"This is one of those rare docs, like "Hoop Dreams", where life provides a better ending than the filmmakers could have hoped for. Also like "Hoop Dreams," it's not really a sports film; it's a film that uses sport as a way to see into lives, hopes and fears. These tough all-Americans compete in international championships. Once they were shattered young men waking up in hospital beds and being told they would never walk again."

Check out the movies offical website clicking on the title here: Murderball. Snipets from other film critics say, "May just be the most fun you'll have this summer at the movies" - Entertainment Weekly. "These amazing guys will leave audiences energized and inspired" - USA Today. "Creates a new definition of courage" - Rolling Stone. "Entertaining and inspirational" - People

But it is not about what the critics think, it is about what audiences think. And the reviews from the Imdb say a lot and oh, yeah it also won the "Documentary Audience Award" at the Sundance FIlm Festival 2005!

That is a documentary. What about a fictional feature drama? Although it is a bio-pic another recent film about someone with a disability is "The Sea Inside". This one from Spain that opened across the US this year and is the real-life story of Spaniard Ramon Sampedro, who fought a 30 year campaign in favor of euthanasia and his own right to die. It too has a 8.3 out of 10 User Rating from Imdb users, but the count is a lot more at 4,938. Clearly an audience favorite. There is lot to say about this one but I think the fact that earlier this year Oscar spoke loud and clear with a nomination and win for the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year says it all, but if that isn't enough for you it also won the Golden Globes and the Independent Spirit Award's Best Foreign Film awards and 14 awards including Best Picture from the 2005 Goya Awards. I really liked the movie even though I had to read the subtitles (I need to learn Spanish!) Want to see more of what I am talking about visit the official website at the link here: The Sea Inside 

Finally, I must mention the Oscar winner for Best Motion Picture of the 2004 Year, "Million Dollar Baby" I do not think I need to summarize the acceptance and success of this film from master filmmaker, Clint Eastwood who also won as the Best Achievement in Directing for this film, but the shocking end to the second act and then of the third act! Hillary Swank also deservedly won Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her wonderful portrayal of Maggie Fitzgerald who becomes paralyzed in that above mentioned shocking second act. I must also mention one hte great actors working in Hollywood today, Morgan Freeman who captured Oscar's award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. I mention him because I think he well deserved this award but also for the fact that he also represents the parallel of Hollywood stereotypes of the past on black characters in film and the current stereotypes of characters with a disability. Today we do not think about him being a black actor or even the role being a black character. He is an actor, a mighty fine actor and portrays a character in this film so beautifully that the color of his skin is never an issue. I talk about this type of mirrored relation between characters who were stereotyped in the past and the stereotypes of the disabled in other sections of this website but thought it is also perfect to mention right here!

Back to the character with a disability, Maggie Fitzgerald. It was essential to this story and primarily the thrid act which is really about life and death. But "Million Dollar Baby" aside for a moment. If this character had the courage, the will and determination to continue on with her life and become an active participant in today's society and there was sequel or even another stand alone (if "Million Dollar Baby" was never made) film story about this incredible woman who is 5 years or 10 years down the road from this traumatic injury (and well past the stereotype of disabled characters haivng to come to terms with their disability and re-enter society during rehabilitation) and she is helping other athletes, training them like her mentor did for her for them to achieve their dreams as she did several years before. Even with it being cut short and this past was revealed during the movie - wouldn't that also be an interesting story? Maybe it would have a similar poignant ending where Maggie dies from complications of her disability but this time not until after the person she trained did reach her dream of becoming a World Champion? Well there is a lot more to develop on that story but you get the point and I think can see would be an interesting and entertaining story. 

So finally to answer the question, yes I think movie audiences are ready to see a lot more and will pay to see characters with a disability. Like all film it is dependent on the writing, direction, performances and of course the right marketing to get it in front of people. I know people would love to see one like "London Time" where Ironside meets Lethal Weapon! Or "Forever Yours" or one of the many I have outlined in my "Other Stories"

Okay so I am ready to see more films about characters with a disability. How do you feel about able bodied actors portraying disabled characters?

This is another great question most often asked by those with a disability. Since I am also one with a disability (see Larry's Bio) it is one that strikes me both professionally and personally as well. First, I feel it depends on the disability. For instance a person with a mental disability would be hard to dramatize with an actor with a mental disability. Long hours and memorizing lines are just a part of what an actor must master to portray a character on film. In a featured role it would require the most and I don't know of many actors with a mental disability but I wouldn't rule them out. On the other hand I cannot think of anyone who could've done a better job then Sean Penn in 2001's "Sam I Am". Or Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi in 1999's "The Other Sister". Those are the ones that come to mind right off hand. But since all of my projects feature characters with a spinal cord injury and therefore a mobility disability, I will focus on them in all of my remaining questions.

