Connie Cocchia’s When Time Got Louder follows the tragic story of a close-knit family who struggles to take care of their autistic son. Meet the family. The two parents, Mark and Tish, have a daughter and a son. But because their son Kayden is autistic, this places a lot of stress and extra responsibility on their daughter, a girl named Abbie.
Kayden is in the hospital, battered and bruised. Abbie and her parents rush to his side. In the interviewing process with the nurse, we get a glimpse into the sorrowful story of Abbie’s unusual life.
Abbie is a bright, beautiful, artistic young girl passionate about animation. She won acceptance into the prestigious California Design Academy, which, in her words, is the “Harvard of Art.”
But this places Abbie in a dilemma: Should she live away from the family and pursue her academic ambitions in Los Angeles? What traumatic effect will this have on her autistic brother, who has no friends besides her?
While Abbie is away, her parents struggle horribly to handle her brother Kayden, who is devastated by her absence. Kayden has become agitated, irritable, and downright implacable for their troubled parents. Abbie, a dutiful daughter, does what she can by calling Kayden each night on FaceTime. But at college, she is often distracted by other, more salacious activities.
“Should she live away from the family…What traumatic effect will this have on her autistic brother…”
Young and curious, Abbie takes an unexpected exploration of her own lesbian sexuality, which had been closeted before this point. She falls in love with another girl named Karly, and their steamy, wet romance leaves nothing to the imagination! Will she come out to her parents? Would her parents be able to handle the news on top of their already hard life with autistic Kayden?
When Time Got Louder is an absolutely fantastic film. The acting is phenomenal, the characters are very believable, and the entire movie experience is as authentic and heartfelt as it is enjoyable to watch. The dialogue is natural, and the storytelling is refreshingly creative. Seamless use of flashbacks, exceptional editing, and good cinematography help bring the story to life in a crisp yet appropriately desaturated color.
Cocchia’s masterpiece is extremely well-written but also very emotionally exhausting. Prepare the tissues for this one! Everything about this movie is sad: Kayden’s autism, the unbearable stress on the family, and even Abbie’s turmoil about her closeted sexuality.
This is an excellent film which tugs hard at the heartstrings. Its deep themes of family trauma, tinged with adolescent sexuality, make for a first-class coming-of-age drama. Very strongly recommended!