'You Never Go Full Prosthetic': The Most Yikes Hollywood Representations of Disability

Gimmicks, stereotypes, and Oscar nods: a closer look at 15 films featuring disability.
'You Never Go Full Prosthetic': The Most Yikes Hollywood Representations of Disability

When it comes to cinematic portrayals of disability, it's easy to slip into stereotypes or oversimplifications. From mental disability as a gimmick to abled actors playing disabled characters, the results can be offensive or even exploitative. Let's take a look at some of the most cringey moments in film history. We'll start with Roger Ebert's criticism of The Other Sister, which he called out for using mental disability as a gimmick and treating its characters like performing seals. Then there's the infamous I Am Sam and its anachronistic approach to autism representation. We'll also explore Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar-nominated performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder, which drew the ire of the Special Olympics. 

We'll also look at Gary Oldman's bizarre role in Tiptoes, Rain Man's suffocating stereotypes, Daniel Day-Lewis' method acting in My Left Foot, Eddie Redmayne's pandering in The Theory of Everything, and Jamie Foxx's portrayal of Ray Charles' life journey.

Disability tropes explored and challenged: Mad Max: Fury Road.

CRACKED CHARLIZE THERON Mad Max: Fury Road Mad Max: Fury Road explores the collapse of civilization through disability tropes, but also challenges them by depicting disabled characters as powerful and autonomous. It normalizes physical disabilities in its post-apocalyptic world while using them to signify power or evil depending on which character is portrayed.

Film Cred 

Love story gone wrong: Disability activists not impressed.

CRACKED mabe SAM CLAFLIN Me Before You Me Before You is a film about the romance between two people, one of whom has been quadriplegic since an accident and decides to end his life. Disability activists have criticized it for perpetuating the idea that death is preferable to living with disability.

The Guardian 

Joaquin Phoenix's casting criticized: disability community not amused.

CRACKED JOAQUIN PHOENIX Don't Worry, Не Won't Get Far on Foot The Ruderman Family Foundation has criticized the casting of Joaquin Phoenix in Gus Van Sant's biopic Don't Worry, Не Won't Get Far on Foot for overlooking an opportunity to cast actors with disabilities and being offensive to the disability community.

Indiewire 

Tom Cruise: Oscar-nominated for his explosive performance.

CRACKED VE WITH Rec ТОМ CRUISE Born on the Fourth of July Tom Cruise's performance in Born on the Fourth of July earned him his first Oscar nomination, showcasing his ability to modulate rage and convey emotion through a powerful story about an injured Vietnam veteran.

EW 

From birth to addiction to success: Ray Charles' incredible life journey.

CRACKED JAMIE FOXX Ray Ray Charles' life is explored in Taylor Hackford's 2004 film, which follows his journey from birth to the mid-1960s when he overcame addiction and achieved success.

SMH 

Rain Man: 30 years of suffocating stereotypes.

CRACKED DUSTIN HOFFMAN Rain Man Rain Man's release in 1988 brought autism to the public consciousness, but its influence has become a suffocating stereotype that persists 30 years later. The film gave autistic people visibility and representation, yet it is still seen as the only depiction of autism on screen despite there being many more stories to tell.

The Guardian 

A romantic comedy that offends instead of entertains: Tiptoes.

CRACKED GARY OLDMAN Tiptoes Tiptoes is a 2004 romantic comedy starring Gary Oldman, Matthew McConaughey and Kate Beckinsale which attempts to show that little people are just like everyone else but fails due to its offensive portrayal of dwarfism.

KQED 

Ben Stiller's action movie bungles respect for the intellectually disabled.

CRACKED BEN STILLER Tropic Thunder In Tropic Thunder, Ben Stiller plays an action movie star who once played a mentally disabled character (and the point of that, admittedly, was kind of to lampoon the practice). But Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics, still called for a boycott due to the movie's use of offensive language and lack of respect towards people with intellectual disabilities.

NPR / Nestflix 

DiCaprio visits home for the mentally-disabled; Oscar, Golden Globe nods follow.

CRACKED LEONARDO DICAPRIO What's Eating Gilbert Grape Leonardo DiCaprio prepared for his role in What's Eating Gilbert Grape by visiting a home for the mentally-disabled and was given freedom to do whatever he wanted with minimal pushback, which earned him Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.

Cheatsheet / PopSugar 

Abled playing disabled: Outdated then, even more so now.

CRACKED 411 SEAN PENN I Am Sam I Am Sam was met with criticism when it released in theaters, but has become a cultural touchstone due to the debate around casting conventionally abled people as disabled characters. The movie's impact on autism representation is still being discussed today, but its anachronistic approach looks more outdated every year.

Decider / IndieWire 

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