Barry Morrow is an American screenwriter and producer. He wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay for Rain Man.
Several of Morrow's scripts are inspired by real people, especially people with disabilities and/or extraordinary talents. These include the savant played by Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man, inspired by the real savant Kim Peek; and mentally retarded Bill Sackter, played by Mickey Rooney in the TV movie "Bill". Both of these won writing Oscar, Emmy and other awards for Morrow and for the actors who portrayed them.
Morrow was born in Austin, Minnesota and studied at St. Olaf College.
Morrow gave his Oscar statuette as a gift to Kim Peek, the savant who was the inspiration for the character of Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man.
Along with the award-winning TV movie "Bill", Morrow wrote CBS's Bill: On His Own. His relationship with Bill Sackter is presented in the feature length 2008 documentary A Friend Indeed – The Bill Sackter Story.
A member of the Association of Retarded Citizens, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Autism Society of America, Mr. Morrow is a lifelong advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities.
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