Taare Zameen Par (2007)

Nearly half the movie passes before its hero walks in, and that wait is the strongest and hardest stretch of Taare Zameen Par. Until then, Ishaan is alone with a problem no adult bothers to understand. Letters dance off the page, his father calls it laziness, and boarding school swallows him whole. Darsheel Safary is extraordinary, a little kid who goes from bright and mischievous to completely silent. Then Aamir Khan arrives as Nikumbh, the art teacher, and the film turns from heartbreak to hope. The second half can get preachy, with songs and speeches repeating what the images already said, and the finale is easy to see coming. The scene where Nikumbh shows Ishaan’s family what reading feels like for him is quietly devastating. Tisca Chopra’s Maya is the heart at home. It made $21.9 million worldwide. An 8.6 because it sees a child clearly and asks everyone else to do the same. $426.58 says you find an old drawing of yours from school after this and decide it was actually pretty good.

What works: Darsheel Safary gives one of the great child performances, and the film treats Ishaan’s dyslexia with warmth, patience and real understanding.

What doesn’t: The second half leans on songs and speeches to repeat its message, and the art contest finale is easy to predict.

Who it’s for: Families, teachers and anyone who ever felt like the kid at the back of the class and wished one adult would notice.