Lessons from "The Upside"

I have so many thoughts about this movie that I will have more than one blog for it. I realize that the main role of Philip was performed by a non-disabled actor and that upset people with disabilities. However, in some ways having an able bodied actor serves to perpetuates the disability experience and that's a good thing. In my view the goal is to educate people without disabilities in the most interesting ways. This is not a glamorous topic but it is very important for people to understand in order to increase inclusion. This story is true and the main characters are acted by famous people. Kevin Heart is the ex-con attendant and Nicole Kidman directs the man's daily life in terms of the medical needs. The audience is invited into the life of person with quadriplegic. Everyone with this disability is different but by virtue of the same diagnosis most need catheter changes, ambulate with a power wheelchair, and require attendant care. The movie shows the online relationship doesn't survive once personal contact is made, the restaurant waiter speaks to the attendant rather than Peter, and Yvonne did not want to hire a non-medical expert to perform medical care. The audience gets to know Philip as a person first and once they do the disability is secondary. That's what we need in life.