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    "The Upside" disability casting debate

    Does anyone here on the forum have thoughts about this? Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

    I don't think able bodied actors should be barred from playing disabled characters but disabled actors should have first preference in casting calls so long as they have the skill for playing the character. I think disabled actors play disabled characters more naturally in general. This particular character in "The Upside" seems to have complex needs so a less disabled actor would probably be necessary if he were played by a disabled actor. I also think disabled actors should have the chance to audition for characters not originally written as disabled so long as the writer of the work approves it and the disabled actor again has the right skills. All in all this movie looks better than "Me Before You".

    Feel free to chime in.
    Mild Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and bad proprioception.
    My website for my original short films! http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php

    #2
    ((((((funnylegs4)))))) ~

    First, we need to remember that this is Hollywood. Hollywood is out to make mega bucks off of every film produced. That means tailoring scripts around popular actors, eg., Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, etc. Bryan Cranston is also a popular actor from "Breaking Bad." He's also an outstanding, talented actor. These stars bring in the dough.

    Casting an unknown actor in a role such as "The Upside," regardless of that actor's physical abilities, opposite Kevin Hart, would never happen.

    Hollywood is very slow in embracing differences. "Crazy Rich Asians," which I think is very well done, is the first big film featuring an Asian cast, since "The Joy Luck Club." Sandra Oh, who is Korean, just won a Golden Globe. The first Asian woman to do so. Not long ago, Halle Barry was the first black woman to win an Oscar for best actress.

    Since film/theatre began, gay and lesbian actors have portrayed heterosexual characters. Montgomery Clift, Tony Perkins, Tab Hunter, Rock Hudson, Ellen DeGeneres. It's a long list. And LGBQT movies were underground. Actors had to pretend that they were straight and were paired with "beards" provided by the studios to attend as dates for big events.

    So, discrimination in Hollywood is as old as the first movie ever made.

    Moreover, portraying an individual with specific kinds of disabilities could be difficult for an actor with those disabilities.

    Dwayne Johnson in "Skyscraper" portrayed a man, who lost his leg in an explosion and used a prosthetic. Assuming that Dwayne did most of his stunts, they would probably be too taxing for an actor, who was physically disabled.

    Moreover, "Skyscraper" is an action-adventure film, a fantasy, if you will, because no one, however able bodied, even The Rock, could have survived all that he did in that movie. Same goes for all of The Rock's other similar films.

    If a movie were to be made about my sons, actors with their same level of disabilities would be impossible to find.

    As a film maker, you know how strenuous film making is, and the demands placed upon everyone involved in the production.

    I would suspect that Hollywood's hold out in using more actors with disabling conditions hinges on several factors.

    1. Accommodating all of the actor's needs
    2. Liability/Insurance
    3. The actors' limitations in performing certain aspects of a role, thereby requiring stand-ins

    I am not defending Hollywood. I'm being realistic about the BUSINESS of entertainment.

    And, when confronted, actors and others in the business will respond with the same lip service as Cranston and Hart in this article. All for inclusion, and giving actors with disabilities a chance. Blah blah blah. In the next breath saying, "Why can't I play a person with a disabiity? Or a gay person? Or a President?"

    But it always comes down to the bottom line. And Hollywood is well known for dragging its feet to keep up with modern times.

    Visibility helps the cause. Women actors now are all wrapped up in equality in film for women. Black actors, Asian actors, LGBQT actors ... they all have access to resources, which typically are not available to disabled actors.

    For decades, I have referred to the community of people with disabilities as the "Forgotten Minority." Listen to politicians' speeches mentioning every other disenfranchised group, and note how often people with disabilities are not mentioned. Look at every professional career, and count the number of people with disabilities holding those positions. Comedians still get cheap laughs ridiculing people with disabilities. The person in the Oval Office has mocked people with disabilities and banished disabled children from his rallies.

    People with disabilities are still "The Other." There are no famous champions for their needs, fighting for their equality, and pointing out the blatant discrimination against them. They don't have powerful organizations advocating for them. How many disabled legislators are there at all levels of government?

