Rain Man movie good or bad for us?

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I enjoyed the movie at the time but I think it has made recognizing AS more difficult for us NT's. People who have not researched it, and lets face it why would you unless there was someone in your life you suspected was AS, make the assumption that "all Autistics are like the rain man right!" It was one of the reasons I decided not to tell my son he "is something" and just acknowledge the traits. (although I am considering telling him now that I have learned more) I just didn't want people to make that assumption about him. I came to the realization that my boyfriend is on my own, and I have no doubt he is fully aware as he has said things to me in the past without using the exact title. Also, when I started mentioning "I have noticed X and I am trying Y is there anything else I can do" he basically tells me the same things people here say. But as of yet he has not directly told me and I am sure past experiences are the reason. Rain Man is so far from the kind of Autism I have around me. Although Sheldon is not exactly what my son and bf act like there are more paralell traits. I would love to see a sitcom about the type of AS that seems to be most represented on WP. Trying to make eye contact, an emotional NT woman trying to communicate with an AS man and him not getting what she is saying.. but also show some of the things that work and make the NT/AS life easier. I find it a bit ironic... When my bf and I first started dating and watched Big Bang I said.... "I am so in love with Sheldon" he looked at me and said "you think he is attractive?" I said "nooo... he looks like a praying mantis but he is funny and quirky and he cracks me up" Guess I am just attracted to AS men

I only saw it once a long time ago, so I am not really sure and don't have a particularly strong opinion on it.

My only feeling is that it's just too easy for people to think that autism always presents in such a set way, and that perhaps the movie didn't show how hard it really is to have an autistic spectrum condition.
Let alone what it's like to go through life being abused and misunderstood without a diagnosis, which is the case for so many people on the spectrum either for their whole lives or for years pre-diagnosis, particularly women (and Rain Man as far as I remember was a very stereotypical male autistic presentation, which is not helpful for females).

Probably did some harm at least to some extent. Maybe some people found it helpful as well. Who knows...