After Cha Cha Real Smooth screened at the SXSW film festival this past March I was one of the first people at the Q&A. I asked writer/director/star Cooper Raiff if the character of Lola, played by newcomer Vanessa Burghardt, was written exactly as she was in the final film or if he made any changes for her. As it turns out, he essentially threw out the original screenplay and rewrote it to accommodate Vanessa and what she was comfortable with doing.
As an autistic person myself that is practically unheard of for me. Most of the time, when autistic characters are written and cast in movies or TV shows, the production team almost never works with the actor or the community to make sure it is authentic. And that’s even if they bother casting an autistic actor to begin with, because much of the film industry is, for some reason, under the impression that autism is something that can easily be mimicked. But here, not only did Raiff do the bare minimum with genuine casting, but he went the extra mile to make sure the actress in question was okay with what she was saying and doing.
There are a few moments where this truly shows. The first is when we first meet Lola and her mother Domino, played marvelously by Dakota Johnson. Raiff’s protagonist Andrew asks if raising her autistic daughter is hard and Domino responds casually, “Sometimes, but not because of her.” Even though Lola is not the main character of the story, the film still respects her enough to not make her a burden to the parent, as is so often a stereotype.
The second moment comes later, when Lola is lying on her bed alone after spending an evening hanging out with Andrew, to whom she explained how draining social interactions can be. While lying on the bed, she flaps her hands, a common stim among autistic people to regulate their bodies and emotions. The fact that such a small detail was included in the script from Burghardt’s input is a testament to Raiff’s empathy as a person and a filmmaker. This might honestly be the first time I’ve ever seen an autistic character flap their hands on-screen.
That’s why, even though Cooper Raiff and Dakota Johnson are absolutely wonderful in the lead roles, Vanessa Burghardt is the true breakout performance here. It’s easy to see how much of herself she brings to the character of Lola. She’s very straightforward about what she likes and doesn’t like and even though she cares about other people, it’s expressed differently. Never once is she used as the punchline or as a plot tool to prop up the main character’s own arc. I sincerely hope this isn’t the last we see of her.
I haven’t seen Raiff’s debut feature Shithouse just yet, but it’s clear from this movie that Cooper Raiff has a very distinctive voice as a filmmaker. It’s so well-shot and well-lit, particularly during the bar/bat mitzvah party scenes when the characters are just enjoying the moment. And the editing by Henry Hayes is not only perfectly paced for its relatively short runtime, but it also boosts the comedic timing. Some of the funniest jokes or lines are bolstered by sudden cuts to the next scene. Learning that Raiff is only 24 years old and is already this well-defined as a filmmaker is exciting because he still has his whole career ahead of him.
This film reminds me of a famous quote by Roger Ebert: “For me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy.” The greatest compliment I can give this film is that it creates and asks for so much empathy for its characters without being judgmental. I really wish I could express to people reading this how it felt to see a movie with an autistic character played by an actually autistic actress in a big theater with a crowd when it premiered. Even watching it again at home on Apple TV+, it hasn’t lost its power.
Cha Cha Real Smooth is an incredibly funny and heartfelt tale of adults growing up. Avoiding the worst tropes of most so- called “Sundance indies”, Cooper Raiff is able bring a fresh perspective on the coming-of-age genre. He has an enthralling career ahead of him, just as Vanessa Burghardt is destined to become a star in her own right.
Even if you don’t have Apple TV+, try and see this one through whatever resources are available to you. This is, for me, as an autistic person, an absolute landmark depiction of autism in film and TV. Thank you for the character of Lola and thank you for this gift of a film.
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