JACK OF THE RED HEARTS

US, 2015, 102 minutes, Colour.
Anna Sophia Robb, Famke Janssen, Scott Cohen, Israel Broussard, Taylor Richardson.
Directed by Janet Grillo.

This is a film about autism, autism in a young child. It is geared towards the mainstream audience, a story that the audience can understand and respond to emotionally. If one Googles Wikipedia on films about autism, the list is quite long. Perhaps the most popular film in consciousness is Rain Man – and there is a line in the screenplay here which points out that the young girl, Glory, is no “rain man”. Another striking film about autism features Claire Danes as an autistic woman who achieved a great deal in her professional life, Temple Grandin.

Actually, the initial focus is on two runaways, two teenagers who have lost their mother and are in care, one of them already with a police record, a parole officer, and the threat of going to juvenile detention. The two girls set up a stall in the main street begging for money and encounter a father who puts up a poster looking for someone with experience with young girls. We have seen the mother and father at home and the efforts they are making to care for their 11-year-old daughter, Glory, strongly autistic, prone to being upset, not communicating well.

The older of the sisters, Jack (Anna Sophia Robb) takes the notice, waylays an expert young woman who is applying for the job, ingratiate herself into the household and, learning on the way, making some mistakes, getting deeper because of her lying, becomes Glory’s companion.

As may be anticipated, Jack, calling herself Donna because of the young woman whose papers she stole, begins to make an impact on Glory, sometimes hit-and-miss opportunities, but giving breathing space to the mother who is able to go back to work, something that gives her energy and exhilaration, arousing the attraction and then suspicion of Glory’s older brother.

The main emphasis on of the film is on the relationship between Jack and Glory, eliciting empathy from the audience, for the autistic young girl and the potential within her, for the sometimes irresponsible companion, brash and often self-centred, who, we know, also has great potential within her.

This gives the film some dramatic age, the audience wanting Jack to succeed with Glory but all the time aware that she is on very thin ice. It has to come to a head and does so dramatically, Jack wanting to get her sister out of foster care, prepared to take the consequences of her deception, but realising that she has communicated with the little girl and wants to assist in an interview where Glory could go for better education prospects.

Taylor Richardson is completely persuasive as Glory, the film indicating through its blurry photography and a focus on into playing shining lights something of how Glory perceives reality. Famke Janssen has a strong role as the mother. The screenplay of his quite some commentary on different approaches to working with autistic children, even showing some sequences from the 1962 film about Helen Keller, The Miracle Worker with Annie Sullivan helping Helen to understand water. A strong point is made about Glory, on a roof, on a tree branch, on heights, better able to comprehend and communicate.

As the film veers towards expected endings, it stops just in time from indulging sentimentality, leaving the audience to think about the future for all the characters concerned.


1. The title? Glory and her card, Jack of hearts? And the reference to Jack herself?

2. A film about autism, audience response to the issue, the dramatisation, the children and their experience of autism, the effect on others? The film as an awareness experience? For the children, for parents, for siblings, for carers?

3. The American town, homes, schools, outings, theme park, family world? Musical score?

4. The contrast between Jack and Coke, the escape, begging on the street, the police taking them in, Jack and her parole?

5. The scenes with the family, Glory at 11 years old, the tension between husband and wife, husband and his work, the wife and her need to work? The need for a carer?

6. The father, his poster, Jack going to the interview, taking the other girl’s place, papers and identity, pretence, her motivation, her lies?

7. The details of her work with Glory, coping, the effect, learning, guesses, bluffing her way through? The response of the parents? Of Glory’s brother and his friend? Wariness, attraction, the effect?

8. The character of the parents, dealing with the situation, the improved situation, at work? The mother, Jack and her phone calls – even with details of how to cook and prepare meals?

9. Glory, her age, the onset of the autism, the manifestations, speech, behaviour? The film suggesting she saw things differently, the visuals of her eye point of view, blur and colours? The impact the doctors, social workers? The plan for her to go to advanced learning? Getting ready for the interview?

10. Jack, the effect, the bond with Glory, initially slumming it, gradually becoming involved, losing Glory, her being up the tree, the realisation of the effect of heights and heightened awareness?

11. Jack, her sister, going into foster care, Jack wanting to get her out, the sister feeling at home?

12. Jack, her friends, support, lifestyle, the past?

13. Glory’s brother, becoming suspicious, investigating the documents, the forging of signatures, the financial implications? The
revelation of the truth?

14. The effect on the parents, the parole officer, Jack being taken?

15. Glory, going to the interview? Jack and her special plea? The bond with Glory? Going to the interview, her intervening, the parents watching, the relationship, the issue of the heights, illustrating Glory’s potential?

16. Jack, the effect of this on her life? Her age, taking responsibility? The final glimpse of her driving – and audience speculation on her future?