Film Reviews Rainman- Autism, Philadelphia- HIV/AIDS, and There’s Something About Mary-Mental Retardation

Films Present Psychosocial Disabilities

A number of films feature psychosocial disabilities simply because some people

suffer from these illnesses in real life . Through analyzing films , one can comprehend the attitudes of society toward people with these disabilities . It can be a special emphasis on their capabilities or a barrier on their participation in the community

Since these individuals have to relate with society in to grow and mature as individuals , films try to convey their stories to the audience . Through film , the societal attitudes and on how these affect the

lives of people with disabilities are explored . These may be strategies that either help or delineate the societal attitudes on those who have psychosocial disabilities (De Leon , 352

Therefore , it helps to examine and understand the contributions of these societal attitudes and theories of personality in to comprehend the relations of those who have psychosocial disabilities to society The way they cope with their illness and react to loss is slowly observed and from there , the method to relate is determined

It is important to describe the developmental concepts of the person suffering from the illness . His regard on body image and self-concept are factors on how he adjusts with his disability . By reviewing the psychosocial models of adaptations to the disabilities and emphasizing on the patient 's experiences , behaviors , reactions and phases , it is easier to come up with the conclusion on how he can adjust to society

A technique films use in presenting psychosocial disabilities to audience is to figuring out the patient 's commonalities that are both personal and transpersonal to society . By observing the experiences and the reactions from these events , the onset and root of the disability is discovered (Farrington , 135

Films dealing with psychosocial disabilities increase the understanding of society to what people with these disabilities have to go through Some will say that these are just movies however , these movies are inspired by real life . By becoming familiar with the psychosocial adaptations of both the patient and society , counseling and therapeutic procedures will benefit those who need it more because their techniques in coping and adjusting have been tried and tested

This will discuss three films that show psychosocial disabilities 1 ) autism in The Rain Man , AIDS /HIV in Philadephia ' and mental retardation in There 's Something about Mary . All three films are popular and have been watched by most Americans , therefore it is easier to cite examples in these movies on this

For coherence , this will present how the disability was represented in the film by describing the patient 's functional limitations . It will also discuss how the disability affects the patient 's body image and self-perceptions . Then it will proceed to the reactions , as well as the coping strategies of the patient with his disability . At the same time , the will indicate how society 's reaction towards the patient and his ability affect his attitudes 'Rain Man (1988 ) follows Charlie Babbit (Tom Cruise ) and his...