In 1977, a series of disability rights protests took place in the United States to protest the government’s failure to sign legislation that banned discrimination against people with disabilities. This protest, which continues to be the longest sit-in at a government office, was masterminded by Judy Heumann. Being Heumann follows this month-long sit-in.
Sian Heder follows up her Oscar-winning CODA with Being Heumann, the biopic of real-life disability rights activist Judith Heumann (Ruth Madeley). Being Heumann follows the latest trend of focusing on one specific part of history instead of opting for the cradle-to-grave format.
Being Heumann Follows The Longest Government Sit-In
As the film’s opening crawl explains, the first civil rights legislation designed to give rights to people with disabilities was signed in 1973 but by 1978 had yet to be properly enacted. To put the legislation into play, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Joseph Califano Jr. (Mark Ruffalo), needs to sign it. But, he knows that doing so would take time and money. As he puts it, they don’t want “a different seat on the bus, they want a whole new bus.”
But wheelchair user and generally difficult woman Judy Heumann has never met a challenge she won’t tackle with her sheer determination. They try the quiet, subdued option of protesting with placards on the side of the road. It doesn’t work, so Judy decides it’s going to take something bolder to make an impact on those who matter. Califano now has to take on the unmovable, unstoppable force that is Judy Heumann.
So, she and her group of self-proclaimed “radical crips” decide they have to do something dangerous for the legislators to take them seriously. Judy and her group of activists decide to take over HEW offices and stage a sit-in until Califano signs the legislation. It doesn’t start with those intentions, but Judy rolls with every political and ethical punch thrown at her.
Being Heumann Lets Its Charming Cast Loose
Here is where the film really comes into its stride. During their sit-in, Being Heumann explores the vibrant lives of Judy and her disabled comrades. The film casts people from the disabled community, all of whom come with their own lively personalities. Let’s be honest, boring people don’t hijack a government building.
Standouts include mild-mannered Kitty (Madeline Delp), who learns to find her voice; Black Panther Antwan Tolliver, whose life has been changed by MS; and Hale (Andrew Pilkington), who angrily yet eloquently taps out his grievances. Along for the ride are the likes of caregiver and Black Panther Chuck Jackson (Ray Fisher) and local newsman Evan White (Dylan O’Brien), who arrives in the hopes of jumpstarting his career and leaves really caring about the cause.
Every character gets time to shine, both as an advocate for their disability and as a human. While the sit-in was to highlight their plight, it soon turns into a raucous party. It’s rare to see this side of people with disabilities, not because they don’t drink and smoke and have sex, but because society doesn’t want to see them this way and would rather infantilize them. If anything, it’s the able-bodied characters who feel sidelined, Being Heumann may have benefitted from expanding why these people are joining a movement which has no advantages for them.
Judy herself is admirable in her stubbornness, and the film isn’t afraid to show how messy she is. She’s not a saint; she can be narrow-minded in her quest, and she often overlooks other types of disabilities. For example, she so desperately wants a dropped curb that she ignores the issues that would cause problems for blind people.
Being Heumann does an excellent job in portraying the inclusivity and intersectionality of disability. One person’s accessibility is another person’s nightmare. There is no one fix-all for the community because people with very different needs are all lumped together.
Madeley’s central performance as Judy Heumann is breathtaking and remarkably honest. The actress perfectly captures how the activist became so focused on one goal, she lost all sight of her surroundings. In fact, this cast is full of charming performances from disabled actors who understand Heumann’s plight. Ruffalo is also excellent as a weaselly politician who could have become a camp villain in a lesser actor’s hands.
For A Film About Breaking Rules, Being Heumann Is Remarkably Safe
Being Heumann is not going to break any boundaries. Heder prefers to bring her stories with a dose of uplifting, feel-good. If anyone deserves this type of film, it is Judy Heumann. While it certainly softens the edges of Heumann’s story, it doesn’t eliminate any of her messiness or struggles. It just packs it into a perfectly digestible, cinematic box.
The film’s pacing isn’t perfect, unevenly focusing on one event for too long, which forces them to rush the final act.
But it’s hard not to feel some emotion for the pioneering activist who helped transform the fight for equality in America. The fight is far from over for many communities around the world, and it takes women like Heumann, who refuse to give up, to challenge government. Being Heumann also acts as a devastating reminder that inclusion, representation, and equality are fairly new concepts that can be taken away from us all too easily. If anything, this film is a reminder that you don’t wait for change; you fight to make it happen.
Being Heumann opens in theaters on November 6 and arrives on Apple TV on November 13.
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