Individuals with Autism are more accepted than ever in society and in public schools, but there was a time when families had to fight for children on the spectrum to be given equal opportunities. You Have No Idea follows one family, Evan James’ family, as they work toward finding him the right resources and a place in this ever-changing world.
I work with children almost every single day, and the struggle of understanding their needs and appealing to those needs is incredibly difficult. There are days when I feel lost, when I feel like I don’t have the tools necessary to help them–but I do my best anyway. I’m just a teacher, and I have these students for less than eight hours a day, then I send them home to be around others for the majority of their time. My time with them is important, but the other sixteen hours play such a more pivotal role in these children’s lives. To be a parent or a guardian, the one(s) tasked with helping those children for nearly sixteen hours a day must be far more challenging than what I face–and You Have No Idea sets out to express to the world the sacrifices that Evan’s mother, Beth, has made over the course of the past twenty-plus years.
While the film may initially seem to be the story of Evan, You Have No Idea really is the story of Beth as she navigates life and attempts to do everything that she can to help her son and her family as a whole. She’s brilliant, and she’s described by others as having something that allows her to stand out, to fill a room–and she, in every way possible, has this. She is the glue that holds You Have No Idea together–and every single time she makes her way into frame she manages to light up the room (even in the most harrowing moments).
You Have No Idea is incredibly straightforward. No ploys, no political agenda, just a story of the real world in which viewers have no choice but to fall in love with. Viewers fall in love with this family. I loved their personalities, their passion and determination, and their love for one another. They were all thrown into a situation that no one is prepared for, one that could have ripped them apart as a whole and individually–but they stand strong, they never give up. Their tenacity is powerful, and that transcends the entirety of You Have No Idea, keeping viewers engaged throughout.
This film is all about the characters. They almost seem like characters scripted for a narrative, like they were thought up before they made their way to the screen in You Have No Idea. These individuals often feel larger than life, and yet they feel almost tangible, as if they are here, part of our own lives. That sentiment starts at the top with Beth and trickles down to every other individual showcased throughout the course of You Have No Idea. Every moment of this film is beautiful, and that’s a result of the people helping to tell this incredible story.
Directed by Alexander Jeffery.
Starring Beth James Burns, Evan James, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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