Although the movie was released and appeared on Hulu in 2020, possibly Netflix since then, I became aware of it from an email newsletter by The Might Site in the last few weeks. The article gave the impression that it was a great example of representation for the disability community. As a person with a disability who has seen, time and time again, horrible narratives and depictions of disabilities in movies, I knew I had to see it for myself. I love thriller movies and have come to learn that movies such as thrillers that air on Lifetime or that are on a small budget, typically do have actors with the disabilities they are portraying on screen, unlike movies that are commonly known and make the big screen where many of the actors who play those with disabilities are not individuals who have the disability they play if any at all. That said, they can portray a disabled character as a villain in such a way that makes it come across that it’s directly connected to the type of disability they have or simply because they are. “Run” was surprisingly different!
The movie was about the relationship between a mother (Sarah Paulson) and her daughter (Keira Allen) who is a wheelchair user. So many times I have seen movies that depict the life of a person with a disability, who is a wheelchair user, which often ends with some sort of medical miracle where they are standing or walking by the end, or have movie magic that eludes to what might be happening, but it isn’t ever shown. Within minutes of the movie starting, I knew Kiera had a disability and used a wheelchair by the way she moved about. I move my body in a very similar way doing the same things as I am also paralyzed and a wheelchair user. At several points, there was a degree of movie magic but it wasn’t done in a way that was trying to hide the disability shamefully. Later, the roles reverse somewhat, and there is a hospital scene with Sarah in a wheelchair. It’s here you can see that with some practice it is relatively easy for a non-disabled actor to play the role of a wheelchair user, making it look realistic. Just when I thought the opening was the best thing ever it got even better! It had me holding my breath waiting to see what was going to happen next and in shock over what did.
There are many things depicted in the movie that I am not physically able to do and never have or would be able to do, yet many experiences are similar to mine. The relationship between the mother (Diane) and daughter (Chloe), plus the interactions with members of the community were very close to my lived experiences. The movie highlights such an important topic that is rarely spoken about among members of the disability community or society as if it’s taboo. It is something that needs to be highlighted and awareness raised because such things do happen more often than is recognized or believed. I loved the movie and think it was an epic choice to call a movie with the main character being a wheelchair user “RUN”. I highly recommend taking the time to see it, especially if you are involved in the lives of someone with a disability.
Photo by Jakub Pabis on Unsplash
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Hi, my name is Destiny and I am a Certified Tauma Recovery Coach. I have a disability called Spina Bifida and I am also a trauma survivor. As I am not a person who particularly likes face to face interaction my writing is a vital part of what I do for my own mental health as well as professionally. Being a person with a disability has developed into coaching those who are also survivors of trauma and are disabled similar to myself. I do this using a virtual reality platform called Second Life. I also own a website and blog to help advocate, education, and rise awareness about disability, mental health, and trauma within the context of disability.
