For example, "Silence of the Lambs," won Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress in 1991 for its depiction of serial killers, and viewers may walk away from the film believing serial killers are relatively commonplace. But statistics indicate there are only about four to five instances of serial killers in the United States per year, according to Safran.
Similarly, although Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of an autistic idiot savant capable of doing intricate mathematical problems quickly in his mind won the Best Actor award for "Rain Man" in 1988, very few autistic people are savants.
"We have seen a dramatic increase in what I call 'disability movies,' but most film critics will tell you there is very little reality basis in the film," said Safran, who teaches a course on disabilities in the media. "But many don't have any basis in reality. Look at 'Forrest Gump.' He's what we call a 'Supercrip.' People love to see these kinds of movies when the downtrodden overcome adversity and barriers. But Gump portrayed a high-functioning mentally retarded person. They don't let people with this sort of disability in the U.S. Army."
Even though films portraying people with disabilities often stray from reality, Safran still uses them in his classes as a tool for examining real issues facing people with impairments in society.
"I try to get my students to reflect on whether there is a reality
base," Safran said. "We are a society of film viewers, and special education
professionals can use movies to p
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Contact: Dwight Woodward
dwoodward1@ohiou.edu
(614) 593-1886
Ohio University
23-Feb-1998