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 Magnificent 7
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Magnificent 7 - at 9.00pm on 主播大秀 TWO on Tuesday 13 December 2005
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Introduction
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Helena Bonham Carter stars as Maggi, a mother with seven children - three 'normal'
daughters and four sons who are each, in one form or another, autistic - in 主播大秀
TWO's uplifting drama Magnificent 7.
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The production is inspired by real life supermum Jacqui Jackson and her
extraordinary children who were featured in 主播大秀 TWO's documentary, My Family and
Autism, shown in 2003.
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Jacqui Jackson has worked as a consultant on the
production.
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Curtis is supersensitive and allergic to everything, including Christmas and the
colour red.
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Davey - with ADHD - is a mini-whirlwind, creative and destructive in
equal measures.
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Christopher has Asperger's syndrome and with it a problem with
anything that doesn't say exactly what it means.
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Richard hates surprises and being
jolly.
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Written by Sandy Welch (North and South), Magnificent 7 is a warm,
poignant and enriching story which looks at the struggles, tears, laughter and
moments of magic that this surprising household experience over the course of a
year.
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It's a film which will strike a chord with any parent trying to find the
balance between teaching their kids to be independent and the natural desire to
protect them from harm.
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Producer Deborah Jones says: "Magnificent 7 is a film that invites the audience to
look at the world from a different point of view.
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"Being autistic is often
described as being wired differently, and I think Sandy Welch's script is
brilliant in capturing that sensibility - with poignant, provocative and sometimes
even hilarious results.
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"'Difference' can be an opportunity to experience the world
with fresh eyes, and not just an obstacle.
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"Magnificent 7 is as funny as it is
heartbreaking, and ultimately it is a celebration of this extraordinary family.
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"Helena Bonham Carter brings enormous warmth and humanity to her performance, which
I think the audience will find really inspiring."
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Deborah started working on the film after seeing the documentary.
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"I thought she
was a fascinating character and I immediately felt that Jacqui's example of
raising this exceptional family would be an inspiration to many people, and that a
drama would be able to go further into their lives and experiences, and what
living with autism really feels like."
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She read Luke's book Freaks, Geeks and
Asperger Syndrome, got hold of Jacqui's book Multicoloured Mayhem in advance of
publication and then it was time to meet Jacqui and her family.
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"Sandy and I were actually really nervous when we met her for the first time. We
really wanted her to trust us to honour her story with integrity, and obviously
it's a huge responsibility.
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"Although the house was superficially chaotic, what
shone through was how happy they all are. You immediately feel that their home is
a warm and welcoming place.
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"As our first meeting progressed we all relaxed a bit,
and in the afternoon chatted and played for a while with Ben, Jacqui's youngest
son. He was sharing his sweets with us - keeping the yellow ones for himself and
giving us the red ones - and this ended up in the script as a very touching scene.
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"In fact nearly everything in the film has happened to Jacqui and her children in
one way or another. Some of the events we knew about from our research and some
were imagined by Sandy.
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"Only later, when she read the script, did Jacqui reveal
that something just like that had really happened to them.
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"The insights into what
autism can sometimes feel like - for example, when the youngest child's world
literally turns red with terror - are brilliantly imagined by Sandy, but also
really strike a chord with Jacqui as being truthful."
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While elements of the story such as the romantic interest in the shape of Dimitri,
played by newcomer Bruno Lastro, is purely fictional, the film attempts to be
truthful and to communicate emotionally what the Jackson's lives are like.
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Jacqui
was consulted at every stage of the production which has tried to depict autism
with total honesty and accuracy.
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"Helena's role as Maggi is an interpretation of Jacqui rather than an
impersonation," explains Deborah.
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"Helena felt very passionately about the script,
so I knew she would enter in to the spirit of the film with complete dedication.
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"Helena and Jacqui both have a great sense of fun, and we had lots of laughs while
making the film, and they really do seem to be kindred spirits in their approach
to life."
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Deborah and Jacqui took the decision together to change the names of the family
and make the children all slightly younger in order to give them a bit of distance
from the emotional impact of the film.
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Nevertheless, Deborah admits it was a
nervous moment when Jacqui saw the final film.
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"Everyone involved was anxious that
she would like the film, especially as it includes scenes which are hard and
upsetting. We all felt it was important to show the tears as well as the laughter.
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"Because Jacqui had been so closely involved all the way through I knew there were
no big surprises for her in the film but as whole it is very intense.
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"It meant a
lot to all of us that we could end the production as we began, chatting on a sofa
late in to the night!"
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Magnificent 7 was filmed in Bolton and Blackpool and all the children were drawn
from the local area.
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It is directed by Kenny Glenaan (Yasmin, The Cops) and
executive producers are Laura Mackie and Richard Stokes.
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JDR/SA
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