The month of October marks the start of Disability Awareness month, which is a month dedicated to bringing awareness to the inequality and problems that those with disabilities face in the world and in their personal lives, and there’s no better way to celebrate and learn about the importance of the month than with a collection of films that focus on these struggles.
Some of these films are filled with moments of sadness and pain, and others filled with triumph and humor, and these are not ranked in any particular order. As a warning, please do be aware that some of these films contain derogatory language towards those with disabilities.
1. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a story about a man named Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), who doesn’t know where to go in life following the passing of his brother. Without his brother, he ends up lost in life with no guidance, leading him to destroying equipment of a rival fishing company, which puts him on the same path Zak (Zak Gottsagen), a boy with Down syndrome who escapes his assisted living home and wants to meet the “SaltWater Redneck” (Thomas Hayden Church). When Tyler learns of Zak’s aspirations, he becomes his mentor and protector, helping Zak get to North Carolina so he can meet the SaltWater Redneck, while in the meantime convincing Zak’s caretaker (Dakota Johnson) to let him live his dream.
This film is full of important ideas, like what it means to be independent and the concept of loving your life to the fullest. The dynamic between Zak and Tyler is a rather sweet one, as Tyler teaches Zak how to be a self-advocate, not letting others knock him down.
2. The Intouchables is a French film based on a true story about a paraplegic named Phillippe (François Cluzet) and his journey of living life again, aided by his caretaker Driss (Omar Sy), an ex-felon who’s looking for a job. The two develop a bond and learn what it means to truly appreciate what you have, whether it’s permanent or not.
3. “Theory of Everything” is a biopic that follows the life of Stephen Hawking, an English physicist who had Lou Gehrig’s disease. The film follows his life from his upbringing to his diagnosis to modern day.
His story is truly a fascinating one, as he never let all the obstacles get in his way. He was able to live a fulfilling, happy life and complete all of his research projects.
4. “CODA” [Children of deaf adults] follows the story of Ruby, a girl who’s the only one in her family who can hear. She discovers that she has talent in singing and wants to go to college, while figuring out how her family can manage their business and stay afloat.
This film is definitely a tearjerker, as Ruby just wants to be herself, but also understands that she plays an important role in her family dynamic, and if she leaves, there could be problems with her family being able to keep their fishing business afloat.
5. “Champions” is a 2023 film about Marcus, a former coach of a minor league basketball team who gets fired for fighting the head coach, and gets arrested for hitting a cop car. As part of his rehabilitation, he is selected to help coach a special Olympic basketball team, something that he’s never done before. At first he’s reluctant, but after realizing how great the players are, he sees just how much potential there is.
Although this isn’t the first time a film has been made on this premise, it does a good job at creating likable characters with the players, who provide a contrast to the somewhat unlikeable Marcus.
