Movies portraying "disabilities"

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rainstorm Jenny
  • Start date Start date
firtsly, i want to thank you all very much!
well, as for the subject i am gonna work on this for a quite long period, because i want to include all the kind of disabillities.
if you have any other ideas- not only about films, but even for reviews, festivals or sth else, please pm.
thanks again!
 
little_Quest.......shrrshrr has a valid question.......is this project to point out the positive or negative ways people with disabilities are portrayed in film?....with this information we can really be of assistance to your research, rather than just giving a reason and a space for people to :star: post......
 
Keane (2004)
A man in his early 30s (keane) struggles with the supposed loss of his daughter from port authority bus terminal in new york, while fighting serious battles with schizophrenia. we can never be sure if the loss is real or imaginary; or whether his overt interest in helping young girls is innocent and of a fatherly nature, or is of a darker, scarier motive. the film is about a search for family, belonging, and the overwhelming need for human connection. it is a disturbing and thought provoking story about real characters dealing with every day life. keanes quest for his daughter and kiras (kira is a young girl he befriends)longing for a nuclear family is what connects them and the audience to a heartbreaking story.
 
I'm looking for movie on schizophrenic. NOt funny movies or anything. But something like "A Beautiful Mind" I know someone that has schizophrenic. And I'm reading/watching stuff about it.

Thanks
Angie
 
There's Something About Mary - Mary's brother is mentally challenged and she cares for him.

Hope that helps too.
 
Jenny - me, too! I'd never seen Leonardo DiCaprio before and he very much impressed me (I saw the film for Juliette Lewis and Johnny Depp, of course).

angel - it's both or either. :) And those are excellent films to discuss, especially A Beautiful Mind. In that case many people who knew the man said he was just plain mean and it had little to do with his schitzophrenia, which is really interesting to me...
 
Well, the trouble is there are SO MANY films that contain actors, characters, or story lines with disabilities.

Let's take for example a few classic films (working backwards chronologically):
The Long Weekend - Alcoholism is a disease and considered a disability as such, falling under the pervuew of the American's with Disabilities Act, or ADA. For that matter, most addictions are considered disabilities, so many drug-related films could fall into that category.

Heidi - has a character in a wheelchair, who's clearly disabled

City Lights - the 1931 Charlie Chaplin film has a main character - the little shop girl - who's blind, hence the plot of the film (The Tramp tries to earn money for eye surgery, to great comic effect)

Ooh, even older: Wings - the 1927 silent film about WWI and lost love/friendship has some famous, wrenching scenes involving those wounded (disabled) in battle.

ETA - 1923's classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with Lon Chaney - considered a masterpiece and absolutely about a character with a disability.

...and so on...

It would really help us to know the focus of your project so we can truly assist. Otherwise you'll have people listing films, which number in the hundreds, certainly, and possibly the thousands, which probably isn't very helpful for you...but it is interesting. :)
 
Hmm...this just came in my head when I was looking at this thread and I thought of A Beautiful Mind...you know? The one with the mathmatician who suddenly went schizophrenic.

And probably Secret Window. Okay it seemed like a horror/thriller movie but Johnny Depp's character turned out to have severe psychological problems.

So does this only imply to physical disabilities or it can go for mental ones too?
 
Thats a very sad story you just told, and your right, idiotic if you ask me. The state shouldnt have a say in how they should raise their child. But I wont get into that since this deals more with films then real life issues.

I liked Whats Eating Gilbert Grape too, it was my first film I have ever seen Leo in, and he amazed me in it.
 
*nods* I would imagine that type of topic appeals to most film viewers because the people are accessible and the story upbeat.

Thing is, it's not like that in real life, so I suppose the message is a real one.

I knew this couple who both had cerebral palsy, were married and had a little girl who was perfectly healthy. The state tried to take her away from them because they said she'd grow up speaking and acting funny having mimicked them - which is idiotic. My cousins' mother is from Korea and still to this day speaks poor English, but they didn't grow up speaking funny because of it!) :rolleyes: People I worked for and with strongly advocated on their behalf but when I left the state the battle was still raging. :(

I don't particulary find the story my cup of tea, but that's more because of the type of film rather than the people in the film (like, I loved What's Eating Gilbert Grape because it was a bit more offbeat than The Other Sister).
 
in the film 'shallow hal' starring jack black as "hal".."hal" has a friend by the name of "walt"......"walt" is played by actor rene kirby who actually has spina bifida.......

hope this information helps you with your project.......
 
Hey there - sure, we could help if we knew more about the project. For example, I see you're include both mental and physical disabilities, which is great! Is there something in particular you're focusing on/looking for?

What's the thesis of your project?
 
hi everyone!
i am doing some research on how films (or miniseries or....) present people with disabilities.
i am lurking quite a time in this forum and i believe that your "knowledge" on movies can be very helpful.
i have already Forest Gamp, Daredevil, Common things, Bone Collector, Jennifer 8, some episodes from CSI and West Wing, Mean Creak, My left foot, Rain man , Children of a lesser god, Born on 4th July, Sent of a woman.
is there anybody who can help me?:rolleyes:
 
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