEAKING AUTISTICS

• • • • • • • “My reaction is that this movie will cause a lot of people to treat autistics like they do already: as one-dimension personalities that have nothing to contribute and only consume all your money, but somehow you’ll find out how strong you are for loving them.”
            • “The heart of what’s wrong with this movie: an absolute lack of reality about the whole way in which autistic people are treated and portrayed in this movie. We don’t have the babysitter/landlord who helps out for free, or the neighbor who can drop by to braid one’s hair because a family member can’t figure it out. We don’t suddenly start singing a song at a wedding because of being low-speaking and therefore inspiring. We don’t have the luxury of helping others become better people by being burdens they have to care for for the rest of their life. This movie is clearly not written for autistic people, but made for their caregivers to feel better about themselves.”
            • “The misunderstanding and misrepresentation of nonspeaking autistics was so profound that the movie will cause people to think that this ‘acceptance’ is all that is needed, and they will not be inspired to ensure communication access or listening to autistic people.”
            • “Definitely an autistic actress should have been casted as the lead for that part. I don’t see a reason why an able bodied actress needed to play that part. … Basically there should have be[en] autistic writers assisting Sia creating this movie.”
            • “The film had no goal of demonstrating her intelligence, just her lovability. That’s not uncommon. Does get old. The film was about how she brought others together NOT about her. Like most disabled people in the new testament—they are there to be cured to prove someone else’s divinity.”

ON COMMUNICATION

• • • “Music didn’t seem to have access to her AAC device at all times or at least I did not notice it.
      
    • “When used, the use of AAC was quite infantilized with only a few phrases seemingly programmed.”
    • “I have worked tirelessly on my AAC skills. So, I found how they showcased her use of an AAC device to be cliche ignorant information about the potential communication capabilities of autistic nonspeakers. This needs to change.”
    • “Ebo was sitting with Music and seemingly practicing the use of her AAC with her—however, he was not necessarily acknowledging her communication. When she said she was sad, he made her say she was happy.”

ON RESTRAINT

• • • • • • • “Also the description of bodily restraint as the only way to control the main character is extremely problematic and should be called out for its ableist spreading of misinformation.” 
            • “Although the restraint scenes were troubling, I think what adds to the danger is how ‘mild’ and quickly resolved things were using the restraint. This almost seemed like a hard but very helpful solution to calm Music. I believe this has the potential to bring more abuse and harm to autistic people being framed as it was in the movie.”
            • “The restraint scenes while brief are so uncalled for and go against everything professionals are trained not to do. The one supporting character who I wanted to like is killed and his death was not addressed in a proper way.”
            • “While Zu was concerned about her getting hurt initially, there were multiple scenes where restraint was encouraged and used.”

GOOD ELEMENTS

• • • • • • • “I enjoyed the music and the sense of community supporting Music. I believe one of the themes was to see one another's humanity and value, which I think was good.”
        • • • “Ebo said that Music knows what she wants—It is good that they say that.”
        • • • “Ebo explained Music's headphones to Zu and talked about why they are necessary.”
        • • • “Ebo explained that Music can understand everything that is said.”
      • • • • “Near the end of the movie, Zu took Music to a residential setting. Music was clear in her desire to not live there and her sister followed her want.”

OTHER

• • • “What an interesting movie—I'm quite confused as to the purpose. In my opinion, there is much contradiction in the message(s), which would cause overall harm to us.”

OTHER DISTURBING ELEMENTS

• • • • • • • “When Zu took Music to a facility. I think this is a disturbing thing no matter what for autistics who need a lot of support. In the end, her sister ran out of there with Music horrified she almost ‘gave her away to strangers.’”
          • • “Zu talks about sending Music away throughout the film (i.e. Jokes about sending her to a “people pound”).”
          • • “There is a graphic scene of domestic violence and murder that is treated very lightly. It felt completely out of place in the story.”
          • • “Which leads to the totally racist stereotyping of Asians. After Felix is killed it jumps to one of the dream sequences and it was as racist as you can get with characters riding the rickshaw, purposely making facial expressions to squint the eyes and do the early 20th century stereotype antics of Asians ... plus that sequence is NOT going to be ok visually—the wallpaper and outfits (all the same) are sensory overload.”