Looking for an alive Christopher Reeve to star in my next short
July 2, 2007 8:14 PM Subscribe
Recommend movies in which one of the main characters is severely disabled, particularly the main character. Million Dollar Baby, didn't like so much. Must be something better?
Fanaa
(The main female character is blind -- that is why she stumbles in this clip.)
posted by Methylviolet at 8:24 PM on July 2, 2007
(The main female character is blind -- that is why she stumbles in this clip.)
posted by Methylviolet at 8:24 PM on July 2, 2007
Rain Man.
No, seriously, it's a pretty good movie.
And seconding Born on the Fourth of July.
OK, that's a little weird. I'm really not a Tom Cruise fanboy, I swear.
Ooh, ooh, Forrest Gump. Wheeee!
posted by ZakDaddy at 8:27 PM on July 2, 2007
No, seriously, it's a pretty good movie.
And seconding Born on the Fourth of July.
OK, that's a little weird. I'm really not a Tom Cruise fanboy, I swear.
Ooh, ooh, Forrest Gump. Wheeee!
posted by ZakDaddy at 8:27 PM on July 2, 2007
What counts as severely disabled? The movie Bad Day at Black Rock stars Spencer Tracy as John J. Macreedy, an amputee.
posted by RichardP at 8:27 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by RichardP at 8:27 PM on July 2, 2007
The Other Sister is a love story about two mentally disabled people.
posted by lostburner at 8:38 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by lostburner at 8:38 PM on July 2, 2007
Mask. See also IMDB's keywords (e.g. disability), which have ratings attached.
posted by Paragon at 8:47 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by Paragon at 8:47 PM on July 2, 2007
Anything with Keanu Reeves? I kid!! How about Spider?
posted by mattholomew at 8:56 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by mattholomew at 8:56 PM on July 2, 2007
Being There. It's about a mentally slow gardener. He keeps saying offbeat things, and people take them as deep, meaningful metaphors. Peter Sellers is wonderful in it.
posted by Ostara at 9:05 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by Ostara at 9:05 PM on July 2, 2007
How about the one with the chick laying in the bed? I think Mary Tyler Moore played her for a while on Broadway with stunt casting. Then Richard Dreyfuss played the part in the movie, and it's a right to die movie, he wants the right to die with dignity. Oh goddammit, go to IMDB and look it up.
The above brought to you by my wife, who can't remember the name of that fucking movie
And here it is: Whose Life Is It Anyway
posted by davejay at 9:09 PM on July 2, 2007
The above brought to you by my wife, who can't remember the name of that fucking movie
And here it is: Whose Life Is It Anyway
posted by davejay at 9:09 PM on July 2, 2007
Based on the examples cited, I doubt the original poster had "mentally disabled" in mind. Something like The Waterdance would be more like it.
posted by jjg at 9:10 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by jjg at 9:10 PM on July 2, 2007
Argh. Webbster beat me to it, because I was too busy transcribing my wife verbatim.
(s)he posted first, I had more fun
posted by davejay at 9:10 PM on July 2, 2007
(s)he posted first, I had more fun
posted by davejay at 9:10 PM on July 2, 2007
The Bone Collector, although the book is hella better than the movie. All the books in the series are pretty neat...Lincoln Rhyme is a forensics superdetective who solves crimes from his wheelchair and bedroom lab.
Pretty gruesome stuff though.
posted by TomMelee at 9:16 PM on July 2, 2007
Pretty gruesome stuff though.
posted by TomMelee at 9:16 PM on July 2, 2007
The Boy Who Could Fly centers around an autistic character.
posted by vytae at 9:18 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by vytae at 9:18 PM on July 2, 2007
There's a Recommended Films page at http://www.disabilityfilms.co.uk/.
posted by nicwolff at 9:39 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by nicwolff at 9:39 PM on July 2, 2007
In the John Wayne movie "Hellfighters" there's a pretty important supporting character who is confined to a wheelchair, because of a broken back.
Jay C. Flippen, the actor playing that role, only had one leg; the other we see on film was prosthetic.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 10:02 PM on July 2, 2007
Jay C. Flippen, the actor playing that role, only had one leg; the other we see on film was prosthetic.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 10:02 PM on July 2, 2007
Does Saw count? The behind-the-curtain villain is nearly immobilized.
