Tic Code (2000)

Good movie

This was a very good movie. It shows a character that we should all have; that we are all human and we should be accepted for our differences. July 27, 2008

A Great Story Combined With An Accurate Depiction Of TS

The Tic Code has two main focuses - its three main characters, ten year-old Miles, his mother Laura, and professional jazz musician Tyrone; and the Tourette's Syndrome that afflicts two of those characters. Miles (Christopher George Marquette) is a little guy burdended with Tourettes and an unhappy school life (no surprise there) who finds solace in the piano, at which he's a budding prodigy. He follows the careers of a number of jazz musicians with great fervor, and eventually strikes up a friendship with musician Tyrone Pike (Gregory Hines, in his best performance), who frequents a local jazz bar. The relationship of the two takes on father-son tones, and is strengthened by the bond they share as Miles discovers Tyrone is also a Tourettes sufferer. The improvisational nature of jazz music has actually helped Tyrone to hide the tics that spontaneously burst out, including during his performances (it's even theorized that a couple of real-life jazz greats may gave had the disease, and by actual stock footage you can see where the idea came from). Having one of his heroes have the same disorder he has helps Miles come to terms with it; meanwhile Tyrone is very protective, seeing this young kid with the same thing he's had all his life. It's not stated in the movie, but Miles is actually at an age where TS has generally yet to kick in like it probably will in a couple more years, and part of the movie's subtext is that Tyrone knows it's probably going to get worse. Meanwhile, Tyrone and Miles's single mother Laura (Polly Draper) meet and become attracted to one another. It may sound like from the first time the three cross paths it's all clear sailing but it's not, it's a very rocky road. For one thing, although the term 'Obsessive Compulsive Disorder' is never mentioned it seems highly likely that both Miles and Tyrone have it as well, which is no great stretch; TS and OCD are closely related and a high percentage of people who have one have the other as well. OCD is obsessions and overpowering urges that can usually be reined in (although not necessarily instanteously, like people tend to think) although even when one manages to control them they still muck up the mind; Tourettes is tics - either verbal or physical - that generally can't be reined in once they decide to activate themselves, any more than someone can tell their heart to stop beating or their digestive processes to take a breather; the best way to defuse them is to try and minimize stress, you'll notice in the movie that both Tyrone and Miles seem to experience outbreaks more often under stressful conditions. So the apparant OCD really helps complicate things in the film.

It's a great tale of the evolving relationship between the three main players, and it's also, for once, a realistic onscreen glimpse of TS, far more so than several comedies that have had that angle in there. Another inaccurate depiction has come across the news media with suggestions (usually originating with lawyers) that TS/OCD causes criminal behavior. A detailed rebuttal of this nonsense would take too long to go into and isn't all that relevant to the movie; my point is that this is one of those disorders where it's very refreshing to see a depiction do a Credible job of handling its subject matter. For someone who has a loved one with TS or OCD, or even has it themselves, this movie is recommended watching (which isn't to say it isn't great on its own merits!) and could actually be a big help, including to children with it. That fact makes it ironic that the MPAA chose to try and Hinder young kids from seeing it by giving it an R rating, based almost solely on 'coarse language' (for even more irony, such language occasionally manifests itself as part of the tics in certain variants of TS). I'm going to restrain myself from further commentary on the whole 'movie ratings' things and just finish with a couple more observations about Tic Code. Fans of jazz music will be interested to know that several real-life musicians have roles in the film. And the vibrant feeling inherent in the movie make it seem like this was real labor of love from its makers; incidentally actress Polly Draper not only played Laura but wrote the movie's script. All in all, one of the best dramas out there, and definately deserving of a higher profile. April 15, 2008

Must See for Those with Tourette Syndrome

This movie is an excellent family drama, which also manages to educate the viewer on the topic of Tourette Syndrome, while remaining entertaining. January 10, 2007

Ticcer who soooo related to The Tic Code

As a person with Tourette Syndrome (Touretter), I laughed, cried and had a knot in the middle of my stomach as I saw my childhood flash before my eyes in this film that explores differenece in various ways: Tourette Syndrome, obviously, but also isolation and lonliness, emotional withdrawl and barriers to intimacy, past bad relationships and breaking through a wall of a lifetime of hurt, anger and danger.

I would recommend this film to anyone who cares about LIFE in a larger sense. The portrayal of Miles, the young boy w/Tourette is touching and extremely compelling--very true to life. Polly Draper and Gergory Hines make a credible couple, coming together, dancing for fleeting moments and then glancing off each other like mercury before a union that makes complete sense on many levels.

Please buy this vidoe or DVD and support a widening of understanding of not only Tourette Syndrome, but of difference in all its implications. May 31, 2002

A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF LIVING WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME...

This is an excellent movie about a twelve year old boy, Miles, an incredibly talented jazz pianist, who has Tourette Syndrome, and the adult male, Tyrone, a sax player, who befriends the boy. It turns out that he, too, has the same affliction, though his manifestations are more controlled. This is also the story of Miles' mother, who tries to grapple with the issue, while the boy's father, from whom she is divorced, is in complete denial. This is basically a story about life, and the way Tourette Syndrome touches upon it.

Here, the young boy is played by the very talented Christopher George Marquette, who does an incredible job of conveying the agony of one who suffers from Tourette Syndrome. His performance is so terrific and rings so true that, at times, I wondered if he, in fact, had the illness. The role of Tyrone is well played by Gregory Hines, who is wonderful in the role of the musician who has Tourette Syndrome but does not want to speak of it. Polly Draper, as the boy's mother, is excellent, as she struggles to cope with her son's illness and its effect on his psyche. She also has a budding romance with Tyrone, until he allows the issue of his affliction to get in the way.

Ms. Draper also did an excellent job of scripting this movie, as it is never maudlin but, rather, a wonderful treatment of a little known illness. The jazz that Miles and Tyrone both love to play is well integrated with the issue of Tourette Syndrome. The threads of the story are woven together seamlessly. All in all, it is an excellent drama. Look for cameo roles by Camryn Manheim and Carol Kane. September 21, 2001

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