Did seeing these films through Owen’s eyes change your opinion of Disney?

"Absolutely. I realized by listening to Owen and through Owen that these stories really were a roadmap for life...I saw them, before Owen, as just sort of simple, silly animated films. I didn’t really think about the deeper meaning and the life lessons that you almost subconsciously learn from these films and the way you learn from any sort of classic story. It was definitely a learning experience for me."

Were those poignant moments, like when Owen watches Bambi, hard to get on film?

"Those moments were tough, because those moments were tough for Owen...When he broke up with [his girlfriend] Emily, he would watch these breakup scenes, the scenes of sadness in films. I remember there was a moment — it's not in the film anymore — when he was listening to a Michael Bolton song from [Hercules], and he was dancing around his world. He was expressing himself in such an unbelievably powerful, beautiful way to this Disney song. That’s the way he deals with the world. Even talking to Owen about difficult situations we find a moment in a Disney film that he can analyze and he can make sense of it."

How did you want to approach the fact that Owen learned how to connect to the world through Disney, but Disney can't always help?

"[It] was essential that we show the part of life where Disney did not help [Owen] cope with the world...A really important scene for me is when [Owen's brother] Walt is talking to Owen about sex. He’s talking to Owen about not just a Disney kiss, but using tongue. That’s Walt’s role in his life...for me, this film is about going beyond Disney as Owen moves into adulthood. To me, this is a coming of age film."

Do you think audiences can learn from Owen and the way he approaches these stories?

"Absolutely. That’s the whole reason I wanted to make this film is that Owen has so much to teach us. It’s not just Owen. Every person living with autism has a gift, they have an affinity. They have something that they could teach us. We, as a society, need to listen, need to not look the other way, not leave behind, not ignore people living with autism. They are a great gift. If we’re not tapping into that gift we’re losing out...Jonathan Freeman, the voice of Jafar, said that he and many of the creators of Disney who have met Owen say that they learned or understood more about their film from talking to Owen than they ever did. That was amazing. It brings them to tears when they are talking about that. Because Owen sees so much more...what we learn is that storytelling is a very powerful force in our lives and it’s something we need and it’s something that we need to survive."