Ezra Parent Guide

Divorced father and stand-up comedian Max (Bobby Cannavale) is running on empty. He’s reeling over his divorce from Jenna (Rose Byrne). He needs to ace his upcoming performances to land a spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live. And he desperately wants the best for his autistic son, Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald).

The pressure is on for Ezra. Having led his class out of school and into the street, and later having fled his mother’s house late at night, Ezra has fallen under the oversight of the state’s medical and social welfare systems. He’s being ordered to attend a special school and is prescribed antipsychotic drugs. When Max objects to what he sees as forced medication – and gets into a physical tussle with the doctor - he’s given a restraining order and a three month ban on contact with his son.

Max is convinced that Ezra doesn’t need special schools or drugs; he just needs understanding and parental advocacy. In a heartfelt but stunningly illogical move, he kidnaps Ezra and embarks on a road trip across the country that will change both father and son.

Based on the trailer, I expected to like Ezra. I have neurodivergent family members and I was intrigued by a film that promised so much representation for this community. Ezra is played by the brilliant autistic actor, William A. Fitzgerald, and the movie’s associate producer, Alex Plank, is also autistic. This is a film that will foster understanding for autistic kids and, hopefully, for other neurodivergent people. Ezra doesn’t focus only on the title character’s challenges, but also takes some time to examine Max’s possible place on the autism spectrum and that of his father, Stan (Robert De Niro). This is a story that makes us question the idea of normal – or even its desirability. Without being maudlin, this tale illustrates the fact that diverse perspectives and abilities can broaden our viewpoints and help us appreciate love and courage in many guises.

That said, the movie’s biggest problem is Max’s catastrophically bad parenting. I try not to judge other parents – raising kids is the hardest job in the world, and unless someone’s abusing their children, I appreciate that most of us are doing the best we can. But Max is impulsive, feckless, and incredibly self-centered in his decision making. He takes his child to bars while he works, which is illegal and irresponsible, because Ezra brings him luck. He kidnaps his child, which is a criminal act in every jurisdiction I know. His reckless driving finds them lost in the woods, as Ezra melts down – all of which could have been avoided by taking responsibility for his own issues and not using Ezra as a talisman and protection against the consequences of his own choices.

Also disappointing in this film is the quantity of negative content. There’s a fair bit of low level violence – some pushing, shoving, and punching – and the aforementioned child abduction. There are also scenes of alcohol consumption and marijuana use. And there is a steady diet of profanity, including over 30 sexual expletives. The Restricted rating is merited.

I hoped that Ezra would be a heartwarming production but it falls short. The cast are superb, the spotlight on neurodivergence welcome, but the storyline simply doesn’t deliver. Ezra is a unique, fascinating child and he deserves a better film.