Life, Animated is based on journalist Ron Suskind's 2014 book Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism, which tells the story of his son, Owen Suskind who struggled with autism and learned how to communicate with the outside world through his love of Disney films.
Life, Animated diangkat dari buku karya wartawan Ron Suskind, Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism (2014), tentang putranya, Owen Suskind, yang menderita autisme dan belajar berkomunikasi dengan dunia luar lewat film-film Disney.