Read, Watch, Critique: "The Mighty"

Film: The Mighty (based on the book Freak the Mighty by Rhodman Philbrick)

Director: Peter Chelsom

Date of release: October 9, 1998

Characteristics of a Person with Learning Disability

Portrayal of Maxwell “Max” Kane

May be due to genetic, other congenital and/or acquired neuro-biological factors and central nervous system dysfunction Life-long 48% of all students in special education have some type of learning disability Affects the way information is acquired, processed, understood and organized Mild to severe difficulty reading, writing, understanding math concepts and/or spoken language May experience difficulty with fine motor skills Inconsistent performance Average to above-average intelligence During class rarely volunteer answers and when they are asked to speak they may be hesitant, stumble over words, and use a sparse vocabulary Suffer socially and emotionally Problems with self-concept and motivation

Very tall and strong – “looks like Godzilla” Teased by peers – “dinosaur brain” Low self-esteem - thinks that his Grandparents did not want him to live with them – “... got stuck with me...”, “...never had a brain, Freak let me borrow his for awhile...” Even teachers tease and make fun of Max Failed 7th Grade twice Has dyslexia, reading is below the grade level Attends “LD reading class” on Saturdays Quiet, does not want to make trouble Displays signs of anxiety Very kind

Characteristics of a Person with Morquio's syndrome

Portrayal of Kevin Dillon

An inherited error in carbohydrate metabolism Patients with Morquio's syndrome appear healthy at birth Many diagnosed by 2-3 years of age Short stature (flat vertebrae cause a short trunk) Short neck, moderate scoliosis Gradual loss of walking ability Joint laxity Dysplastic hips Large unstable knees, elbows and wrists Flat feet The combined abnormalities usually result in a duck-waddling gait Thin teeth enamel Corneal clouding Enlarged liver There is no cure yet Expected lifespan is unimpaired but patients with severe features related to cervical instability may have a much shorter life expectancy Average or above average intelligence (http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Morquio's-Syndrome.htm)

Above average intelligence High level of self-esteem Has an amazing imagination Has a great support base (his Mom) Short stature Has deformed spine Uses crutches and a brace Has to eat slowly because of danger of chocking Has great sense of humour Volunteers his time to tutor students in “LD reading class” on Saturdays Very brave

Portrayal of Max, as a student with learning disability, is reasonably accurate. He has trouble reading, has low self-esteem and feels like teachers do not expect him to succeed. Portrayal of Kevin, diagnosed with Morquio’s syndrome, is to some extent accurate. His physical appearance and use of brace and crutches correspond with the characteristics of Morquio’s syndrome. However, Max and Kevin do not represent character traits of every person with the same disability. Max’s strength and Kevin’s imagination are not attached to their exceptionality. The Mighty is a remarkable movie about how just one person can influence somebody’s life and changes it forever; how one book can create a bond between two very different people and help them triumph over their disabilities.

My favourite quotes from The Mighty:

“Every word is part of a picture. Every sentence is a picture. All you do is let your imagination connect them together. If you have an imagination that is... ”

“Think of it as a partnership: you need brain and I need legs. And The wizard of Oz doesn't live in Cincinnati...”