Submitted by Cathy Cuff-Coffman, Content Writer
Choosing a holiday movie to watch together is a family tradition that can create disagreements.
Why not change that tradition and queue a film from our (dis)ability watch list? These movies are uplifting and inspiring, embodying the spirit of the holiday season.
Check that: This list of movies is perfect year-round.
Here is an octet of suggestions, in no particular order, for holiday viewing—and beyond!
(All hyperlinks link to IMDB, the Internet Movie Database, which gives you viewing options.)
7 Yards: The Chris Norton Story
Chris Norton was a Division III football defensive back for the Luther College Norse. In 2010, he became paralyzed while making a tackle; he turned his life into one of advocacy, service, and family.
https://chrisnorton.org/about/
David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived
David was Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double for The Harry Potter series of films. Holmes’ accident occurred on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2009.
The movie is 90 powerful minutes long; a film you won’t forget.
This documentary was released August 26, 2020, a year before the start of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. It tells the gritty, true-life stories of nine para-Olympians as they prepare for The Games. It’s beautifully written and filmed.
https://www.paralympic.org/news/paralympic-film-rising-phoenix-premieres-globally-netflix
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
In 1995, Christopher Reeve—best known for his role as Superman—broke his neck, and became paralyzed from the neck down from a near-fatal horseback riding accident. This 2024 documentary posthumously depicts his work as an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights.
This 2019 biopic depicts the life of Amberley Snyder, a nationally ranked rodeo barrel racer. She survived a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down and returned to barrel racing atop her beloved horses.
We almost forget that this 1989 movie is about Ron Kovic, who becomes disabled in the Vietnam War and subsequently becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist.
This touching film examines the intricacies of a friendship between two best friends as they travel across El Camino de Santiago. Justin Skeesuck’s rare neurological disease has him wheelchair-bound, and Patrick Gray offers to push him on the 34-day trek.
In “The Upside,” Bryan Cranston plays quadriplegic billionaire Phillip Lacasse, who finds a new purpose through his relationship with his ex-con caregiver Dell Scott.