    Change begins with power in numbers, with leadership, and visibility. People with disabilities are still devalued in today's society, which means they are oppressed. And many films about people with disabilities portray the disabled character as being bitter, angry, suicidal, hopeless, encumbered, and lonely.

    What you are doing with your film making, funnylegs4, is breaking the stereotype, and giving people with disabilities opportunities to show their talent and reveal the truth about having a disability. We need more film makers like you to make a dent in the armor of Hollywood. MANY MORE.

    But, realistically, we can't expect that to happen any time soon.

    Because, it's all about ...

    $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

    Love & Light,



    Rose
    Mom to Jon, 49, & Michael, 32, born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease. Angel Michael received his wings in 2003. Angel Jon received his wings in 2019. In 2020, Jim, their Dad, joined them.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Earth Mother 2 Angels View Post
      ((((((funnylegs4)))))) ~

      First, we need to remember that this is Hollywood. Hollywood is out to make mega bucks off of every film produced. That means tailoring scripts around popular actors, eg., Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, etc. Bryan Cranston is also a popular actor from "Breaking Bad." He's also an outstanding, talented actor. These stars bring in the dough.

      Casting an unknown actor in a role such as "The Upside," regardless of that actor's physical abilities, opposite Kevin Hart, would never happen.

      Hollywood is very slow in embracing differences. "Crazy Rich Asians," which I think is very well done, is the first big film featuring an Asian cast, since "The Joy Luck Club." Sandra Oh, who is Korean, just won a Golden Globe. The first Asian woman to do so. Not long ago, Halle Barry was the first black woman to win an Oscar for best actress.

      Since film/theatre began, gay and lesbian actors have portrayed heterosexual characters. Montgomery Clift, Tony Perkins, Tab Hunter, Rock Hudson, Ellen DeGeneres. It's a long list. And LGBQT movies were underground. Actors had to pretend that they were straight and were paired with "beards" provided by the studios to attend as dates for big events.

      So, discrimination in Hollywood is as old as the first movie ever made.

      Moreover, portraying an individual with specific kinds of disabilities could be difficult for an actor with those disabilities.

      Dwayne Johnson in "Skyscraper" portrayed a man, who lost his leg in an explosion and used a prosthetic. Assuming that Dwayne did most of his stunts, they would probably be too taxing for an actor, who was physically disabled.

      Moreover, "Skyscraper" is an action-adventure film, a fantasy, if you will, because no one, however able bodied, even The Rock, could have survived all that he did in that movie. Same goes for all of The Rock's other similar films.

      If a movie were to be made about my sons, actors with their same level of disabilities would be impossible to find.

      As a film maker, you know how strenuous film making is, and the demands placed upon everyone involved in the production.

      I would suspect that Hollywood's hold out in using more actors with disabling conditions hinges on several factors.

      1. Accommodating all of the actor's needs
      2. Liability/Insurance
      3. The actors' limitations in performing certain aspects of a role, thereby requiring stand-ins

      I am not defending Hollywood. I'm being realistic about the BUSINESS of entertainment.

      And, when confronted, actors and others in the business will respond with the same lip service as Cranston and Hart in this article. All for inclusion, and giving actors with disabilities a chance. Blah blah blah. In the next breath saying, "Why can't I play a person with a disabiity? Or a gay person? Or a President?"

      But it always comes down to the bottom line. And Hollywood is well known for dragging its feet to keep up with modern times.

      Visibility helps the cause. Women actors now are all wrapped up in equality in film for women. Black actors, Asian actors, LGBQT actors ... they all have access to resources, which typically are not available to disabled actors.

      For decades, I have referred to the community of people with disabilities as the "Forgotten Minority." Listen to politicians' speeches mentioning every other disenfranchised group, and note how often people with disabilities are not mentioned. Look at every professional career, and count the number of people with disabilities holding those positions. Comedians still get cheap laughs ridiculing people with disabilities. The person in the Oval Office has mocked people with disabilities and banished disabled children from his rallies.

