Far From the Tree is a documentary inspired by an enormous non-fiction book, which I plan to read, with the same title written by Andrew Solomon. It uses Solomon’s personal story as the overarching narrative that nestles the stories of four other groups of people. All these stories address how a person presents as unimaginably and noticeably different from his or her family, but each person’s differences are unique. Most of these differences are initially viewed as a burden.
Far From the Tree becomes an unexpectedly uplifting and beautiful documentary that shifts viewers’ thinking of these people’s lives from “illness to identity” and asks us to think about “what to cure and what to celebrate.” It does not do so by minimizing the obstacles faced by these individuals. Indeed it emphasizes life from these people’s point of view, which is not always easy. For instance, when focusing on Jack, a child with autism who does not talk, we go through the time intensive process of communicating by tapping out each letter to form words then sentences. It is not easy to anticipate what word he is trying to say. The documentary makes us earn the later reward of cinematic illusion of instant and quick communication and belonging to a community when the documentary returns to Jack and does not take that time to emphasize the process, but focuses on the joys of his life.
In another example, Far From the Tree focuses on little people, but the camera is usually shot from their level, and at least once that I remember, to compare and contrast their use of the living space versus how a kitchen is traditionally set up, the camera shoots from the top of the space, not from an average person’s angle of looking down at them, but looking down at us as if from the ceiling. This shot was still sympathetic to them because it was a silent rebuke of society’s lack of consideration of other people’s needs and creating a one size fits all model.
Far From the Tree encourages us to be more creative and view genetic diversity that initially appears as a problem as an opportunity for creativity in how we navigate and think about life. Jack may not talk or present as a person whom we imagine as smart, but he is possibly the smartest kid in his class. He just needs a person and some technology to interact with the world. The key is not to make Jack like us or feel bad for Jack for not being like us, but to create a community in which he can simultaneously be an integral part of broader society and carve out a smaller space of belonging within that society for people who are like him so he can relax and be himself. (Side note: I hope that filmmakers and viewers make the connection between this point and the “black table.”)
Far From the Tree presents an image of heaven on Earth without brushing aside the more difficult aspects of this dynamic within either community. While it may not tidily fit into the movie’s triumphant tone, from reading brief excerpts from the book, I know that it fits within the broader thesis of the book. For instance, even within a niche community, there are differences. Jason, a man with Down Syndrome, cannot understand the difference between fact and fiction because both create the same intense, real emotions and may be psychologically tied to a particular moment of loss. The movie emphasizes that Jason’s problem is a distinct, personal problem not faced by others with Down Syndrome by showing his exasperated roommates who are sick of Frozen and Jason’s fixation on Elsa. I love that the filmmakers understand that many people will instinctually assign individual behavior on an entire group and not only does not do that, but takes great pains to not set up any possible misunderstanding.
Far From the Tree is comfortable with being uncomfortable, not having all the answers and detracting from the overall triumphant tone by focusing on a family trying to adjust to life after a member randomly and premeditatedly brutally kills a child. As a viewer, I think that it is dissonant with the rest of the movie, but as a person, I think that it is really brave to flip the question and explore the textured aspect of the overall question—what if you can’t celebrate the difference? While the movie shows that there is not a happy ending for some families, it also depicts how families can still attempt to love one another and come together in difficult circumstances while not cosigning the conduct. Still the Mark of Cain is borne by the entire family, not just the murderer, and there is a sense of unease that life is fiction while the truth lurking disturbingly under the surface.
Solomon’s own story does not have a thoroughly happy ending since unlike most of the subjects of Far From the Tree, he never has a reconciliation with his entire family, his niche community and himself. It implies a question that is never explored by the film, but I pondered at the end. If one person in his life had lived, would that person have taken the opportunity to grow and become a celebratory part of his life or would that person have made it impossible for him to experience what he did-complete acceptance and joy? This question can never be answered, but there is always an intransigent part of society that hates difference and resists the paradise depicted in this movie.
Presidon’t’s administration governs from a position that aggressively creates a fiction as if these people did not exist and seeks to erase them. The Department of Education would like to pretend that differently abled people do not need accommodations. Difference in biology is perceived as a sin that some religious people would like to deny basic daily services such as employment, which would effectively result in starvation and homelessness if taken to its logical, extreme conclusion if one were permitted to legally do so. To people aligned with this method of administering public services and justice, Far From the Tree is not an image of paradise, but a hellish landscape that they seek to eradicate.
There is one single moment in Far From the Tree in which people like this intrude on Eden. Loini is walking down the street, and an unseen bystander shouts, “I’ve seen you on TV,” which is a mockery of her height, not the truth. Jason discusses derogatory terms used about people with his medical condition. For the most part, the documentary does not explore the ugly side of being different, but it not only exists, it is in power and actively opposes them. One does not have to say, “I hate little people or people with Down syndrome.” If one did, the public reaction would be brutal; however one can show it with their actions and receive no public castigation because it does not affect the broader public. I understand that the movie has no desire to be political so I’ll make the point omitted from the movie. Far From the Tree showed me a world that I’m delighted to live in. Don’t let others destroy it.
