My Left Foot - Film Analysis

-Made in late 1980's

-Based on a true story ; Christie Brown

- Won two Oscars. Daniel Day lewis award for best actor.

Brenda Fricker award for playing mother.

The beginning of the film we are represented with a disabled man suffering from Cerebral palsy.

We are shown that he is independant and living alone, relying on his 'Left Foot' to help him.

The representation of him when he was younger he appeared to be talented and determined but no one seemed to recognise and see this. His mother always believed in him. This was shown when he solved the question his father was asking Christie's 'normal' siblings. He wrote the answer with his left foot. He was also accused of being ''poor and unfortunate..'' by his mothers friends when she fell from the stairs. When in reality he is the one who helped her and called for help. This gives us the notion of the disability stereotypes 'Super cripple' and 'Pity and pathetic'. There are some scenes where Christie has no choice but to depend on his family's help even though he wants to be independant, which connotes to the idea of the disability stereotype ; 'burden to parents'.

Once Christie turns 17 we are presented with a more independant and mature character. Christie begins to paint and develop sexual desires and relationships but the girl he likes does not feel the same way due to his disability.

We also start to understand what Christie tries to say during the film as his emotions begin to develop more apparent to us. For example when his sister gets pregnant, their father begins to get viloent, therefore Christie develops anger and emotions for his sister and cries.