      People with disabilities are still "The Other." There are no famous champions for their needs, fighting for their equality, and pointing out the blatant discrimination against them. They don't have powerful organizations advocating for them. How many disabled legislators are there at all levels of government?

      Change begins with power in numbers, with leadership, and visibility. People with disabilities are still devalued in today's society, which means they are oppressed. And many films about people with disabilities portray the disabled character as being bitter, angry, suicidal, hopeless, encumbered, and lonely.

      What you are doing with your film making, funnylegs4, is breaking the stereotype, and giving people with disabilities opportunities to show their talent and reveal the truth about having a disability. We need more film makers like you to make a dent in the armor of Hollywood. MANY MORE.

      But, realistically, we can't expect that to happen any time soon.

      Because, it's all about ...

      $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

      Love & Light,



      Rose
      Hi Rose,

      I’m so sorry I didn’t see this wonderful post earlier! Yes! Excellent points! As I may have stated in previous threads about “Speechless” or “Me Before You” and during our discussion of “Skycrapper”, This particular character in “The Upside” seems to have complex medical needs so a less disabled actor would probably be necessary if he were played by a disabled actor. An actor with the same level of disability as this particular character would be really, really hard to find and there would likely be logistics and safety/health issues with that level of disability. I did actually once get in touch with a quadriplegic actor who was on a Trache tube to help her breathe. She was very kind and very skilled but even I couldn’t accommodate her because we both feared her breathing tube would become disconnected despite everything we tried to work around it. One actor with epilepsy I hired had to back out of my film because she had a grand mal seizure a week before shooting and was too medically fragile to participate. Another actor of mine had severe hypoglycemia from a wrong Insulin dose he was prescribed and ended up in the hospital on the first day of a shoot. No worries, they are all okay now! This is the reality of working with actors with medical needs whether people want to face it or not. I once assisted a filmmaker with autism with securing a shoot location and he informed me he could not cast a disabled actor with the same level of disability as his character because his character self harmed so it would have been dangerous.

      I think Skycrapper would have been a physically painful role for an amputee actor based on what amputees have told me about the prosthetics and the skin of the missing limb. I saw “Crazy Rich Asians” and liked it. I saw a bit of an attempt by the filmmakers to make the characters more appealing to white audience members with subtle whitewashing, which I didn’t like but I noticed more Asians in commercials since then which I do like. My friends who were born in India expressed to me that they would like to see a movie made in the USA outside of Bollywood, with an India Hindu cast. I would LOVE that!

      Yes, I know from experience that it is also not always easy to actually get in contact with disabled actors by a particular deadline and I have been forced to use unusual methods to contact disabled actors that most casting directors probably wouldn’t even remotely think of unless they were disabled. A lot of other actors with disabilities are NOT connected with actors unions like SAG-AFTRA yet so that may prevent casting directors from using them because of certain bizarre union rules. There’s a lot of paperwork involved. Accommodations can sometimes not be provided before a deadline runs out etc. Accommodations and hiring an extra, or using CGI to do sequences the disabled actor can’t do is very expensive. So I’m inclined to believe some internal business problem with production DID indeed prevent the casting of a disabled actor unfortunately so I think the disabled community should be providing resources to filmmakers and casting directors like I try to through my work. Ultimately I encourage people to make their own content as I have done if they have problems with the media industry and representation of disabled and minorities, not wait for Hollywood to “get it” because I don’t think Hollywood ever will because of $$$$ like you say, and since they are so out of touch. Its up to us! Not Hollywood.

      There are disabled people in a lot of fields. I have met doctors, teachers, professors, nurses, neuroscientists, directors, CEOs, salespeople etc with disabilities at my film screenings, but we don’t see them in media because of stereotypes and because every time the news or media does cover them a bunch of overly nitpicking disabled people yell at it as “Inspiration P”. So I think the disabled community itself is part of the representation problem. I think there is one congress person who is in a wheelchair and is also a mother but I don’t know if she still works in Washington DC.

