Rose Byrne and Hugh Dancy star in Adam, in which Dancy plays an emotionally shuttered man.

Adam seems to be a good catch for a young woman. Hes good-looking, works as an engineer, has a big, comfy apartment, is fascinated by astronomy, and knows lots and lots of stuff. On the other hand, he has Aspergers syndrome. Beth has never met anyone like him. He behaves in social situations with an honesty that approaches cruelty and doesnt seem much aware of that.

Adam, the story of a romance involving this unlikely couple, would seem even more unlikely if Beth herself werent self-centered. Perhaps it takes a man even less outgoing to inspire her nurturing side. At first Adam simply offends her with his baffling objectivity. Then he explains, I have Aspergers, and she understands. If she knows the term, its surprising she hasnt already arrived at that diagnosis.

Aspergers is sometimes described as high-functioning autism, although some argue the conditions are not related. The syndrome produces people who can be quite intelligent and functioning, but lack ordinary social skills or insights. Adam (Hugh Dancy) does not know, for example, that when a proud young mother shows off her cute new baby, he should ooh and aah. There is not a single ooh or aah in him.

Yet he feels a perplexing attraction to Beth (Rose Byrne). He even whats this? experiences sexual feelings for another person for perhaps the first time in his life. Beth is touched. Adams condition draws her out of her own self-absorption. When he faces a daunting job interview, she coaches him: Look the other person in the eye. Seem interested. Dont go on autopilot with one of your streams of information. Look like you want the job.

In a way, she could be coaching him about how to behave toward herself. And indeed such coaching is one of the forms of therapy used with Aspergers. He responds slowly, awkwardly, with breaches of behavior that at times infuriate her. The film somehow extracts from their situation a sweet, difficult relationship, although its a good question how she finds the will to persist.

The film complicates their story with one about Beths parents, Rebecca and Marty (Amy Irving and Peter Gallagher). Theyre concerned that she broke up with a suitable young man and now brings Adam home. Theyre also worried by a court case charging that Marty, an accountant, misrepresented a clients books. There are even courtroom scenes touching on this separate drama that Im not sure really relate to the central story.

Adam himself seems completely isolated except for Beth and his only other friend, Harlan (Frankie Faison). Harlan gives him lifts, has lunch with him, advises him, instinctively understands him. These two accept each other without question, and Adam needs Harlan, although its unclear if he realizes just how much.

Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, he from England, she from Australia, have seamless American accents, and make a pleasant couple. You may remember her as Diana, the grown-up daughter of the little girl at the beginning of Knowing, who wrote down the numbers. As her parents, Irving and Gallagher are always plausible, never over the top, showing that her father, too, has had his difficulties in communicating and her mother knows all about that.

The film has a storybook ending literally, from a childrens book Beth writes. Its unclear how much of a storybook lifetime the two will have together. Adam wraps up their story in too tidy a package, insisting on finding the upbeat in the murky, and missing the chance to be more thoughtful about this challenging situation.