I’m particularly intrigued by the premise of EZRA as my 3-year-old nephew has been diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder). Per the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 1 in 36 children have autism, with boys being 4 times more likely to be diagnosed than girls.

Directed by the multi-talented Tony Goldwyn, the story is based on Goldwyn’s colleague and personal friend Tony Spiridakis’s experience in raising an autistic son. Spiridakis pens the semi-biographical script but changed the character from a writer to a stand-up comic named Max, played by Bobby Cannavale. It opens during one of Max’s stand-up acts where he often uses his personal life as punchlines. He often brings his Autistic son Ezra (newcomer William A. Fitzgerald) to these late-night gigs, much to his ex-wife Jenna’s chagrin.

Max is presented as a man-child who’s struggling to keep it together–he doesn’t have the best relationship with his dad Stan, nicknamed Pop-Pop (Robert De Niro) whom he’s currently living and he’s still in love with his ex (Rose Byrne). One thing for sure, he absolutely loves Ezra and wants the best for him, even if he doesn’t exactly know what that is.

The key to the film’s success is the father-and-son relationship and this film achieves that as Max and Ezra’s bond feels genuine. Fitzgerald is impressive in his first-ever acting job and I applaud the filmmakers for casting an autistic actor for the role. It helps craft an authentic character as Ezra’s outbursts when someone hugs him or is forced to eat with metal utensils, feel natural. Fitzgerald is funny and smart, he can keep up with an acting legend like De Niro seemingly effortlessly.

There’s a particularly memorable scene just before Max drives off where Ezra shares a funny exchange with his grandpa. It’s pretty brilliant casting as De Niro, Cannavale and Fitzgerald feel like a believable three-generational family unit. Cannavale and his real-life wife Byrne often work together in comedic movies, but this is the first time I see them as co-parents.

Following an incident where Ezra is nearly hit by a cab, his doctor insists he is put on medication and sent to a special school. Max vehemently disagrees, he never believes for a second that Ezra poses a danger to himself and others. Max’s violent temper lands him in legal trouble and he makes things worse when he plucks Ezra from his mother’s home and takes him along on a road trip across the country. Max makes a couple of stops to visit his old buddy Nick (Rainn Wilson) and former girlfriend Grace (a warmhearted Vera Farmiga) before they reach LA so he can audition for a spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that’s been set up by his manager (Whoopi Goldberg). It’s fun to see Goldwyn and Goldberg’s reunion since Ghost in 1990 though they didn’t share a screen here.

Taking a comedic approach to tackling a difficult subject is nothing new, but I appreciate Goldwyn’s sensitivity in handling the story. Under less capable hands, Jenna can come across as callous, but she loves Ezra just as much as Max does, they just have a very different approach to parenting. If there’s one character that’s depicted in an unfavorable light, it’d be Jenna’s lawyer boyfriend Bruce, played by Goldwyn himself. Some parents might take issue with Max’s extreme approach, even when he does it for the right reasons. Still, the heart is in the right place and I appreciate that the filmmakers aim to destigmatize autism, depicting the highs and lows of raising a child on the spectrum while also celebrating the joys of parenting that outweigh its challenges.

The script meanders at times and Spiridakis doesn’t always master balancing drama and comedy. Some of the scenes descend into melodrama and absurdity as Max is depicted as a fugitive in the third act, but the talented ensemble cast keeps things afloat. This is the first time I’ve seen Cannavale in a leading role and he’s terrific here. He’s believable as a high-tempered comedian whose raw emotion and vulnerability is in full display.

“The word ‘Autism’ comes from the Greek ‘in your own world’. I don’t want him in his own world. I want him in this one,” – Cannavale’s delivery of this heart-wrenching quote had me teary-eyed, and that feels personal as if it stems from the writer’s own dairy.

As far as father-son stories go, I was more taken by the little-seen indie Nowhere Special which is done with a more nuanced, restrained approach. That said, EZRA does autistic representation right by having autistic people in the production and sympathetically portraying autism which is often confused with mental illness. The film makes me respect my family members so much more for their utmost care, patience, and dedication to my autistic nephew. For that reason alone, this road trip movie is a journey worth taking.

Have you seen EZRA? I’d love to hear what you think!

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