      If disability was more visible disabled people would not feel the need to hide their disabilities to retain their employment etc.
      Last edited by funnylegs4; 01-25-2019, 10:20 AM.
      Mild Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and bad proprioception.
      My website for my original short films! http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php

      Comment


        #4
        An actor with a prosthetic Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register... was casted in "The Upside" after all. See at about 1 min 20 seconds in this reel. Guess the media got this representation story a bit wrong to say the least. If other disabled actors were indeed casted then there was probably a darn good reason the able bodied actor got the other role.
        Last edited by funnylegs4; 07-10-2019, 10:40 AM.
        Mild Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and bad proprioception.
        My website for my original short films! http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php

        Comment


          #5
          ((((((funnylegs4)))))) ~

          Are you referring to the man on the computer wearing the knit cap, who writes a response to the woman telling him not to give up? If so, what is his prosthetic? I watched it several times and can't figure out what it is.

          Thanks for posting this and cluing me in.

          Love & Light,



          Rose
          Mom to Jon, 49, & Michael, 32, born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease. Angel Michael received his wings in 2003. Angel Jon received his wings in 2019. In 2020, Jim, their Dad, joined them.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Earth Mother 2 Angels View Post
            ((((((funnylegs4)))))) ~

            Are you referring to the man on the computer wearing the knit cap, who writes a response to the woman telling him not to give up? If so, what is his prosthetic? I watched it several times and can't figure out what it is.

            Thanks for posting this and cluing me in.

            Love & Light,



            Rose
            Oh sorry I was typing too fast and wasn't clear. The woman who tells him not to give up is the amputee. The whole video has clips of her. Her site is here Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register... As you can see from her site she is an advocate of authentic casting of disabled so I'm sure she voiced any casting concerns she had to the production crew, though I'm not sure how much control she had.
            Mild Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and bad proprioception.
            My website for my original short films! http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php

            Comment


              #7
              ((((((Funnylegs4)))))) ~

              I watched the video only through to 1:20 and not to the end. So I completely missed that the actress had a prosthetic. Thanks for explaining. I did watch the complete video then. I applaud her advocacy and her work.

              Love & Light,



              Rose
              Mom to Jon, 49, & Michael, 32, born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease. Angel Michael received his wings in 2003. Angel Jon received his wings in 2019. In 2020, Jim, their Dad, joined them.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Earth Mother 2 Angels View Post
                ((((((Funnylegs4)))))) ~

                I watched the video only through to 1:20 and not to the end. So I completely missed that the actress had a prosthetic. Thanks for explaining. I did watch the complete video then. I applaud her advocacy and her work.

                Love & Light,



                Rose
                You're welcome! Thanks! I forgot the disability was not obvious in most of the shots as she mainly seems to have closer shots in her reel.
                Mild Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and bad proprioception.
                My website for my original short films! http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php

                Comment


                  #9
                  ((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

                  Jim and I have now watched "The Upside" twice. We think that it is an excellent film, and it is certainly a departure from Kevin Hart's usual roles. He was absolutely believable as Bryan Cranston's caregiver.

                  Bryan Cranston also gave a believable performance, despite being an able-bodied person. I imagine that it might have been difficult for him to remain still for as long as he did in each scene, given that his character was completely paralyzed.

                  Jim and I agreed that some of the scenes might have been too difficult for a disabled actor, particularly the scene, in which Kevin and Bryan paraglide. Of course, a stunt double could have been used, or CGI.

                  The ending is upbeat and sweet, a nice conclusion to the film. Jim and I both cried at the end.

                  One reason for my tears was realizing that Jonathan would have enjoyed "The Upside." He loved Kevin Hart, and I think he would have related to Bryan's character being immobilized and needing full care.

