5 Movie Recommendations that Highlight Disability and Representation

Here at Ability Partners, we love a movie night and discovering new films to watch. Below, we have 5 movie recommendations that highlight disability and representation in a variety of different ways. These films are all available through an assortment of streaming platforms for everyone to enjoy and explore different themes and stories about living with a disability.

Coda

This film follows Ruby Rossi, the child of deaf adults (CODA) and the only hearing member of her family, who attempts to help her family’s struggling fishing business while pursuing her aspirations to become a singer. Ruby wants to pursue singing, whereas her family want her to stay full-time to help with their fishing business. She is torn between the love and loyalty to her parents and her love for singing and music. This 2021 film is a remake of the 2014 French film ‘La Famille Bélier’. However, the 2021 film casted deaf actors in the roles of the deaf characters, the 2014 film did not do this. The film features three deaf actors Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur and Daniel Durant. Troy Kotsur won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Frank Rossi in the film, being the second deaf actor to win this award. This film is an excellent coming-of-age story that explores themes of family, longing, opportunity and love.

CODA is available to watch on Apple TV.

Wonder

Wonder follows a young boy with facial differences, August ‘Auggie’ Pullman, as he starts at school for the first time in his life. The movie explores the trials and challenges Auggie faces when starting the 5^th grade, after being homeschooled by his mother for most of his life, due to the multiple surgeries he has had to undertake. Auggie has a rare medical condition called “Mandibulofacial Dysostosis”, which causes a rare facial deformity. The movie follows Auggie’s journey throughout school, making friends and standing up to those who are cruel and unkind. This story is a heartwarming and inspiring story of friendship, compassion and acceptance.

Wonder is available to watch on Stan.

A Different Man

This new film starring Sebastian Stan (Edward Lemuel) and Adam Pearson (Oswald), is a psychological drama that highlights the condition of ‘neurofibromatosis’, a genetic condition that causes a spread of facial benign tumours. Edward lives with neurofibromatosis and is an aspiring actor in New York City. He undertakes an experimental procedure that “cures” his condition and completely changes his appearance. Following his procedure, he takes on a brand-new identity of a man named “Guy Moratz”. Edward’s new appearance provides him with the confidence and life transformation he has always wanted. However, obstacles arise for Edward when he meets a playwright by the name of Ingrid, who is looking to develop a role in a play based on Edward’s past self, pre-facial transformation. This film explores a variety of themes such as transformation, character, sense of self, and looks deeply at how society values and views physical appearance.

A Different Man is available to watch on Foxtel and Binge.

Then Barbara Met Alan

This film, produced by the BBC, tells the real-life story of two Disabled cabaret performers Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth. The two performers met in 1989 at a performance, fell in love and together they established the Disabled people’s Direct Action Network (DAN). The film explores the journey of the couple and how they fought for disability rights through the DAN. They conducted major protests and demonstrations that involved blocking roads and other acts to display the lack of accessibility and inclusivity on public transport. Their protests got major media coverage and great amounts of attention. This protesting and lobbying by Lisicki and Holdsworth was a major stepping stone in the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1995 and they pushed strongly for this to be implemented.

Then Barbara Met Alan is available to watch on Netflix.

Wicked

The blockbuster and movie of 2024, Wicked, is the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical and tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch. This movie is not specifically about a character with a disability, however, it has set in motion and made great progress for disability representation in film and on-stage theatre. The Wicked film has seen the first wheelchair user to play the role of Nessarose, Elphaba’s younger sister who is a wheelchair user. Marissa Bode, aged 24, is the actress who incredibly portrayed the role of Nessarose and will continue the role in the films’ sequel, ‘Wicked: For Good’ later this year. The show has been playing for 22 years on Broadway and has never seen any wheelchair users or disabled actors play the role of Nessa. However, this year this has changed. Wicked on Broadway’s latest Nessarose, Jenna Bainbridge is the first wheelchair-user to play the role of Nessarose in the stage production of Wicked on Broadway.

Wicked is now available to buy or rent on streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

At Ability Partners, we are delighted that there have been many new and existing films that highlight disability in the mainstream media. If you or someone you know is living with a disability and is looking for any further support, please feel free to contact our friendly team using the link below.

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