Heartland Film Festival: Nathan's Kingdom

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“Nathan's Kingdom” is a powerful film that explores what living with autism is like as well as how it affects the lives of caretakers. It's inventive, it's childlike, but more than anything it's raw at times, showing the frustrations that occur on both sides when dealing with autism.

“Nathan's Kingdom” follows Nathan (Jacob Lince) and his younger sister Laura (Madison Ford). The two are on their own as the film shows their father leaving the family after an argument with Nathan as a teenager, but it makes no mention of their mother's fate. It's shortly after their father's departure that Laura tells Nathan of the Kingdom – the place where thoughts become real.

It's that short interaction that ends up shaping Nathan and giving him the quest to find his kingdom. He even has a book dedicated to it which illustrates the rich history of the kingdom and all the characters who make it up.

Laura is dealing with her own issues, mainly an addiction to pills and dealing with the ramifications of her brother's actions. After one such incident social services is called and Laura is given the choice to either take better care of her brother or send him to a facility. Another issue with Nathan pushes Laura to decide to send him away, but as they pull up and Nathan puts two and two together, his pleas for her to find their kingdom spurs Laura to hit the gas and head out to the desert. What do they have to lose?

Once there they don costumes of Nathan's creation and venture off to find the kingdom, with Laura growing more and more frustrated. They encounter a father and son after Nathan is “attacked” by the main villain of the Kingdom, which end up being a integral part of Nathan's journey.

Laura's frustration continues to boil over until she informs Nathan that she made up the Kingdom and that it doesn't exist. But after a small hiccup in his journey, Nathan stands face to face with his demons and Laura finds out the Kingdom might be a real place after all.

I will admit when I started watching “Nathan's Kingdom” I didn't know what to expect. But as young Laura, played by Sarah Assumma, tells her other brother about the Kingdom I was hooked. I also loved the inventive dreamlike animation of the Kingdom that unfolds throughout the movie as well as the illustrations in Nathan's book.

The dynamic between Lince and Ford is wonderful and raw. The duo's emotions don't just spill from the screen, they rip and tear it to shreds, especially Ford's emotional performance of a loving sister and her simply not knowing what to do to help her brother. Their bond as brother and sister as believable, whether it depicts frustration, disappointment, fear or love.

Viewers also need to note that Lince is autistic himself, which just lends another element of authenticity to the film. Lince delivers so many wonderful moments throughout “Nathan's Kingdom.” His acting made me smile, at times made me think and at times broke my heart. I loved his performance.

“Nathan's Kingdom” is an imaginative story that sticks with you after watching. The visuals are amazing, the acting is superb and the message that even with a disability you can battle your demons and become the hero is wonderful. I'll be honest after watching the film I hope to find my Kingdom.