ABSTRACT
Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman). Raymond lives in a world of his own and is insti-
tutionalised. The film revolves around a road trip the brothers make to the West Coast
of America – a voyage of discovery for both the brothers, but particularly for Charlie,
who begins to recognise the very special gifts his older brother possesses. Although
the film is a work of fiction, the inspiration for the film was a real-life megasavant called
Kim Peek. In many ways, Kim Peek is even more remarkable than the character Dustin
Hoffman played in the film; he has been called a ‘living google’ and is the world’s most
famous savant. Sadly, Kim Peek suffered a major heart attack and was pronounced
dead at a hospital in his home town of Salt Lake City, Utah on 19 December 2009.
