Killer Diller

The Story

Wesley, a musician and convicted car thief, is sent to live in a halfway house on the campus of a Christian college. He meets Vernon, an autistic piano player, and recruits him for the halfway house band, whereupon they form the Killer Diller Blues Band.

Autistic Characteristics Portrayed

- Difficulty with social interaction

- Lack of nonverbal communication

- Uncomfortable in large groups of people

- Characteristic manner of speaking

What We Liked

Honestly, not very much. Vernon was portrayed as a fairly one dimensional character whose only real contribution to the plot line was his musical talent. The filmmakers did not make an earnest attempt to address any of the issues faced by individuals on the spectrum. Other than his savant skills and a few general mannerisms, the film did not even give Vernon a full range of autistic characteristics. Rather, it seems more like the filmmakers used autism as an easy excuse to give the character outstanding musical talent.

What We Didn't

From their depiction of Vernon, the creators of this film do not appear to have a very thorough working knowledge of autism. Vernon is depicted as constantly rocking back and forth and throws violent temper tantrums at the slightest comment about his rocking. While repetitive behaviors are indeed a feature of autism, autistics are often stereotypically portrayed as constantly rocking back and forth, as is the case in Killer Diller. Vernon acts very childlike and is often out of control, flailing and throwing frequent fits of screaming. He also has trouble getting to the bathroom in time and has accidents if he doesn't.

Not only was Vernon often portrayed as infantile rather than autistic, the autistic characteristics that he did display were portrayed very inconsistently. While Vernon sometimes grew anxious when surrounded by groups people, at other times he seemed completely unfazed by their presence. Similarly, he was sometimes portrayed as having difficulty carrying on a conversation with another person but at other times he actively initiated conversations.

Furthermore, Vernon is another example of an autistic savant character. His piano skills are really the only reason anyone pays attention to him (other than to tease him) and seem to be used as a way of "redeeming" an individual who is not otherwise seen as worthwhile. This portrayal again perpetuates the myth that all autistics have savant skills.

Overall Grade: C-