Rating: 
Summary: Autism Awareness
Review: There are very few movies dealing with extremely painful issues. It seems these issues are at times hidden in doctor's offices and schools and unless you have a relative or friend with this disorder it might remain a mystery to you. Since recent studies are suggesting that as many as 1 in 150 children age 10 or younger may be affected by autism or a related disorder, this film is relevant and brings awareness to the disorder. Some say it is a result of giving babies their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot and doctors claim it is primarily a genetic disorder. Many parents say the shot caused their child to throw tantrums, lose language skills and tune out. The theory is that some autism stems from a severe immune reaction to the vaccine. There are many treatments which can make a difference in the life of an autistic person. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, medication and special diets are of benefit. I first found out about autism while working for a family in the Seattle, WA area and I was amazed at the sheer patience the parents exhibited. If you think your life is at all difficult, spend one day with an autistic child. It takes a great amount of patience, love and commitment. Not only is life difficult for the caretakers, daily life is also difficult for autistic people. "Molly" shows both sides of the story. Elisabeth Shue plays Molly and completely captures the extremely short attention spans, indifference to those around her, tantrums and screaming, obsessive interests, preoccupations with various objects, love for identical routines, acute hearing and love of saying "no" to every question. Her 32-year-old brother Buck (Aaron Eckhart) suddenly becomes responsible for her when the home she is staying in closes. She turns his world upside down and when he loses his job, he finds other work he can do at home so they can survive. When they discover a way Molly may be significantly helped, she undergoes a brain operation. There is a constant threat that the person who has emerged from Molly's body will again sink into the depths of autism. She starts to make everyone aware of what an autistic person goes through and can express herself in an intelligent manner. In fact people with autism can be extremely intelligent. They are really just locked inside a body
which will not let them interact with others in a way society expects. Molly has moments which are so delightfully funny because in any other situation besides a movie, they would probably be embarrassing to a person caring for the person. Molly has a child-like joy and one of the best moments in the movie is when she runs through a water fountain with pure joy and fascination. She can be rather mischievous at times. There are also some rather surreal moments you just have to accept for what they are. She even considers marriage and reaches a level of independence which was impossible before the operation. Throughout the movie, they promote an awareness that we are all valuable human beings no matter what our disorders and that love and patience is sorely needed in our society. Instead of accepting societies tendency to hide individuals with mental conditions, they encourage us to learn more about mental illness and to treat these individuals with the respect all human beings deserve. This is a beautiful story of how a brother takes on the responsibility of looking after his sister and goes beyond the call of duty to make her life peaceful and comforting. Get out the tissues! Throughout the movie, the beauty of the innocence of a child can at times be a bit overwhelming. Especially if you know someone who has this condition. You will cry, laugh and cry some more. I found this to be a roller coaster of emotions and while the ending is not what you expect, it is a mingling of beauty and sadness.
Rating: 
Summary: Very touching
Review: This is a story of an autistic woman who goes to live with her self-centered brother after the institution she has been living in for most of her life is shut down. Her brother has no idea on how to take care of her - tries to enroll her in regular daycare? I mean, c'mon...Who would do that? It turns out that she is a great candidate for an experimental surgery that could & eventually does make her normal. This movie explores her trials and tribulations growing up in such a short period of time. She asks her brother to marry her. She has alot of fun at a baseball game. This is an enjoyable movie with an uplifting ending. A little sad - but you will get over it.
