The A Word

[Five-year-old Joe Hughes (Max Vento)] doesn’t take direction, not because he’s obstinate, but because he can’t. Joe is also a wider part of the family portrait, which is one of The A Word’s greatest strengths. It shares that quality with another dramedy that used an autism-spectrum disorder to great narrative effect: Parenthood.

The A Word’s world is small and deeply knowable, even to the point of discomfort. Yet it’s also warm, deeply affecting, and never loses its charm.

For the most part, though, The A Word feels true and honest. Other shows that have used characters with disabilities for secondary plotlines have often seemed simplistic or glib, going for quick tears or feel-good moments. This one’s unblinking, and more powerful for it.

If you keep watching, The A Word gathers its own quiet power as a succession of portraits of people under stress (to add to the tension, money is tight for every member of the family) without becoming unbearably morose, thanks to regular bits of dotty British eccentricity and a few comic misunderstandings. The show is at its best, however, when it centers around sweet, solemn little Joe, who’s shutting out the world by singing along to Human League, subconsciously seeking human connection.

Though Vento is the standout, consistently holding the screen and drawing the audience into Joe’s head throughout a compelling yet largely nonverbal performance, all of the cast are aces. It’s their grounded, believable chemistry that keeps The A Word from sliding into silly, saccharine territory. But what’s most impressive about the drama is its attention to detail.

The A Word is at its most affecting when the focus is on Joe and his parents.

The emotions, tears and laughter ring true in this small but deeply moving and entertaining gem. [11-24 Jul 2016, p.17]

If The A Word sounds dark and depressing, it isn't. Joe's autism is the central plot point, but this is also a messy soap opera about a family that's always butting heads.

An overload of family angst--including a meddlesome grandfather and a more scarlet "A word," adultery--dilutes the impact of a well-meaning, well-acted melodrama that works best when narrowly and smartly focused on its title subject. [15 Jul 2016, p.64]

The A Word is guilty of some sloppy plotting and an over-investment in maudlin plots better left to more masterful chroniclers of the charms of small town life. But at its core, there is a fascinating and unique story of one child’s difficult-to-understand world, and his parents who are being dragged into compassion, kicking and screaming all the way.