Because everyone deserves an adventure in their life.

At the 13th International Fragile X Conference, the National Fragile X Foundation will be proud to present a very special screening of “Mission to Lars“, a wonderful documentary about Tom Spicer: a man with Fragile X syndrome on a mission. The movie was shown in limited release in the UK and has only been shown at special screenings here in the United States. Now is the opportunity to see it for yourself!

Tom and Kate from Mission to Lars

For twenty years all Tom has wanted is to meet Lars Ulrich, drummer for the heavy metal band Metallica. Finally, his siblings promise to make it happen. But what starts out a dream soon becomes a nightmare as Tom’s disabilities; a dysfunctional family and heavy metal’s labyrinthine backstage thwart the mission at every turn.

We believe that it has something everyone will enjoy. Mission to Lars is a powerful movie that strives to define Tom as a person, not a disability. You will laugh and cry along with Tom and his family, whose journey includes many situations familiar to those impacted by Fragile X. It is a heart-warming intercontinental adventure that gives those unfamiliar with Fragile X a new insight into their world. The movie also features a cameo from Dr. Randi Hagerman, a rock star in her own right!

Join us in Miami for Mission to Lars and enjoy all the conference has to offer!

This screening is supported by Novartis.

Praise for Mission to Lars

“Touching, open-hearted and full of magical moments…really epic.”
– Antonia Quirke, film critic on FT and BBC Film 2012

“…a sweetly rousing and tear-jerking finale that justifies everything that’s come before.”
– The Times, 4 stars review

“…the movie it brought to my mind (and compares favourably with) is Ira Wohl’s equally personal, wonderfully inspiring Best Boy, which won an Oscar for best documentary in 1979.”
– Philip French, The Observer

“As the sibling of a sister who has Fragile X, I found it to be an immensely truthful film.”
– Saba Salman, The Guardian