The Reason I Jump
Movie · Documentary

Based on the best-selling book by Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump is an immersive cinematic exploration of neurodiversity through the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world. The film blends Higashida's revelatory insights into autism, written when he was just 13, with intimate portraits of five remarkable young people. It opens a window for audiences into an intense and overwhelming, but often joyful, sensory universe. Moments in the lives of each of the characters are linked by the journey of a young Japanese boy through an epic landscape; narrated passages from Naoki’s writing reflect on what his autism means to him and others, how his perception of the world differs, and why he acts in the way he does: the reason he jumps. The film distils these elements into a sensually rich tapestry that leads us to Naoki’s core message: not being able to speak does not mean there is nothing to say.

2021 · 1h 22m
  • 97%
  • 10+
Starring Jordan O'Donegan, Jim Fujiwara, David Mitchell
Director Jerry Rothwell

Trailers

  • The Reason I Jump
    The Reason I Jump
    Documentary

Related

  • Becoming You
  • The United States of Autism
  • I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me
  • Science Fair
  • Vision Portraits
  • I Can't Do This, But I CAN Do That
  • Treeless Mountain
  • Wonder
  • GROWING UP

Cast & Crew

  • J‌O
    Jordan O'Donegan
    Erzähler
  • J‌F
    Jim Fujiwara
    Naoki Higashida
  • D‌M
    David Mitchell
    Selbst
  • Jerry Rothwell
    Director
  • J‌D
    Jeremy Dear
    Producer
  • S‌L
    Stevie Lee
    Producer
  • A‌M
    Al Morrow
    Producer
  • J‌A
    Jody Allen
    Producer
  • Paul G. Allen
    Producer
  • R‌C
    Rocky Collins
    Producer
  • Lizzie Francke
    Producer

About

The Reason I Jump

Documentary

Based on the best-selling book by Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump is an immersive cinematic exploration of neurodiversity through the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world. The film blends Higashida's revelatory insights into autism, written when he was just 13, with intimate portraits of five remarkable young people. It opens a window for audiences into an intense and overwhelming, but often joyful, sensory universe. Moments in the lives of each of the characters are linked by the journey of a young Japanese boy through an epic landscape; narrated passages from Naoki’s writing reflect on what his autism means to him and others, how his perception of the world differs, and why he acts in the way he does: the reason he jumps. The film distils these elements into a sensually rich tapestry that leads us to Naoki’s core message: not being able to speak does not mean there is nothing to say.

10+

COMMON SENSE

Powerful, insightful docu about people with autism.

97%

TOMATOMETER
Average 7.9
Reviews 65
Fresh 63
Rotten 2

Information

Studio
Kino Lorber
Released
2021
Run Time
1 hr 22 min
Rated
NR N/A
Regions of Origin
United States, United Kingdom
© 2021 Kino Lorber

Languages

Original Audio
English, English (United Kingdom)
Audio

English (AD, ⁨Dolby 5.1⁩, AAC)

Subtitles

English (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
Audio descriptions (AD) refer to a narration track describing what is happening on screen, to provide context for those who are blind or have low vision.
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

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