The Real Rain Man

The Real Rain Man recounts the story of Kim Peek, a famous American mega-savant best known for being the inspiration behind the film Rain Man.

This highly inspirational documentary looks at some of the remarkable accomplishments this extraordinary man achieved, including his ability to memorise more than 10,000 books. However, it also reveals some of the difficulties he faced due to the unique way his brain was wired. For instance, mundane tasks such as combing his hair or getting dressed were a challenge, and he possessed childlike social skills.

While such details may earn him sympathy, Kim’s abilities are nothing short of awe-inspiring. For example, he could read and memorise a page in only eight seconds. Intriguingly, he was able to read one page with his left eye and another with his right eye — simultaneously.

The unique dichotomy of his abilities explored in The Real Rain Man portrays the fallibility of human nature while highlighting the baffling and seemingly divine potential of the human mind. This is particularly illustrated by the fact that Kim Peek was dismissed as intellectually disabled as a child, despite possessing extraordinary mental faculties for memory and calendar calculation.