MovieChat Forums > The Piano (1994) Discussion > was Ada autistic?

was Ada autistic?

posted 11 years ago by jonnyjones72
11 replies | jump to latest

Everybody claims to not like Ada and that she fell in love with an extremely creepy guy and that her being mute doesn't make a lot of sense. Her *beep* husband suspects she's not right in the head. Well, yeah, she's mute. There's something psychologically wrong there. And she had an illegitimate child and is pretty much a savant at music and doesn't understand people or relationships very well.
It all points to her being autistic. It's makes her a more sympathetic character than just some one really bitchy and angry at her daddy so much that she just stopped speaking.
That's what I think.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] gabbyslp 11 years ago

I'm confused, I thought at the beginning of the movie she said she was mute since she was six...did I imagine that?

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] gabbyslp 11 years ago

I'm a speech therapist, and I feel like its more selective mutism in Ava's case. I see it all the time in little ones (and sometimes adults) who experience a traumatic event. It's also possible that she had some autistic-like characteristics too, even if she wasn't "autistic".

[–] deborahchism 10 years ago

interesting comments, I am a nurse but also have a grown autistic son (high functioning)- I could very much see him becomming "mute" or non verbal if he had experienced something tragic because he still and always has withdrawn if very much stress and nervous. Not saying that as an expert on the subjects, just that I could see an autistic child doing that. Thx for any thoughts on this.

[–] agnieszka01 10 years ago

The story that Flora told about how her mother became mute was made up. That was the whole gist of the character--adorable compulsive liar. Her spirited performance won her the best supporting actress Oscar that year.

The sky is blue

[–] hodie 10 years ago

Watching it now. Narrator (voice inside Ada) said she stopped speaking as a child.

Get me a bromide! And put some gin in it!

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] txwaho 10 years ago

No she was not autistic. Maya Angelo explained how she herself became mute for a period of time. I don't remember the particulars, but I'm sure you could research it. She wrote about it as well as discussed with the Op.

Also, she had no basis for reference of romantic interaction. Remember she was from a Victorian background and the Maori were naturalistic, unsociety-hampered people who followed the passions of being human instead of restricting them. She was essentially emotionally immature. And unfortunately her husband was too.

An independent mind is difficult to enslave.

[–] Royalcourtier 9 years ago

She was not autistic, she was insane.

[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

it is an interesting idea. Would perhaps excuse some of her more obnoxious behaviour.