By Nils Skudra
This past week, I had the opportunity to watch Tyson’s Run, a 2022 film directed by Kim Bass, on Netflix. The film portrays the compelling story of Tyson Hollerman, a 15-year-old boy with Autism who aspires to be a marathon runner and actively pursues his dream with the support of his parents, despite their initial misgivings. I felt that this film would be an intriguing topic for a review, not only because of its theme of empowerment, but also because it takes a groundbreaking step in casting a real-life Autistic actor in the lead role. Since there is a prevailing trend of casting neurotypical actors in the roles of autistic protagonists, this casting decision illustrates the potential of Autistic individuals to authentically represent themselves in film and television, particularly considering the calls for greater representation in Hollywood.
Tyson Hollerman (Major Dodson) is introduced as a teenager on the Autism spectrum who is homeschooled by his mother Eloise (Amy Smart). He displays a strong aptitude for mathematics, as well as an ability to memorize a substantial amount of information on different topics. However, Tyson also exhibits a series of socially awkward traits, including a tendency to repeat certain phrases verbatim when responding to questions from other people. In addition, during dinner, he systematically separates the different food groups on his plate before eating, a tendency that is commonly found among many individuals on the autism spectrum since they do not like seeing different types of food mixed together. To most neurotypical individuals, this might seem bizarre since they would simply eat their food without any care for how the food groups are arranged. But since organization and detail orientation are integral parts of an Autistic individual’s mindset, they can profoundly influence every aspect of the individual’s daily routine, from the structure of their bedroom to the arrangement of their food.
While Eloise is highly supportive of Tyson, her husband Bobby (Rory Cochrane) is aloof and distant, displaying a clear embarrassment with his son’s unique tendencies. As the celebrated coach of the high school football team, he devotes his focus to training the players for the upcoming state championship, showing very little regard for Tyson’s interests. Eloise, however, is determined to have Tyson step out into the real world since he is now an adolescent, which puts her at odds with her husband. During a conversation after dinner, they have a heated argument, with Eloise insisting that Tyson should be allowed to attend public school and mingle with other teenagers. When Bobby replies that Tyson is “all in his own world” and expresses skepticism about how the students and athletes will treat him, Eloise belligerently insists, “Then you make them be nice! You make them be nice to your son!” Bobby grudgingly agrees and drives Tyson to school the next morning, giving him a special monitor to contact him in case of any trouble with the other students.
During his first day at school, Tyson immediately experiences ostracism from most of his peers as his social awkwardness and his unique intelligence are made abundantly clear. Upon arrival at his anatomy class, he delivers an extended introduction, elaborating upon his previous homeschooling, then gives a highly detailed answer about a specific organ of the human body. While this deeply impresses the anatomy teacher, it alienates Bradley (Isaiah Hanley), an immature student who resents being outshone by Tyson’s “seven billion Einstein IQ” and promptly begins a campaign of bullying against him. One of the few students who shows Tyson kindness, however, is Shannon (Layla Felder), a girl who takes a liking to him and invites Tyson to sit at her table when he is humiliated by Bradley in the cafeteria.
Things take a turn for Tyson when he meets Aklilu (Barkhad Abdi), a former Marathon runner from Ethiopia who recognizes Tyson’s potential as an athlete. Following a particularly distressing episode of bullying at school, Tyson runs all the way across town, stopping in the middle of traffic, before Aklilu comes to his aid and takes him into his sportswear store. When Eloise arrives to pick Tyson up, Aklilu compliments Tyson’s diligence in helping him organize the store items and offers to give him coaching in Marathon running. While Eloise is initially skeptical, she soon realizes Tyson’s deep passion for running and urges Bobby to support their son’s dreams. As the film progresses, Bobby’s outlook gradually evolves, as he becomes supportive of Tyson’s desire to compete in the city’s upcoming Marathon run, although he encounters opposition from the mayor, who remarks that he doesn’t want the race to turn into “some crusade for the mentally handicapped” and that people like Tyson “have their own Special Olympics.” Nonetheless, Bobby is persistent in his determination for Tyson to participate in the race, and as the ensuing publicity prompts more of Tyson’s peers to support him, he builds the self-confidence and perseverance that will ultimately carry him through the Marathon to its conclusion.
Tyson’s Run is highly resonant on a wide variety of levels, addressing different aspects of the life of a teenager with autism, including bullying and social ostracism, the difficulties of finding acceptance within one’s own family, and persisting in the pursuit of their ambitions. In addition, the film captures how having a child on the spectrum can affect relationships between parents since they might differ in their outlook on raising the child; this is poignantly captured in an argument between Bobby and Eloise over Tyson’s prospects of competing in the race, when Eloise tearfully states, “I’m sorry I didn’t give you the son you wanted.” This is true of many parents of children with Autism, or with disabilities in general, since they might have high expectations of the type of child that they want to have and are deeply disappointed upon learning that their child has significant intellectual, physical, or developmental challenges. However, as Bobby and Eloise’s story demonstrates, parents can eventually grow to accept, embrace, and support their children’s goals if they have the tenderness and willpower to do so.
Furthermore, Tyson’s Run is remarkably groundbreaking in its representation of an autistic protagonist by an autistic actor. Major Dodson, who delivers a superb performance as Tyson, has autism in real life and has openly advocated for the casting of autistic actors in the roles of Autistic characters. In an interview with Faithwire, he remarked, “We’re in a much more inclusive time now with casting… It’s very important to have people who are actually on the spectrum portray characters who are on the spectrum. It’s not the 1980s anymore. There are just so many actors out there… who are on the spectrum and who fit these requirements, so to speak. It’s just really cool to see that people are understanding that. It makes me feel good.” While various neurotypical actors have delivered heartwarming and sympathetic portrayals of Autistic characters, such as Freddie Highmore in The Good Doctor, Dodson’s insights are highly poignant since they illustrate the growing demand for authentic representation by actors on the Autism spectrum, who can bring their own unique experiences to the roles of Autistic characters. Considering this, Tyson’s Run can hopefully provide a model for future opportunities that will enable greater representation by autistic actors in Autism-themed films, ensuring the inclusion of an authentic voice from the Autism community.
I am an artist on the autism spectrum. I received an MA specializing in Civil War/Reconstruction history at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and I have been drawing hundreds of Civil War-themed pictures since the age of five and a half. I recently completed a secondary Master’s in Library and Information Sciences. As a person with autism, I have a very focused set of interests, and the Civil War is my favorite historical event within that range of interests. It is therefore my fervent desire to become a Civil War historian and have my Civil War artwork published in an art book for children. I am also very involved in the autism community and currently serve as the President/Head Officer of Spectrum at UNCG, an organization I founded for students on the autism spectrum. The goal of the organization is to promote autism awareness and foster an inclusive community for autistic students on the UNCG campus. The group has attracted some local publicity and is steadily gaining new members, and we shall be hosting autism panels for classes on campus in the near future.
