Representation matters. The media we consume via film influences our worldviews and our opinion about those around us.
Unfortunately, the film industry has a mixed history of failure and success when it comes to representing folks who live with a disability. Films like Rain Man have misrepresented most people’s experience of living with disabilities like autism and created character archetypes like “the helpless victim” or the “evil villain.”
But, as filmmakers become more aware of social issues, adequate representation of folks with a disability has become increasingly important to all moviegoers. The 2020 documentary Crip Camp featured the lives of teens living with disabilities in the 1970s and received critical acclaim. Likewise, popular films like Run now feature actors and actresses who live with disabilities themselves.
Films that avoid stigma and stereotypes can help us live together with a better understanding and appreciation for everyone — regardless of their disability status.
Mobility Disabilities
Mobility disabilities are some of the most visually obvious disabilities in film and television. Yet, the representation of people with mobility disabilities falls into the trope of being “angry at the world.” Nowhere is the trope more overplayed than in Forrest Gump, where Lieutenant Dan, who uses a wheelchair after being injured in combat, is constantly rageful at Forrest and the world at large.
At the other end of the representation spectrum is Professor X. Though Prof. X is much loved by audiences, it’s important to separate reality from fantasy when discussing accurate representation. Flying wheelchairs and mind chambers may make for fantastic cinema, but they don’t represent the everyday lives of people who use wheelchairs.
It’s hard to find fault with Patrick Stewart‘s portrayal of Professor X. However, it’s important for more realistic films, like The Intouchables, to land with a popular audience so folks can see a more realistic representation of life with a mobility disability — even if the protagonist does happen to be a millionaire.
In reality, many people who live with a mobility disability make common sense modifications to their homes to better accommodate their needs. Easy modifications like ramps and disability-friendly furniture can seem ingenious to able-bodied audiences, but are, in reality, simple steps that improve people’s quality of life.
Chronic Pain
Around 50 million Americans live with chronic pain. Chronic pain can interrupt any moment of a person’s personal and professional life, and may make it difficult for folks to complete everyday tasks.
Oftentimes, those who live with a disability also suffer from chronic pain, either due to their condition or other, unrelated, issues. However, in films, chronic pain rarely makes the final cut. When chronic pain does make it onto the silver screen, it can be a forceful reminder of the way that pain disrupts our everyday lives.
In Hugh Jackman’s final portrayal of Wolverine, Logan, Jackman gives audiences an older version of their favorite superhero. Between gruesome action scenes, we see how chronic pain makes it hard for Wolverine to trust his body. His ability to regenerate fails, and the adamantium in his skeleton produces arthritic-like side effects.
Jackman’s Wolverine finds a way to resolve his story arc and overcome the pain he experiences during his final years. However, for many people living with chronic pain, this portrayal won’t align with the reality of their lived experience.
No film can capture the personal reality of living with chronic pain. However, the 2017 film The Upside is a great reminder that those living with chronic pain don’t need to be patronized or coddled.
Instead of telling quadriplegic Philip Lacasse (who lives with neurogenic pain) to “listen to his body,” carer Dell Scot embraces the complexity of Lacasse’s chronic pain. Dell has an intuitive understanding of how to aid those with chronic pain by helping Lacasse focus on everyday acts and connecting him with his community.
Sensory Impairments
Sensory impairments like deafness and blindness are usually portrayed in the film as a “thought experiment” or as a tool for horror movies. This makes blindness and deafness seem like a novelty, as moviegoers may enjoy watching a film like Blindness with the assurance that they won’t have to think about sensory impairments again once they leave the theater.
Instead of making sensory impairments a novelty, recent movies like The Sound of Metal and CODA have found ways to portray hearing impairments while championing the humanity of those with hearing loss. In The Sound of Metal, drummer Ruben Stone loses his hearing and has to struggle with insurance fees, deterioration of his self-image, and the difficulty of adjusting to life with cochlear implants.
Conclusion
Accurate representation of disabilities is hard to come by. Films like Shutter Island do little to improve the lives of people with mental disabilities and make a novelty from people’s lived experiences. But, when representation is done right, films like The Sound of Metal can help everyone better understand folks who live with a disability. This can lead us towards a more equitable future, where everyone understands the specific needs of those around them.