A prominent source of online discussion in the past few months has been that of the movie Music, a passion project of the pop sensation Sia. Her movie tells the story of a young, nonverbal autistic girl, Music, whose sister has to take care of her after their mother passes away. This movie should not be supported. This film was intended to be a love letter to those who are diagnosed with autism, as well as their caregivers; however, as more and more has come to light about this film and the process in which it was created, Sia’s negligence to her own cause has shone through. We must do what we can to show our support for the autistic community and help them to be heard when they need it the most.

Maddie Ziegler, Sia’s goddaughter and close companion in the industry, is portraying Music’s title character. However, Ziegler is neurotypical, meaning that she is not on the autistic spectrum. There have been a mix of reactions on Sia’s casting choice including both protests and support. According to one source, Sia attempted to audition autistic people for the role, some nonverbal, but she ultimately claimed that they found filming too stressful. Ziegler also expressed during the beginning of the process that she was not comfortable with playing a role that had the potential to offend, as Sia herself admitted in an interview with The Sunday Project. Sia would later come out and say on Twitter that “casting someone at [Music’s] level of functioning was cruel, not kind.” She also insisted that Ziegler be the one to play the part, believing it would help her best portray the story. Sia has since deleted her Twitter account, but the tweets can still be viewed through other articles. There have not been many movies with someone so passionate about their cause at the head of directing, but, even if her heart was in the right place, Sia has hurt the autistic community. 

Representation in movies is extremely important, especially with minorities who need a voice in the media. Prejudice and stereotyping still exist within media industries, and, along with this, comes the case of casting accurately. What Sia has done in her directing is nothing new to the industry; neurotypical actors have been cast as neurodivergent characters in countless other films and shows, examples being Forrest Gump and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. However, this does not create an excuse for it. These choices and portrayals have affected all those who’ve dealt with these disorders, and this exists in our community as well. Mrs. Fehnel, the head of life skills at Pennridge, voiced her concern over Music, saying she believes Sia had good intentions, but the execution was poor. Sharing in sympathy with the autistic community, Fehnel stated, “Listen to the ones living it.” Sia claimed that she spent three years researching before the creation of this film. However, Fehnel explained that a project like this required consulting with those with autism rather than just those who are well versed in its research. 

We need to be able to support the autistic community in this time, instead of giving Sia unwarranted support. Do not watch this movie when it comes out, and recognize why this production is harmful. Mrs. Gerstberger, a hearing support teacher, has done such, and noted that “Proper education is key.” She encourages that we keep learning about these sorts of things, and seek knowledge from the source of it all. We live in a very neurotypical-oriented world, and it is important to learn how those who are different from us communicate. Gerstberger added, “Not everyone needs to be or act neurotypical, that would be a very boring world.” A movie like the one Music was meant to be would be truly impactful if it was done the right way. If we stand together, we create the hope that the stories and lives of autistic youth can be brought to us accurately in the future.