The "Real Rain Man" Dies....

rockin'robin · 12-27-2009, 03:03 PM

Father says Kim Peek, Utah man who inspired Dustin Hoffman's 'Rain Man' character, dies at 58

The man who inspired the title character in the Oscar-winning movie "Rain Man" had died.

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One of the world's top minds on savantism and unique feats of the brain.Kim Peek was 58. His father, Fran, says Peek had a major heart attack Saturday morning and was pronounced dead at a hospital in the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray.

Peek was a savant with a remarkable memory and inspired writer Barry Morrow when he wrote "Rain Man," the 1988 movie that won four Academy Awards.

Fran Peek said his son met Morrow at a convention in the early 1980s and the writer was taken with Peek's knack for retaining everything he heard. Morrow wrote the script, and the movie went on to win Oscars for best film and best actor for Dustin Hoffman, whose repetitive rants about being an excellent driver and the "People's Court" about to start were a hit with moviegoers.

Although the character was technically fictional, Fran Peek said his son was every bit as amazing as Hoffman's portrayal of him. And Kim's true character showed when he toured the world, helping dispel misconceptions about mental disabilities.

"It was just unbelievable, all the things that he knew," Fran Peek said Monday. "He traveled 5,500 miles short of 3 million air miles and talked to nearly 60 million people — half have been students."

his later years, Peek was classified as a "mega-savant" who was a genius in about 15 different subjects, from history and literature and geography to numbers, sports, music and dates. But his motor skills were limited; he couldn't perform some simple tasks like dressing himself.

NASA scientists had been studying Peek, hoping that technology used to study the effects of space travel on the brain would help explain his mental capabilities.

Fran Peek says the funeral will be next Tuesday in Taylorsville. Details were pending.

Kim Peek, the Real 'Rain Man,' Dies - ABC News

**Bottesini** · 12-27-2009, 03:59 PM

Too bad. A misconception about Peek. He was not autistic. He had FG Syndrome, medical experts suspect.

He was definitely an interesting character.

CJB · 12-27-2009, 09:15 PM

Not sure of the accuracy, but I heard Kim Peek lacked a corpus collosum.

On another note, I'm surprised he died before his father. I remember both him and his father being worried about who would help him care for himself once his father died.

***VamPyroX*** · 12-27-2009, 10:00 PM

I read about that recently.

May he rest in peace.

I saw the movie, good movie. Also reminds me of Little Man Tate.

rockin'robin · 12-28-2009, 09:43 AM

Loved the movie....and had the video for years. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. My favorite quote was "I'm an excellent driver".

Frisky Feline · 12-28-2009, 10:00 AM

May him rest in peace.

I liked the movie.

xsuperchick · 12-28-2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bottesini

Too bad. A misconception about Peek. He was not autistic. He had FG Syndrome, medical experts suspect.

He was definitely an interesting character.

what's FG Syndrome? ._.

deafdyke · 12-29-2009, 09:46 PM

Yeah.... he wasn't nereotypical but he wasn't autistic either. It sounds like he was more like CP/social learning disabilty not nereotypical rather then Asperger's/autistic not nereotypical.

**Bottesini** · 12-29-2009, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xsuperchick

what's FG Syndrome? ._.

I am sorry , I just saw this question. I will just give you a link and you can read all about it. It is X linked and involves quite a lot of deformity and neurological problems.

They used to think it was only in males, but now they are discovering how it happens in females also.

FG Syndrome Family Alliance, Inc.

xsuperchick · 12-30-2009, 08:22 AM

Thanks, Bottesini! I'm gonna read the page and hope to find more about it. It's always good to know.

**Dixie** · 01-03-2010, 08:42 PM

Before he died, I kept telling myself I'll go buy the movie and watch it on DVD. Now that he has passed away, this is now a MUST go see. I'm willing to bet the movie studio is going to re-release the move in DVD and Blu-ray in honor of Kim's life.

