Fifty Years of Films About Disabled People

Films have given us numerous examples about people with disabilities, and can be credited with playing an important role in altering public perception. There follows a chronological list of a dozen movies in this genre that have received popular and critical acclaim from the 1950s to the present. The films in this small selection deal with a range of disabilities, from crippling or disfiguring congenital diseases to the devastating effects of war, and mental illnesses from autism to schizophrenia.

Few could remain unmoved by these films, which have garnered scores of Oscars and award nominations. Many are tributes to the extraordinary triumph of the human spirit over adversity and have moved millions. They show the impact of disability on families and society and the generosity and dedication of carers and medical professionals.

One fact stands out however. Most are ultimately 'feel good' films. Hollywood treatments of disability do not necessarily glamorise the sufferings of the individuals they feature, but they do tend to focus on individuals who are carried through by some extraordinary talent or exceptional bravery and determination. A recurrent theme is a somewhat romantic view of the links between genius and madness. While we may applaud the way in which filmmakers resist portraying disabled people merely as victims, it is easy to forget that more commonly disability inhibits people on many levels. For every disabled person who has transcended their affliction, there are many more whose lives will never be the material for big budget blockbusters.

A comprehensive list of major and minor films, as well as documentaries, that assist in educating about disability can be found at www.disabilityfilms.co.uk.

Reach for the Sky (1956). The story of double amputee and World War II flying ace, Douglas Bader. Starring Kenneth More.

Lust for Life (1956). The tortured soul and art of Vincent Van Gogh. Starring Kirk Douglas.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). A searing indictment of the treatment of the mentally ill in the 1950s, and of a patient who resists it. Starring Jack Nicholson.

Coming Home (1978). The trauma of war and its impact on those around its victims is powerfully portrayed by Jon Voigt and Jane Fonda.

The Elephant Man (1980). The story of the agonies suffered by John Merrick as a result of gross disfigurement in Victorian England offers another take on disability and breaks the conventional mould. Starring John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins.

Children of a Lesser God (1986).The fraught relationship between a deaf and mute woman and the teacher who encourages her to speak. Starring William Hurt and Marlee Matlin.

Rain Man (1988). Dustin Hoffman as an autistic savant', emotionally blunted but with extraordinary memory skills, foregrounds the person who is 'differently abled',.

My Left Foot (1989). Cerebral palsy was no obstacle to Christy Brown, whose spirit earned him many friends and a reputation as a poet. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis.

Forrest Gump (1994). Whatever its deficits, this story of a man with a low IQ also smashes all the moulds. Starring Tom Hanks and Sally Field.

A Beautiful Mind (2001). John Nash conquers paranoid schizophrenia to become a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician. Starring Russell Crowe.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007). An acclaimed film about former editor of Elle magazine, Jean-Dominique Bauby, who wrote his autobiography after paralysis left him only able to blink his eyes. Starring Mathieu Amalric.