'Adam': a love story with limitations

For much of its first hour, writer/director Max Mayer's "Adam" is one of the year's more endearing love stories.

Rose Byrne and Hugh Dancy bring a gentle, tentative chemistry to a very fragile couple: Beth, a Manhattan writer on the rebound, and Adam, an electronics engineer who is limited by a form of autism, Asperger syndrome.

As long as they're taking small steps toward a relationship, the movie is on solid ground. Mayer's script delights in setting up moments of trust and insight between his actors. Dancy, in particular, demonstrates a surprising depth. Byrne matches him by gradually adjusting Beth's sense of vulnerability.

She knows she's courting a handful but senses he might be worth it. His anti-social tendencies at parties may be a chore, but she hopes she's up to the challenge.

Too bad Mayer's script takes an unnecessary detour, introducing Beth's parents (Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving) and a subplot about their legal troubles. Still, there are moments to remember: Beth's casual introduction to the planetarium show that is Adam's apartment; the squirmy confrontations Adam has with his well-meaning boss; a nighttime visit with Central Park's raccoons.

Perhaps, as Beth blurts out at one point, this is "not prime relationship material." But that lack of conventionality is an essential part of the movie's charm.

John Hartl: johnhartl@yahoo.com