They all start and end the same way. In films attempting to portray life through the eyes of a disabled character, the only thing they manage to do is reinforce common stereotypes about us.
The handicapped character in movies is always used as a conventional plot device to inspire the protagonist to do what he or she is supposed to. Rarely do we see a disabled character who is complex, believable and with problems other than his or her inability to walk.
Even classics such as Rain Man and Radio make the handicapped, static characters exist merely as catalysts for the protagonist’s development. Films that follow this formula result in cheesiness, predictability and ultimately send the wrong message. Yet worst of all, there are millions of people who get sucked into these sob story flicks.
There are only three movies I can think of which do the handicapped community justice: Avatar, The Bone Collector and the 2005 documentary Murderball. The main reason these films achieve this status is because they portray disability without making it the central theme.
While viewers are accustomed to seeing disabled characters who are weak, overwhelmed and dependent on the support of others, they rarely see one who is depicted as a strong and independent hero. In James Cameron’s Avatar, the protagonist Jake Sully is a paraplegic marine who is brash, determined and who won’t take crap from anyone.
While Cameron in no way underscores Jake’s disability, he also doesn’t make it the driving force of the narrative. As a result, viewers enjoy a highly entertaining sci-fi epic with strong political themes, which also features a handicapped protagonist.
Based on the novel by Jeffrey Deaver, the 1999 crime drama The Bone Collector starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie takes the same kind of approach. Washington plays Lincoln Rhyme, a quadriplegic homicide detective who tracks down a serial killer with the aid of his female partner.
Once again, the hero is a strong-minded and complex character with multiple talents, who happens to be confined in a wheelchair. The fact that Deaver made Rhyme more like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes instead of Tiny Tim has done wonders for everyone with disabilities.
Then there’s Murderball, probably the most accurate of the three because it portrays real life people. This documentary is about a team of quadriplegics who play full contact rugby in wheelchairs. The film makes sure to articulate that this is not some kind of Special Olympics sport where participants are there to receive a pat on the back, but rather this game is as intense, brutal and competitive as the NFL.
Through a number of interviews with the players and footage of their daily lives, Murderball shows that people with disabilities are just like everyone else. We just have more obstacles to deal with.
In a 2012 Quest Magazine article entitled “Combatting Stereotypes: Why Movies About ‘the Disabled’ Stink”, author Michael P. Murphy describes a key component of what lies at the heart of good storytelling. When describing the central characters in his original screenplay, he says: “These characters are real adults with hang-ups, issues and flaws. The disabled are people, and people — not stereotypes — are what drive all good stories.”
Murphy nails it with this quote. The only way to prevent Hollywood from conveying stereotypical mentalities about the handicapped community is to tell these stories ourselves. Able-bodied LA big shots generally have no authority to portray disabled characters justly. It’s time for us to stand up.
