The Tic Code

The Tic Code (also known as Lessons in the Tic Code) is a drama film directed by Gary Winick and written by Polly Draper. It tells of a single mother, the relationship she forms with a jazz musician who has Tourette syndrome, and her young son—a jazz piano prodigy—also with the disorder. The musician and the boy form a friendship, and the film is loosely based upon the experiences of Draper's jazz musician husband Michael Wolff, who provided the film's score. Draper, known for her role in Thirtysomething, portrays the mother; Gregory Hines plays the musician; and Christopher George Marquette stars as the young boy. Principal photography took place in 1997 in New York City. The Tic Code appeared at several film festivals in 1998 and 1999, where it won a number of awards. It received a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 4, 2000, and a DVD release in February 2001. Critical response to the film was generally favorable.