In A Different Key

Published December 6, 2022 at 3:09 PM PST

Donald Triplett shows his stamp-filled passport to filmmakers Caren Zucker and John Donvan. Despite challenges, he has traveled the world for decades.

Premieres Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS Video App

“In A Different Key” is based on the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book of the same name by journalists Caren Zucker and John Donvan – the film’s executive producers. The film follows the mother of an autistic son as she finds and then befriends the first child ever diagnosed with autism – Donald Triplett, who still lives in the small Mississippi town where he was born nearly 90 years ago.

A mother tracks down the first person ever diagnosed with autism, now an elderly man living in rural Mississippi, to learn if his life story holds promise for her own autistic son. Her journey exposes a startling record of cruelty and kindness alike, framed by forces like race, money and privilege – but leads to hope that more communities are learning to have the backs of people on the spectrum.

Today, the rate of diagnosed Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has reached the level of 1 in 44 children. In a question relevant to many, co-director Caren Zucker seeks answers to the unknowable: will the non-autistic majority embrace and protect her child when she is no longer here.

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“Really, it’s an untold story of an unrecognized civil rights movement,” says Zucker, “but it’s also a love story, where the arc of justice is really bending in the right direction – just not fast enough for mothers like me.”

Del Parks' mom Stephanie is studying the challenges faced by people of color when the system fails to deliver accurate diagnoses of autism.

Donvan’s and Zucker’s film is a fascinating and illuminating journey into the lives of individuals past and present, who have experienced the best and the worst of society’s response to people seen as “different.”

Mickey has a thing about cats. He talks about them. He purrs and meows like them. He collects stuffed animal cats and he makes a lot of cat-based puns. But when he visits a cat shelter, maybe to take home a kitten of his own, his mother finds out Mickey is actually scared of the real thing, which is more unpredictable than he's comfortable with. But his cat patter serves a purpose.

“In A Different Key” starts with the story of Donald, who was identified as “Case 1” among the earliest published descriptions of autism. There is the heartwarming discovery that Donald’s small-town community has accepted him all his life. In the words of one member of the community, “He’s our guy.”

Donald Triplett's community has embraced him all his life, since even before autism was a recognized diagnosis -- setting an all too rare example of acceptance by an entire community.

Says co-director John Donvan, “We hope the film touches audiences that don’t necessarily have that direct connection to autism. Every community can be part of the solution for supporting people on the spectrum, including where they work, live, go to school and beyond.”

The workplace: a challenging environment for many people on the spectrum, even when they have unique skills employers would value. Mickey McGuinness keeps trying.

However, the filmmakers also document abuse and rejection, exacerbated by misunderstanding, fear, bullying and racism. Standing up to these forces, pushing back against them, has been a decades-long mission for a legion of people – people on the spectrum, their families and their allies.

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For children on the autism spectrum, bullying at school is all too common, and leaves lifelong scars. Amy Gravino shares her own painful memories.

With original music by Wynton Marsalis, "In A Different Key" is poised to open eyes, minds and hearts across the country, while educating about the incredible highs and lows of neurodiversity and the importance of supportive communities.

Jonah Lutz is an autistic man whose challenges are so profound that society tends to look away, rather than celebrate his differences in TV dramas and movies. Yet at least 30 percent of people on the spectrum live with challenges of a similar degree. His family is his main support system.

Join The Conversation:

"In A Different Key: The Movie" is on Facebook

What is it like to be autistic? Hear straight from the source, as people across the spectrum share their thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Credits:

Produced by GBH Boston and Co-Directors Caren Zucker and John Donvan. Composer: Wynton Marsalis; Editor, Co-Producer: Ray Conley; Director of Photography: Terry Stewart.

In A Different Key

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