Dignity of disability on display in July films, screenings

OKLAHOMA CITY  — In all the talk about diversity and inclusion in entertainment, it’s almost surprising how often disabled representation is still overlooked on screen.

Major strides have been made in gender, race, and sexuality representation in movies and television, but disability representation is still something of an outlier, with disabled characters and stories still more likely to be presented by physically abled or neurotypical performers simply acting a disability.

And of course, that can famously (notoriously?) fetch them serious awards gold if they perform it well or with enough sympathy.

It’s a remarkable and refreshing thing, then, to see a full range of films available over a single month that not only focus on the stories and experiences of living with disability, but that prominently feature real-life people living with those disabilities in starring roles.

From specialized screenings to one-night-only showings to the comforts of your own home, here are the ways to see some genuine, thoughtful films from the worldwide disabled community on screens this month.

‘Watershed’ – AMC Quail Springs Mall – Thursday, July 11th 

A first-hand account of struggle and perseverance, “Watershed” is a new documentary personally shot by Mallory Weggemann – a three-time Paralympic swimming gold-medalist – as she and her husband simultaneously navigate Paralympic training, injury, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges of IVF.

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“Watershed”

Having become paraplegic at the age of 18, Weggemann has gone on to become one of the world’s most decorated disabled swimmers but faced a new collection of challenges as she was training for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

While facing the shutdowns and indefinite delays of the pandemic and an arm injury that threatened to derail her swimming career, Weggemann and her husband Jay Snyder attempted to start a family, taking them on a journey that led to IVF.

Directed by Weggemann and Snyder themselves, “Watershed” is the chronicling of that whole uncertain period of life, presented in a one-night-only nationwide premiere event on July 11th.

For tickets, showtimes, and more information, visit amctheatres.com.

‘Wonderstruck’ presented by the Hearing Loss Association of Oklahoma – Rodeo Cinema Stockyards – Thursday, July 18th 

For the Hearing Loss Association of Oklahoma’s 2nd Annual Movie Outing, they’ll be hosting a public screening of 2017’s “Wonderstruck” from acclaimed auteur director Todd Haynes.

“Wonderstruck” follows two different stories concurrently, separated by decades, as young Ben searches for his father after a tragic accident has left him newly deaf in 1977 and young Rose, born deaf, searches for a mysterious actress in 1927.

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“Wonderstruck”

As the two stories slowly orbit one another, the connections between them eventually become visible.

Based on the award-winning book by author/illustrator Brian Selznick, “Wonderstruck” features the film debut of deaf actress Millicent Simmonds – more recently of the “A Quiet Place” series – in the role of Rose, as Haynes was insistent that the part go to a deaf performer.

The special screening will feature closed captioning and assistive listening devices available to all.

 For showtimes, tickets, and more, visit rodeocinema.org and oklahomahearingloss.org.

‘On the Adamant’ – Oklahoma City Museum of Art – Thursday, July 18th and Friday, July 19th 

Part of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s yearly French Film in July lineup, documentarian Nicolas Philibert’s “On the Adamant” looks at the guests and crew of a Parisian barge that serves as a care facility and creative gathering place for adults with mental illness.

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“On the Adamant”

With guests and patients living with everything from late-life cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s to developmental disabilities, the Adamant serves as a school, studio, performance space, and second home for those seeking the restorative and life-affirming qualities of art and creation.

Taking a behind-the-scenes look at the numerous intersecting lives onboard the Adamant, Philibert’s film prominently features the caregivers and staff alongside the art center’s guests as they all interact as a genuine, floating community across boundaries.

For showtimes, tickets, and more information, visit okcmoa.com.

‘Ezra’ – Available everywhere on-demand

If you didn’t get a chance to catch “Ezra” in theaters last month, you can check it out on-demand at home right now.

Directed by Tony Goldwyn and written by Tony Spiridakis from his own experiences, the film follows struggling comedian Max (Bobby Cannavale) who is living with his father Stan (Robert De Niro), and attempting to co-parent his own autistic son, Ezra.

When a controversy erupts over Ezra’s care at the same time as a rare opportunity for his career, Max takes Ezra on a road trip that allows them to bond and face the realities of living with autism.

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“Ezra”

As Spirirdakis’ real son is autistic, the script came largely from his own experiences of learning how to understand and adapt to the condition without trying to “fix” him or impose what we think of as a neurotypical life.

As such, the authenticity of the film and its production was integral, with Ezra himself played by young autistic actor William Fitzgerald and adults with autism at multiple levels of the production, from producers to stage and camera crew.

Even the legendary Mr. De Niro is the real-life father of an autistic child, saying that he signed on to the film because of how the story resonated with his own family and with the true experiences of the wider autism community.

“Ezra” is available on-demand now on all digital platforms.


Catch Brett Fieldcamp’s film column weekly for information and insights into the world of film in the Oklahoma City metro and Oklahoma. | Brought to you by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.


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Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.