12-27-2009, 03:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
rockin'robin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 15,275	The "Real Rain Man" Dies.... Father says Kim Peek, Utah man who inspired Dustin Hoffman's 'Rain Man' character, dies at 58 The man who inspired the title character in the Oscar-winning movie "Rain Man" had died. Share One of the world's top minds on savantism and unique feats of the brain.Kim Peek was 58. His father, Fran, says Peek had a major heart attack Saturday morning and was pronounced dead at a hospital in the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray. Peek was a savant with a remarkable memory and inspired writer Barry Morrow when he wrote "Rain Man," the 1988 movie that won four Academy Awards. Fran Peek said his son met Morrow at a convention in the early 1980s and the writer was taken with Peek's knack for retaining everything he heard. Morrow wrote the script, and the movie went on to win Oscars for best film and best actor for Dustin Hoffman, whose repetitive rants about being an excellent driver and the "People's Court" about to start were a hit with moviegoers. Although the character was technically fictional, Fran Peek said his son was every bit as amazing as Hoffman's portrayal of him. And Kim's true character showed when he toured the world, helping dispel misconceptions about mental disabilities. "It was just unbelievable, all the things that he knew," Fran Peek said Monday. "He traveled 5,500 miles short of 3 million air miles and talked to nearly 60 million people — half have been students." his later years, Peek was classified as a "mega-savant" who was a genius in about 15 different subjects, from history and literature and geography to numbers, sports, music and dates. But his motor skills were limited; he couldn't perform some simple tasks like dressing himself. NASA scientists had been studying Peek, hoping that technology used to study the effects of space travel on the brain would help explain his mental capabilities. Fran Peek says the funeral will be next Tuesday in Taylorsville. Details were pending. Kim Peek, the Real 'Rain Man,' Dies - ABC News

12-27-2009, 03:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
Bottesini Joe's Friend Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: With Owl Sock Posts: 37,522 Blog Entries: 1	Too bad. A misconception about Peek. He was not autistic. He had FG Syndrome, medical experts suspect. He was definitely an interesting character. __________________

12-27-2009, 10:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
*VamPyroX* bloody phreak from hell Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: 40.18, 58.41 Posts: 34,136	I read about that recently. May he rest in peace. I saw the movie, good movie. Also reminds me of Little Man Tate. __________________ Check out my city... C L I C K H E R E! (If you've already visited yesterday, visit again today!)

12-30-2009, 08:22 AM	#10 (permalink)
xsuperchick Registered User Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Peru Posts: 867	Thanks, Bottesini! I'm gonna read the page and hope to find more about it. It's always good to know. __________________ I don't have my cool signature picture anymore Next goal: Become an Au Pair! BB pin: 237861A4

01-03-2010, 08:42 PM	#11 (permalink)
Dixie May I be found in Him Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Arkansas Posts: 13,266	Before he died, I kept telling myself I'll go buy the movie and watch it on DVD. Now that he has passed away, this is now a MUST go see. I'm willing to bet the movie studio is going to re-release the move in DVD and Blu-ray in honor of Kim's life. __________________ Oh, you will. It is all a dream and since matter cannot be created nor destroyed, the dreams must be real in all their myriad forms. -Beowulf This Delicate Thing God Has Made *The world is measured in peasants; smaller than a unicorn but, bigger than a tidbit!*

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12-27-2009, 09:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
CJB Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: U.S. Posts: 2,767	Not sure of the accuracy, but I heard Kim Peek lacked a corpus collosum. On another note, I'm surprised he died before his father. I remember both him and his father being worried about who would help him care for himself once his father died.

12-28-2009, 09:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
rockin'robin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 15,275	Loved the movie....and had the video for years. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. My favorite quote was "I'm an excellent driver".

12-28-2009, 10:00 AM	#6 (permalink)
Frisky Feline Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 20,223	May him rest in peace. I liked the movie.

12-29-2009, 09:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
deafdyke Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Trebekistan Posts: 13,078	Yeah.... he wasn't nereotypical but he wasn't autistic either. It sounds like he was more like CP/social learning disabilty not nereotypical rather then Asperger's/autistic not nereotypical.

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