There have been outstanding performances of characters with a disability by able bodied actors. The first itme I saw "The Men" it was either TCM or on AMC (before they had commericals) when they had a host introduce the movie. I cannot remember which host it was but he spoke of how it was Marlon Brando's first film. Brando was a hot young Broadway actor who had been courted by Hollywood for several months but he didn't want anything to do with movies. Then while on vacation in France he agreed to read the script of "The Men" and he loved it. It was what motivated him to go to Hollywood, where we all know what happen to his career from then! If it wasn't for this featured role of a character with a disability then Brando might never have come to Hollywood and we would never have been blessed with his tremndeous talent on the Silver Screen.

Since then, aside from the magnificent performances by Christopher Reeve of characters with a disability - both before and after his own disability that I have already mentioned before, I loved Eric Stoltz, Wesley Snipes and WIlliam Forsythe in "The Waterdance" and Tom Cruise in "Born on the Fourth of July" and Jon Voight in "Coming Home"

Not to take away from these and other wonderful performances of characters with a disability, we all knew they were not really paralyzed. It does remain in the back of your mind when watching them and I personally feel that was a distraction from the great job they did in those roles. For example, when Wesley Snipes and William Forsythe's characters fall out of their wheelchairs and onto the lawn where they deliver some of the most important thoughts and dialogue in the whole movie, including the title of the movie - one cannot help but think about them not being really paralyzed as they lay there on the ground at night. Thinking they could get up if they wanted to. It is only for an instant as they fall out though because after Wesley Snipes delivers his first few lines I forget and am wrapped up in what he is talking about. Even after seeing it about forty times. He did a great job but it was for a moment that we are reminded that they are not really disabled. A moment that repeats itself through out the length of hte film.

I think it goes to authenticity of the character. I think it has to do with perpetuating the stereotypes of characters with a disability. I recently spoke to some who asked me if I have seen the television series, "Blind Justice" about the police detective who becomes blind on the job from a gun shot wound. I have and initially wanted to see the show because I wanted to see how this character with a disability was portrayed in the writing, acting and direction and how it would compare with my "London Time" detective which I wrote long before this show came out. I did see some similarities and overall I really like the show. But those I were talking to about this show pointed out that although Ron Eldard does a wonderful job portraying the character with a disability they say they know he can see. That he is really looking at the person in front of him or down the street and he can actually see what he is pretending not to see. Distraction and authenticity.

I know I have heard the rebuttal from actors that that is what an actor does, to portray and have the audience believe they are the character they are playing. But their performance no matter how good it is I promise the majority of the audiences know that he or she isn't that character even more by the fact of playing someone with a disability. That obvious fact distracts from their performance and therefore right from the beginning they are sabotaged. A serious Catch 22 despite their desire to have a character they can sink their teeth into. I want you to believe that character is really paralyzed and unless you have never seen the actor before, as was my case with Jude Law in "Gattaca" then it is all based on the performance. But even then, before I left the theatre, while I was watching the film, I wanted to know more about this actor. His name and if he really is disabled. That in itself was a distraction and one that if you know an actor with a disability is portraying a character with a disability then that distraction isn't there. Then the purpose of breaking the stereotypes, interest in the story, the plot and characters is the focus, not the disability or the fact that the actor can really see or walk or hear. No distraction and a real authenticity to the character that cannot be done by the best able bodied actors.

If you have an actor portraying a character that is a member of any other minority group then that which they were a member of themeselves there would be an outrage. Primarily from the minority group being portrayed but nonetheless an outrage. For example having a person portraying someone of a different race wouldn't work. The days of Al Jolson are over! A White or Caucasian actor playing a Black or African American character would never see a screen unless it is part of the comedy like in "Soul Man" . Or more recently when race and sex are mixed with Black men playing "White Chicks" . And I am not talking about characters that could easily be switched but I am talking about the actor portraying someone of a different race, sex or other minority. What if Steve McQueen were playing Dr. John Prentice in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" ? Special make-up and effects could make him look like a black man and his performance might have been Oscar worthy but we would all know that he wasn't a black man. That would take away from the performance and the movie altogether. Not to mention the outrage from the black community. The same is true for those in the disabled community. Recent pictures like "The Sea Inside" that I mentioned above was great, and won numerous awards including an Oscar, but there were many in the disabled community that talked up a storm about the actor not being a quadraplegic. We do not have a Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton to plea our case though and that is why you didn't hear about it. In fact you probably didn't hear about the movie itself let alone the controversy and outrage from the disabled community. But that is changing.

