{alltv} Danes shines in 'Temple Grandin'

Claire Danes described herself as "one of the yackety-yacks around the campfire."

The term doesn't make a lot of sense on its own. But Danes merely was reacting to something the woman seated beside her — Dr. Temple Grandin — had said at the Television Critics Association tour last month.

Danes has the lead role in the made-for-TV movie Temple Grandin, which debuts Saturday on HBO Canada as well as HBO in the United States. The movie is based on two books written by the real-life Grandin, an autistic hero and animal advocate.

Grandin was making a general point about people who think the way she does, and how, technologically speaking, the world would be a far different place if people like herself did not exist.

"You would have no technical equipment here if you didn't have people that were interested in things, because after all, who do you think made the first stone spear?" Dr. Grandin asked rhetorically. "It wasn't the yackety-yacks around the campfire, that's for sure."

As the room erupted in laughter, Danes chimed in, "I'm the yackety-yack around the campfire."

Self-deprecating humour aside, the 30-year-old Danes is stunningly good in Temple Grandin. You forget that it's actually Claire Danes — a Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated actress who has been famous since her mid-teens — about five seconds into the role.

The film chronicles Grandin's struggles as a child with autism, her turbulent development at school, and the support she received from her mother (played by Julia Ormond), her aunt (played by Catherine O'Hara) and her high-school science teacher (played by David Strathairn).

Against incalculable odds, Grandin became a celebrated academic whose interest in animals — particularly cows and other livestock — transformed the way cattle ranches are designed and managed in the United States. Grandin's unique ability to empathize with the animals led her to devise more efficient and humane methods for the cattle industry.

"Well, it was pretty extensive," Danes said of the research she did for the role. "There was no way I could take on this role casually.

"I have such incredible respect for Temple. I didn't want to fail her or disappoint her in any way, or all those other people who also hold her in such high esteem.

"And she's wired differently than myself. So I read her books. She's a great resource."

Danes also asked tons of questions while spending an afternoon with Grandin. Their conversation was recorded and Danes downloaded it into her iPod, so she could listen to Grandin's voice between takes on the set.

"Autism is on such a vast spectrum, and there are so many different expressions of it, and it is so particular to the person," Danes said. "In Temple's case, she's autistic, but she's also brilliant — not every autistic person is. She's also incredibly resilient and imaginative. But I think that's just her spirit and her personality.

"Temple is very skilful now at appropriating 'normal' behaviour, and I put that in big fat quotes. But she tours constantly and relentlessly and speaks about autism. So she is very sophisticated now.

"But when she was younger, she was not so sophisticated. So I had to kind of imagine how she would have been 30 years ago, at a much more raw and underdeveloped stage."

Well, however Danes approached it, she did a heck of a job.

Her deft performance in Temple Grandin is going to inspire a lot of yackety-yack around the campfire.

Danes' performance generating awards buzz

Claire Danes' portrayal of Temple Grandin already is creating plenty of awards buzz. But Canadian co-star Catherine O'Hara hopes Danes isn't listening.

"I hope (Danes) doesn't give a you-know-what about awards," said O'Hara, who plays the title character's Aunt Ann in the made-for-TV movie that airs Saturday on HBO Canada.

"Yeah, I do know what you mean about what a great job (Danes) did, oh my God," O'Hara continued. "It's just that it's the time of year, you know, the season, the lovely happy season of giving awards and taking them away from people who almost get them and making people feel like losers. This lovely season of making four out of five people feel like losers.

"So I hope (Danes) doesn't give two you-know-whats about that. But yeah, what an amazing performance."

O'Hara met the real Dr. Temple Grandin — an autistic hero and animal advocate — at a screening for the movie a few weeks ago.

"She's just so beautiful and fun, with the spirit of a child, but not the intellect, obviously — please, don't let me confuse anyone here," O'Hara said. "But she has the enthusiasm of the brightest, most curious child who has just learned the most amazing thing and needs to share it.

"And she told me I was exactly like Aunt Ann, so I was very happy to hear that."