Movies Through an OT Lens
This is just going to be a fun blog post, compared to my other posts about admissions! I thought we could understand disability and OT more through analyzing movies together.
I noticed that there are many movies that have characters with disabilities, but it isn't always apparent. For example, I watched all of Forrest Gump without knowing that he had autism spectrum disorder. But I would argue that Forrest Gump portrays a lot of what OT is about, which is living a meaningful life. Forrest Gump doesn't see himself as disadvantaged, and so he pursues an independent lifestyle with things that are meaningful, such as his work and his relationships.
Another movie that came to mind when I was thinking about disability was Nemo. Nemo had a shortened fin, which prevented him from being a strong swimmer. This was a source of shame for him, as he runs into obstacles throughout the movie such as not being able to touch the boat or stop the tank filter in order to help his friends escape. Through an OT lens, this portrays disability as difference from the norm, and a bad thing. But later on in the movie, Nemo escapes by playing dead in order to be flushed down the toilet. This also reminded me of OT, as OT is about adaptation in order to facilitate the patient's success.
A movie where disability was not portrayed favorably was Phantom of the Opera, where the Phantom was an outcast because of a congenital disfigurement that he covered with a mask. His disability did not allow him to fit in with society. But the movie portrayed that the disability should not define who he is as a person, and that he is an extremely talented singer and composer.
Another movie that portrayed disability negatively was Mulan, where her father was not able to go to war. Because her father appeared injured, Mulan felt the need to take his place in the military. Personally, I felt the movie portrayed her father as incapable. If going to war was a meaningful activity for him, I felt there were ways they could adapt in order for him to still be helpful in the military.
There are likely many more examples in movies that we don't even notice, as well as around us in our everyday life! I hope these movies were fun examples that facilitated your understanding of disability through an OT lens.
-Bethany
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