The disabled community is becoming more and more in the public's eye and they are voicing their opinions more. And movies that are changing the stereotypes of characters with a disability are being produced. Well, I can guarantee mine are going to be! Changing the stereotypes of characters with a disability takes more than good or even great characters written and actors portraying them on the screen. I believe it takes authenticity that can only be achieved by actors with a disability. 

What if an "A" list actor wants to play one of your characters?

After all I have said what makes you ask this question? LOL! Actually it is another good one but is also a hard one to answer. Not only is there a couple of handfuls of actors I would so love to work with, if they did it would bring a lot of exposure to my film and my mission to break the stereotypes of characters with a disability. As I just said above, I do believe it takes great characters, stories, acting, directing (and all of the other many roles to make a film) and for authenticity, actors with a disability to break down the stereotypes. If I were to get 4 out of 5 or 9 out of 10 that would be a huge success! In whole it would depend on the situation, role and actor.

Bringing focus to my stories that focus on the character and story instead of the disability then I think that is first and foremost. I have a lot of different stories and roles and to be perfectly honest actors  love to act in different type of characters and those with a disability often are looked upon as being those that are deep and profound and the kind they would love to do. Ultimately I would love to have an actor with a disability play the feature role and have "A" list stars surrounding that character! I know you are asking how many "A" list actors are going to accept a supporting role? I make it a point to have the supporting roles be significant. Marci Waters and Detective Richmond in "London Time" do contribute a lot to the story. And maybe those who are interested in helping me be a part of the breaking down of stereotypes of characters with a disability. As I mentioned before in my bio I really believe that movies play a significant part in assisting society with their understanding, acceptance and even interaction with others whose very being is misunderstood by stereotypes. They can change and I think we can help by putting movies in the theatres where the general population can get a feel for what it is like to be a person with a disability in an indirect way where they are risking in private without others knowing - although they're in a stadium theater with 550 other people! Therefore this "movement" would still be served and in some cases it would benefit even more if there are "A" list actors attatched in either featured or supporting roles. It would depend on the role, situation and  sincere desire.

What about scenes where the character isn't disabled, in dream sequences and flashbacks?

This is a common question asked by both those in the disabled community and the film industry. It is really an easy one to answer too. With today's technology that has entire films or nearly all of the primary shooting done using green screens, like Episode 1-3 of the Star Wars films and camera positioning for angles like those used in the Lord of the Rings series (not only in making the Hobbit characters child size but the actual size of John Rhys-Davies playing the role of Gimli would never confuse him for a dwarf!) I know that I can make a actor with a disability work in scenes where that character is not disabled. I have thought about this a lot because in both of my feature films, "Forever Yours" and "London Time" has dream and flashback scenes. In "London Time" it is crucial to his character to have the dream/nightmare that is actually a recollection of real events in his life and make up a part of who he is and the beginning his character arch. The part of the scene has London standing up to leave a restaurant with his wife and him picking up and embracing his four year old daughter. Even if I do not have access to green screen and CGI help I have already thought of the camera angles I could use and the stand in (who can stand up!) for shots from behind the character and know I can make it work. Other scenes in "Forever Yours" with Neal riding his bicycle and then being hit by a SUV would require more but I know I could make it work with camera angles and an able bodied stand in and stunt double! Although these scenes are important they make up very little screen time and therefore can be easily dealt with.

Your scripts and other stories being developed into scripts vary from commercially formatted scripts that Hollywood would more likely consider, to more grittier independent features. Which ones will be more effective in reaching your goal of breaking the stereotypes of characters with a disability?

Both! I am not going to get into the whole debate of what is or isn't independent versus the formulaic Hollywood machine. They both have 3 acts, compelling characters, plot points, subplots and overall are interesting and entertaining. To me the only difference is budget! Some would say that the lower budgets take riskier projects because they have less to lose. That is BS because those investors are still putting money that they hope will be a success too. I do have a varied storylines that all feature characters with a disability. "London Time" and "Forever Yours" are written to be Hollywood blockbusters and if they become such then the goal of breaking the stereotypes has gone a long way. A lot of people will have seen them and seen that featured characters with a disability are interesting and do not have to be about their disability. Even in my stories where the disability plays a bigger factor - like in "Double Action", "Smile for the Camera" and "Suicide is Painless" the interests will be on the character and can be related to by everyone and not just those with a disability. Whether the story is plot driven or character driven they all will help in breaking the stereotypes. These all are about life, love, sex, careers, families, dreams, successes and failures from the point of view of someone with a disability. Sometimes they deal directly with the disability and sometimes not. And in breaking the stereotypes we need a lot more than just my films to accomplish this goal. Every little bit will help. The future will be changed in Hollywood and maybe in some individual lives by the films we produce featuring characters with a disability. Here is a good start!