# Movie about mentally challenged young man in a relationship **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2014, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565 "2014-09-05T08:14:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/1 "2014-09-05T08:14:25Z")
Hi a few years ago I watched a movie about a guy who is mentally challenged. He worked at the YMCA or something. A girl claimed he got a dirty letter from him even though he didn’t understand the language in the letter. He later went to some kind of institution where he meets a woman and they have a relationship. She wants a child but they eventually decide not to. They live together. Anyone know what it’s called? ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/2 "2014-09-05T10:28:49Z")
> **[Like Normal People (TV Movie 1979) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079471/)** > > Like Normal People: Directed by Harvey Hart. With Shaun Cassidy, Linda Purl, Zalman King, James Keach. A mentally-challenged man and woman meet, fall in love, and are determined to get married, despite the initial objections of their families and... I found it on IMDB. I used the plot keyword “retardation”. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/3 "2014-09-05T12:37:39Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > Hi a few years ago I watched a movie about a guy who is mentally challenged. He worked at the YMCA or something. A girl claimed he got a dirty letter from him even though he didn’t understand the language in the letter. He later went to some kind of institution where he meets a woman and they have a relationship. She wants a child but they eventually decide not to. They live together. > > Anyone know what it’s called? “The Life of John Clay”? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/4 "2014-09-05T14:08:14Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > “The Life of John Clay”? Seriously inappropriate and not terribly funny. Warning issued. **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/5 "2014-09-05T14:24:37Z")
That sounds interesting; I think I’ll check it out. At first I thought you were talking about an indie film made about 15 years ago. I can’t remember the name, but it was more of a dark comedy than a serious film. The title was one word, and I think it was the girl’s name. The plot involved a dingy Valley Girl-type who was attracted to a mentally-challenged man, despite the ridicule of her peers. It had a lot of beach scenes, so it was probably set in SoCal. ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/6 "2014-09-05T14:54:54Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > That sounds interesting; I think I’ll check it out. At first I thought you were talking about an indie film made about 15 years ago. I can’t remember the name, but it was more of a dark comedy than a serious film. The title was one word, and I think it was the girl’s name. The plot involved a dingy Valley Girl-type who was attracted to a mentally-challenged man, despite the ridicule of her peers. It had a lot of beach scenes, so it was probably set in SoCal. [Pumpkin](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265591/)? ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/7 "2014-09-05T15:03:29Z")
Yep, that’s the one. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/8 "2014-09-05T15:07:40Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > [Like Normal People (TV Movie 1979) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079471) > I used the plot keyword “retardation”. Don’t see that much anymore. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/9 "2014-09-05T15:14:24Z")
From the title of the thread I was going to guess Benny & Joon but I was way off. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/10 "2014-09-05T15:17:35Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > [Like Normal People (TV Movie 1979) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079471) > I found it on IMDB. I used the plot keyword “retardation”. My sister and I watched that on TV when it first came out and we were little kids. It was such an awful film. We make fun of it to this day. No. It’s Mrs. Bugs Bunny. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/11 "2014-09-05T16:25:32Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > Hi a few years ago I watched a movie about a guy who is mentally challenged. He worked at the YMCA or something. A girl claimed he got a dirty letter from him even though he didn’t understand the language in the letter. He later went to some kind of institution where he meets a woman and they have a relationship. She wants a child but they eventually decide not to. They live together. [Adam,](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185836/) perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/12 "2014-09-05T17:50:15Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Seriously inappropriate and not terribly funny. > > Warning issued. > > **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator I apolgize. **JC** knows I love him! 🙂 I was only trying (however misguided) to be funny. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/13 "2014-09-06T01:46:24Z")
Thanks for those movie suggestions - I’ll check them out. There’s also Bad Boy Bubby… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iBnBxSuNBNU/maxresdefault.jpg "Bad Boy Bubby and Rachael Huddy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBnBxSuNBNU) ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/14 "2014-09-06T04:34:37Z")
There’s also an early Mel Gibson film called [Tim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_(film)). ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/15 "2014-09-06T05:33:15Z")
Way back when, it seemed like every movie involving a mentally challenged person starred Robby Benson. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/16 "2014-09-06T05:44:36Z")
There was a recent indie film called Luke’s Story? I think about an autistic guy trying to get a job an a date, it was ok nothing to rave about but I liked the effort. Has Tom Green in it. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/17 "2014-09-06T08:12:28Z")
It looks like it’s called “The Story of Luke” > **[The Story of Luke (2012) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038693/)** > > The Story of Luke: Directed by Alonso Mayo. With Lou Taylor Pucci, Jayne Eastwood, Pam Hyatt, Cary Elwes. Sheltered by his grandparents, Luke, a young man with autism, is thrust into a world that doesn't expect anything from him. But Luke is on a... ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/18 "2014-09-07T11:39:03Z")
The Story of Luke was entertaining. And it had Seth Green who played a guy who also has social skill problems. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/19 "2014-09-09T18:41:45Z")
For anyone who’s seen it, is this the one where he keeps saying “I’m not retarded. A little slow; few problems; no big deal” in, of course, a very overdone “retarded” voice? Man, my brother and I still make fun of that one. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565/20 "2014-09-10T06:21:29Z")
I ordered the DVD [http://www.modcinema.com/categories/3-made-for-tv/701-like-normal-people-tv-1979-dvd?order=title\_a-z&page=6](http://www.modcinema.com/categories/3-made-for-tv/701-like-normal-people-tv-1979-dvd?order=title_a-z&page=6) The screen captures look a bit better than the version on Youtube. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-about-mentally-challenged-young-man-in-a-relationship/697565.md?page=2)