

Life, Animated
“When he fell into silence, movies gave him back his voice”
Synopsis
At three years old, a chatty, energetic little boy named Owen Suskind ceased to speak, disappearing into autism with apparently no way out. Almost four years passed and the only stimuli that engaged Owen were Disney films. Then one day, his father donned a puppet—Iago, the wisecracking parrot from Aladdin—and asked “what’s it like to be you?” And poof! Owen replied, with dialogue from the movie. Life, Animated tells the remarkable story of how Owen found in Disney animation a pathway to language and a framework for making sense of the world.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2016-07-25
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Release History & Theatrical Window
Sundance Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
July 1, 2016
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Roger Ross Williams
- Screenplay & Story
- Ron Suskind
- Original Score
- Dylan Stark, T. Griffin
- Original Title
- Life, Animated
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 31m
- Production Studios
- A&E IndieFilms, Motto Pictures, Roger Ross Williams Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Roger Ross Williams
Ron Suskind
Dylan Stark, T. Griffin
Thomas Bergmann
David Teague
Roger Ross Williams, Molly Thompson, Ron Suskind, Rob Sharenow, Julie Goldman
Department Leadership Roster
Roger Ross Williams
Director
Dylan Stark
Original Music Composer
Thomas Bergmann
Director of Photography
David Teague
Editor
Roger Ross Williams
Producer
Julie Goldman
Producer
T. Griffin
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
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Frequently Asked Questions About Life, Animated
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Life, Animated about?
At three years old, a chatty, energetic little boy named Owen Suskind ceased to speak, disappearing into autism with apparently no way out. Almost four years passed and the only stimuli that engaged Owen were Disney films. Then one day, his father donned a puppet—Iago, the wisecracking parrot from Aladdin—and asked “what’s it like to be you?” And poof! Owen replied, with dialogue from the movie. Life, Animated tells the remarkable story of how Owen found in Disney animation a pathway to language and a framework for making sense of the world.
Who directed Life, Animated?
Life, Animated was directed by Roger Ross Williams.
Who stars in Life, Animated?
The principal cast of Life, Animated includes Owen Suskind, Ron Suskind, Jonathan Freeman, Gilbert Gottfried.
When was Life, Animated released and how long is it?
Life, Animated was released in 2016 with a total runtime of 1h 31m.
Who composed the musical score for Life, Animated?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Life, Animated was composed by Dylan Stark, T. Griffin.
Is Life, Animated based on a book or true story?
Life, Animated is adapted from the following source material: Book: "Ron Suskind".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Life, Animated?
Life, Animated holds official age classifications: GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).


