Rating: 
Summary: Heartwarming story beautifully acted
Review: This is a touching, bittersweet and wonderful film about an autistic woman who gains full use of her cognitive reasoning through an experimental procedure. Molly (Elisabeth Shue) is a 28 year old autistic who has been institutionalized much of her life. When the institution closes, she is left in the care of her self absorbed brother Buck (Aaron Eckhart). She is recommended for a new experimental procedure which transforms her into a normal young woman. As the story unfolds we see her grow from a child into a woman with many sweet and funny moments resulting from Molly's view of the world through childlike eyes. As her relationship with her brother grows, his transformation is as dramatic as hers. The film was charmingly done with a coming of age quality about it. There were numerous comical and heart warming moments resulting from Molly's misperception of a world she is trying to make sense of. The only thing working against this film is the fact that this ground has been retraced in so many ways that it suffers from the tendency to compare it to other films. It has elements of 'Flowers for Algernon', 'Rainman', 'At First Sight' and 'Awakenings'. It is difficult for a film to be fully appreciated when the viewer is mentally comparing it to all these other stories. That is a pity in this case because this really is a lovable story in its own right. Elisabeth Shue gives us marvelous performance as Molly. Her portrayal of autism is realistic and endearing. She is so childlike that you really sense that she has the mind of a 3 year old. Later, as she transitions to the mind of an adult, she retains that childlike naiveté that gives the character a purity and wisdom that is fresh and free from cynicism. It was a wonderful performance that regrettably will not be seen by many since this film lives in obscurity as a single facing on the rental shelves. I rated Molly an 8/10. On an emotional level, I really enjoyed it more than that, but I felt compelled to subtract a couple of points for lack of originality. However, if you enjoy human interest stories this one will certainly touch your heart.
Rating:
Summary: Typical
Review: This movie gave me a new view into the world of autism. Although the way Molly suddenly becomes "normal" and then reverts back into her former condition is rather unbelievable, this movie made some powerful points about what is "normal" Is anybody normal? For Molly, autism was normal, for her brother, he was normal. We find that just because a person has trouble communicating, that does not mean that they are not a unique person with thoughts and feelings unique to them. A person with things to say, with opinions. She said that people don't say enough about what they feel and are not free with their feelings. She felt that if you were inspired to dance, scream, or cry, you should. I too feel this way, even though the society in which we live today represses and molds us into what it thinks we should be. Watch this movie if you want to laugh and gain insight into her world.
Rating:
Summary: Molly Rules!
Review: This movie kicks but! Schue is BRILLIANT, and the supporting cast is awesome. They even made Eckhart BLONDE so they look like SIBS! I had a ...sister who went through a similar ordeal, (didn't get a brain transplant like Molly, but did learn some stuff!). Watching Molly was like watching my real life in a movie!
Rating:
Summary: Unoriginal plot, great acting
Review: This movie repeats the themes that were much better dealt with in Awakenings and Rain Man. Nevertheless, the performances of Elisabeth Shue and Aaron Eckhart are very moving and worth seing. Thus, the film, although certainly not a masterpiece, is, in my opinion, among the best movies recently released on video.
Rating:
Summary: richly detailed, engaging portrait of autistic experience
Review: This romantic comedy-drama about a cure for autism builds on the premise that the audience has digested the intro-to-autism that was Rainman, and is ready to move beyond that stylish snapshot to a more interior view of the frustrations and hopes of an autistic hero. Molly is considerably less introverted at times than most autistics, making her a more sympathetic character but causing some families of autistics to object that the movie is very unrealistic. Keep in mind that there are still many competing theories of why autistics fail to interact socially - are they genuinely indifferent to other people, or just socially learning-disabled? Those who think the latter is the case will find this story plausible and moving - others have been exasperated with what they see as a dishonest picture of the nature of autism.
Rating: 
Summary: Two Stars for Unintentional Comedy...
Review: What a pathetic movie. The filmmaker didn't know whether it was a comedy, a drama, or a heartwarming romatic dramedy about incest between a mentally challenged woman and her poorly groomed brother. First of all, as the title character, Molly, Elisabeth Shue is almost painful to watch. So painful, in fact, that she pulls off the comedic performance of the decade by yanking every tired stereotype about mentally disabled people out of her "Please Nominate Me for an Oscar" bag. Yikes. Second, how insipid and ridiculous can you get? Molly loves organizing her shoes. She loves the Wizard of Oz. She teaches the jaded "sane" world how to love life again by standing in a fountain and taking off her clothes in public. I'm in disbelief that there are actually earnest accolades for this movie floating around Amazon.com. THIS MOVIE IS GARBAGE, PEOPLE!!! Molly is a wonderful failure insofar as E. Shue gives the funniest, most painful, performance of her lifetime. But, "heartwarming"????? Please....
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