                  I did take exception to the scene in which Bryan's PT asks Kevin if he knows how to change a catheter. With Bryan in his wheelchair, the PT demonstrates how she pulls one out and puts another one in. She didn't clean him with betadine or use a sterile catheter change tray. Changing an indwelling catheter is much more involved than it was portrayed. And, in real life, PTs don't change catheters.

                  So, there's our review of "The Upside."

                  Love & Light,



                  Rose
                  Mom to Jon, 49, & Michael, 32, born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease. Angel Michael received his wings in 2003. Angel Jon received his wings in 2019. In 2020, Jim, their Dad, joined them.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Earth Mother 2 Angels View Post
                    ((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

                    Jim and I have now watched "The Upside" twice. We think that it is an excellent film, and it is certainly a departure from Kevin Hart's usual roles. He was absolutely believable as Bryan Cranston's caregiver.

                    Bryan Cranston also gave a believable performance, despite being an able-bodied person. I imagine that it might have been difficult for him to remain still for as long as he did in each scene, given that his character was completely paralyzed.

                    Jim and I agreed that some of the scenes might have been too difficult for a disabled actor, particularly the scene, in which Kevin and Bryan paraglide. Of course, a stunt double could have been used, or CGI.

                    The ending is upbeat and sweet, a nice conclusion to the film. Jim and I both cried at the end.

                    One reason for my tears was realizing that Jonathan would have enjoyed "The Upside." He loved Kevin Hart, and I think he would have related to Bryan's character being immobilized and needing full care.

                    I did take exception to the scene in which Bryan's PT asks Kevin if he knows how to change a catheter. With Bryan in his wheelchair, the PT demonstrates how she pulls one out and puts another one in. She didn't clean him with betadine or use a sterile catheter change tray. Changing an indwelling catheter is much more involved than it was portrayed. And, in real life, PTs don't change catheters.

                    So, there's our review of "The Upside."

                    Love & Light,



                    Rose
                    Hi Rose,

                    I’m so glad the overall depiction of disability was decent as that is the most important thing at the end of the day. I was so glad to see your opinion. Thank you so much to both you and Jim for watching! I imagine the PT scene is an abridged version of something that happened in the original source material that was just handled poorly in terms of accuracy. I'm sure Bryan moved a lot off camera, and I'm sure there's a ton of bloopers somewhere on the cutting room floor of him moving by mistake LOL. I know blind people who paraglide but I'm not sure how a paralyzed person would do it so I wouldn't know what a disabled actor could and could not do in that area. One of my disabled actors was recently denied a role he was perfect for, just because the director freaked about him getting injured but my actor is trained in martial arts so he would have been fine so I guess it depends on an individual disabled actor's ability and comfort level and if they are given a proper chance. "Upside's" definitely not "Me Before You" from your review and overall I see progress in the media for disability happening a little faster than when I started making films and that's great!

                    There’s another movie called “Margarita With A Straw” Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register... where a character with Cerebral Palsy is casted with an able bodied actress because it was made in India and India doesn’t have too many professional disabled actors yet. I thought the recreation of the Cerebral Palsy was very accurate based on the trailer, so a friend bought me this film as a gift on DVD and I plan to watch very soon, like within the next week or 2, and review it too. Do you want me to review it in this thread? Or a new thread?

                    The whole disability casting issue is very complex but the main goal should be to tell the best human, life affirming story you can if you are a creator.
                    Mild Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and bad proprioception.
                    My website for my original short films! http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Rose,
                      Neat article about the state of Disability depiction in movies that just came out Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register... I'm not sure why the stats said "2%" of characters as disabled for so many years and now an article comes out saying "22%" all of a sudden? Something about those stats seems off to me. If it's true it's excellent news!

                      I also watched “Margarita With A Straw” and the able bodied actress nailed the Cerebral Palsy depiction wonderfully! Like your review of "Upside" there were one or 2 scenes where I would have done things differently but overall it was fantastic, diverse, and touching!
                      Mild Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and bad proprioception.
                      My website for my original short films! http://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php

                      Comment

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