The Reason I Jump Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

The Reason I Jump Blu-ray Movie Review

A must-see, life-affirming documentary.

The Reason I Jump is an important documentary exploring autism and the way it affects children (and their ability to communicate) throughout the entire world. Produced by the British Film Institute, the Idea Room, Vulcan Productions, MetFilm Production, and Runaway Fridge, The Reason I Jump is essential viewing. The documentary is an adaptation of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller entitled “The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism” by Naoki Higashida, a non-speaking autistic boy in Japan. Translated by David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas) and K.A. Yoshida.

The feature-film adaptation of the The Reason I Jump features Jim Fujiwara, David Mitchell, and Jordan O'Donegan. The documentary explores the lives of five young autistic people from around the world. The film highlights passages of the book (with quotes from Higashida) as he explains what he thinks autism means to him and to others: how Higashida perceives the world around him, why he behaves the way he does, and what he thinks as an autistic person. Though Higashida might not be able to speak as a non-verbal autistic, Higashida always has a lot on his mind.

The Reason I Jump is a poetic documentary exploring an important topic. The production features a beautiful cinematic landscape. The quotes from the book are well-selected and highlight some of the best sections of Higashida's work. The style of the writing is exceptional and the thoughts of Higashida are intelligent and graceful. There is so much insight to be gained here about autism.

An eye-opening documentary that everyone should watch.

The breathtaking cinematography by Ruben Woodin Dechamps (A Second World, Granny Project) is stunning to behold. The documentary has some of the best visuals I have ever seen in a documentary film. The sweeping landscapes and evocative images are essential to helping to tell the story – and this is a terrific accomplishment for Dechamps. An effort that deserves many accolades.

The music composed by Nainita Desai (For Sama, The Confessions of Thomas Quick) adds a sense of wonderment and beauty to the production. The score is a perfect accompaniment to the production. A piercingly beautiful score, Desai provides the film with a sense of wonderment. The sound design by audio specialist Nick Ryan is also fantastic – making the filmmaking immersive and engaging.

As a fan of the book by Naoki Higashida, the adaptation worked wonderfully at conveying some of the best quotes from Higashida and the important messages contained within. The release of the book originally piqued my interest because of the translation being by David Mitchell (who penned Cloud Atlas – one of my favorite films). Though the film explores some of the key elements of the book, viewers unfamiliar with the book should consider reading what Naoki Higashida wrote. The writing is brilliant – poetic – and intelligent. Higashida moved me deeply (and though the film does capably convey some of the best passages, the book provides a more expansive experience).

Director Jerry Rothwell (How to Change the World, Sour Grapes) manages to capably convey some of the most important conversation points from the book in to his documentary-feature. The Reason I Jump is compelling for showcasing the lives of several different autistic youths. The film shows a intelligence to these non-speaking youths – who must learn a new way to communicate in order to write. Edited by David Charap (This Beautiful Fantastic, Wrong Side Up), The Reason I Jump is a beautifully composed documentary that highlights the importance of helping autistic youths – who, through the words of one of the youths in the film, “have been denied their civil rights.” A must-see documentary.

The Reason I Jump Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Reason I Jump is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The film is imaginative throughout and the video-presentation helps to reflect that aesthetic. The encoding impresses and never struggles with compression artifacts or the like. The presentation has more immersive picture-quality than average for a documentary. The cinematography looks dynamic and vivid in high-definition. Colors appear naturalistic and evocative at the same time. The film rewards with a creative style that is well-preserved by Kino.

The Reason I Jump Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release of The Reason I Jump is presented in Dolby Atmos. The audio-track on the release is exceptional. The audio presentation is one of the best surround-sound mixes ever produced for a documentary. The Atmos audio is immersive and engaging from beginning to end. One of the best surround-sound audio tracks produced to-date for a documentary. The release also includes optional DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo audio options for those not equipped with Dolby Atmos sound systems. If equipped for Dolby Atmos playback, that is the option viewers should select – for the remarkably immersive and atmospheric audio.

The Reason I Jump also includes an optional audio description track. Optional English SDH subtitles (for the deaf and hard of hearing) are also provided.

The Reason I Jump Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Interview with director Jerry Rothwell (HD, 1:45)

Though a short interview with the filmmaker, the discussion regarding autism is compelling and Rothwell shares some engaging insights into the production of the documentary. Fans of the film should certainly consider spending the time to watch this brief interview as it contains some excellent insights.

Outtakes (HD, 12:51) showcase additional footage not included in the final-cut of the documentary film. These are deleted scenes (more- so than outtakes) and despite being left out of the documentary, the footage adds some additional insights into autism and the role it plays in society.

Q&A with director Jerry Rothwell (HD, 17:44) is provided courtesy of the ReelAbilities Film Festival. The question-and-answer session features the cast and The Reason I Jump translator David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas). The discussion delves in to the adaptation process and what it was like to translate a Japanese book in to a documentary exploring autism (while preserving the voice of author Naoki Higashida). The question-and-answer session was held as part of a virtual film festival. Anyone with a interest in the film should give the featurette a watch.

The Reason I Jump Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:54)

The Reason I Jump Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Reason I Jump is a beautiful and important documentary. Even those without first-hand experience with autism will find it to be a compelling watch. The documentary adapts the bestselling book by Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism in a truly creative and visionary way. The film was a critically acclaimed hit at the Sundance Film Festival. Though autistic youths may be unable to speak, they have plenty to say – and their inner-voices need to be heard. Highly recommended.