For that matter, Star Wars.
posted by lostburner at 10:25 PM on July 2, 2007
For that matter, Star Wars.
posted by lostburner at 10:25 PM on July 2, 2007
Oooh, Rear Window (wheelchair bound with a broken leg) and Wait Until Dark (the main character's blindness is the focus of the movie).
posted by lostburner at 10:30 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by lostburner at 10:30 PM on July 2, 2007
Does dwarfism count? If so, The Station Agent.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:43 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:43 PM on July 2, 2007
Marathon is a true story about a autistic runner. It's one of the best movies I've seen.
posted by robofunk at 11:37 PM on July 2, 2007
posted by robofunk at 11:37 PM on July 2, 2007
Inside I'm Dancing
About two guys in wheelchairs who try to live outside institutional life. Recommended.
posted by kjs4 at 11:59 PM on July 2, 2007
About two guys in wheelchairs who try to live outside institutional life. Recommended.
posted by kjs4 at 11:59 PM on July 2, 2007
I'll probably be pilloried for this, but I'd like to suggest "The Ringer". While the lead character is pretending to be disabled, many of the supporting actors actually are disabled. Yes, it stars Johnny Knoxville and yes, it's a Farelly brothers movie, but it's so much more than the sum of its parts.
posted by ninazer0 at 12:13 AM on July 3, 2007
posted by ninazer0 at 12:13 AM on July 3, 2007
In The Company Of Men (not THE main character, but an important character is deaf).
posted by inigo2 at 6:22 AM on July 3, 2007
posted by inigo2 at 6:22 AM on July 3, 2007
Do documentaries count? If so, Murderball.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:01 AM on July 3, 2007
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:01 AM on July 3, 2007
The Miracle Worker: original and recent remake.
Daredevil and X-Mens 1, 2, and 3.
Monkey Shines
posted by Martin E. at 7:29 AM on July 3, 2007
Daredevil and X-Mens 1, 2, and 3.
Monkey Shines
posted by Martin E. at 7:29 AM on July 3, 2007
The Boy in the Plastic Bubble
posted by zach braff's mixtape at 8:58 AM on July 3, 2007
posted by zach braff's mixtape at 8:58 AM on July 3, 2007
Sling Blade is good if you're looking for a movie with someone who has a severe disability. It's a strange movie, but very interesting to watch.
posted by I_love_the_rain at 10:04 AM on July 3, 2007
posted by I_love_the_rain at 10:04 AM on July 3, 2007
Is everybody assuming the title of the post isn't serious?
If it is -- if the OP is looking for an *actor* to hire -- then a useful contact might be the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped in NYC, lists like this one of list of films with disabled actors, or some of the orgs mentioned in this essay.
posted by allterrainbrain at 2:22 PM on July 3, 2007
If it is -- if the OP is looking for an *actor* to hire -- then a useful contact might be the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped in NYC, lists like this one of list of films with disabled actors, or some of the orgs mentioned in this essay.
posted by allterrainbrain at 2:22 PM on July 3, 2007
Is everybody assuming the title of the post isn't serious?
If it is -- if the OP is looking for an *actor* to hire
Yep, I was confused, because I the title and the actual question are at odds.
Title: Looking for an alive Christopher Reeve to star in my next short
Question: Recommend movies in which one of the main characters is severely disabled, particularly the main character.
Then she mentions Million Dollar Baby as an example, which did not feature a disabled actor, but a disabled character. Unless one of the supporting actors is disabled (???).
I assumed that since the OP didn't correct us, that the answers were on track.
Care to weigh in, OP?????
posted by The Deej at 4:51 PM on July 3, 2007
If it is -- if the OP is looking for an *actor* to hire
Yep, I was confused, because I the title and the actual question are at odds.
Title: Looking for an alive Christopher Reeve to star in my next short
Question: Recommend movies in which one of the main characters is severely disabled, particularly the main character.
Then she mentions Million Dollar Baby as an example, which did not feature a disabled actor, but a disabled character. Unless one of the supporting actors is disabled (???).
I assumed that since the OP didn't correct us, that the answers were on track.
Care to weigh in, OP?????
posted by The Deej at 4:51 PM on July 3, 2007
Thirding or so... I thought The Sea Inside was absolutely awesome, all the more so for the transformation the lead actor went through in order to portray Ramon Sampedro, a quadriplegic. It's evident in the flashbacks that he's actually a quite buff and young-looking guy, but I at least totally believed his portrayal of a somewhat older man, imprisoned by his body after an accident but mentally more free than most, and very able to control and influence the people around him. While it's more of a right-to-die picture than a story of living with disability, it's still very moving.
posted by Gingersnap at 6:54 PM on July 3, 2007
posted by Gingersnap at 6:54 PM on July 3, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jrossi4r at 8:16 PM on July 2, 2007