Cerebral palsy on the big screen

Inside I'm Dancing, also advertised under the title Rory O'Shea Was Here, released in 2004 is a story about the friendship between Michael, who has CP and Rory who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Michael and Rory both live in a residential home for the disabled. Their unique friendship allows them to communicate despite the fact that Michael has nearly unintelligible speech.


My Left foot released in 1989, is a film based on the life of Christy Brown. He has severe cerebral palsy, with his speech being limited to gutteral sounds. For the first ten years of his life, people believed that he was retarded. Through mastering control over his left foot (the only part of his body he had true control over), Christy is able to realize his true potential as a painter, poet, and author.

Gaby: A True Story is a film that was released in 1987 about the life of Gabriela Brimmer, severely affected by cerebral palsy, and only able to control one of her feet which she used to type on a typewriter. Gabriela attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico and later became a poet, painter and activist for the rights of the disabled.