But few have connected to the Disney canon as vitally as Owen Suskind.
Suskind is an autistic 25-year-old who, at three years old, inexplicably fell silent.
EW: I believe I consistently cried through half of this film.
Have you become immune?
ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS:[Laughs.]
No, I cry.
It gets me every time.
My editor and I would sit in the edit room just crying.
I guess maybe Im a softie but Im still emotional.
When did you first get involved in Owens story?
I remember hearing about it a couple years ago inthatNew York Timesarticle.
I had done a little before that came out.
But Id known Ron for 15 years.
Im a recovering journalist, I should say.
Did you always know about the Disney side to Owens story?
When Ron was writing the book, thats when I found out about the Disney connection.
I knew about Owen I didnt know much but Ron came to me and it clicked.
I remember very distinctively the moment, because it was the moment when lightning struck.
And I was like, Oh my God, this is my next film.
Ive got to do this film.
No, because Ron is a consummate journalist.
He understands the separation between subject and filmmaker and he just kept his distance.
He let me make the film I wanted to make, and he didnt bother me in any way.
And he didnt even see the film until maybe the second or third rough cut.
Imagine how you cried…imagine watching it with Owen.
If Owen didnt like the film, then we wouldnt have the film.
Owen needed to sign off on this.
And Owen jumped up and hugged me and said, I love it.
And Owen doesnt hug.
Thats not who he is.
So it was an amazing moment.
What was your first day like shooting with Owen?
The first filming happened on Valentines Day it was his schools Valentines Day dance.
So it was Owen and [his ex-girlfriend] Emily dancing and really totally loving towards each other.
I remember being surprised that they were very physical.
They would do this sort of Disney-style kissing.
And that was my first contact with anyone living with autism.
I didnt know anyone.
And in a way, I was a little uncomfortable.
From his point of view, from the inside looking out, not the outside looking in.
Almost like the science of whats going on in Owens head.
What sort of feedback have you received from the autism community?
We did a couple of big screenings.
The first contact was at Sundance, where we premiered the film.
Sundance organized a screening with the autism community in Utah, and they really were so moved.
It was this emotional, powerful moment and weve since then had a number of screenings like that.
Were screening at the UN for various autism organizations.
I think the most powerful screening, not necessarily with the autism organizations, has been with kids.
They were completely gripped by the film and asked the most amazing questions and were totally connected.
I think it enabled them to understand people who were differently abled than them.
That, for I think all of us, for the Suskinds, was probably the most powerful one.
Tell me about the genesis of Disneys involvement and licensing of the clips in the film.
I was a nervous wreck going in.
I had brought some clips of Disney club.
I showed them graduation.
So how could they say no?
Has this changed how you personally see and read Disney films?
Going into this, I cant say I was a huge Disney fan.
Disneys just taken them and updated them, so Owen is, essentially, an expert on being human.
He has this deep knowledge of the world that just happens to be through these Disney movies.
What did Disney think of the finished product?
I feel like they really embraced the film.
We just had a screening on the Disney lot.
Owen has memorized the credits of all of these movies.
Thats how he taught himself to read.
Hell tell them every film they ever worked on, and theyre just floored.
He knows these facts.
Could a job at Disney be in the cards?
And he does voices so well.
Owen was just a natural.
I would hope that they would hire him someday to either draw or do voices.
It would be a dream come true.
He announces that everywhere he goes.
Life, Animated is in theaters now.
