MOVIE
CRITIQUE
ESED
3113 - Survey
of the Exceptional Learner
March
15, 2011
The movie that I
chose to critique is a 2002 Disney Channel movie called Tru Confessions, and is about a teenage girl who films her twin
brother, who has an intellectual disability, for a television documentary
contest. The movie stars Clara Bryant as Tru Walker, and Shia LaBeouf as Eddie
Walker. Tru aspires to have her own comedy sitcom on television; therefore, she
documents her life using her video camera. Tru appears to have a very normal
life, however, she feels guilty that she was the twin that developed like a
typical teenager while her brother, Eddie, did not. Through the help of one of her friends, Tru
discovers that there is a television contest for kids in which the winner will
get to host their own television show. After a few considerations, she chooses
to focus her submission on a documentary about her brother, in order to show
others what it is like having a family member who has an intellectual
disability. Through her time filming not only Eddie but also her mother and
father, Tru learns to appreciate her brother and learn more about her parents.
The movie is not
too explicit about the severity of the disability that Eddie has, though the
characters acknowledge that he has a “developmental disability.” Eddie, on the
outside, appears like a typical teenage boy, but his mental state is that of a
young child in his actions, communication, and understanding. In the film,
during a moment where the father is frustrated with Eddie for stealing his
medical tools (the father is a brain surgeon), the parents begin to argue with
each other about how the father is too strict with him while the mother is too
delicate. The father feels that the mother is hindering Eddie’s growth, while
the mother feels that he will not improve anymore, and is lucky enough to be
integrated into a general classroom.
The movie is very
compassionate towards Eddie, showing that the disability not only is difficult
for others, but for Eddie too. In the film, he mentions to Tru how there was a
time when he viewed both of them as twins, but over time things changed—she
grew up while he did not. We also see moments in his life that appear to be his
dark moments: he gets angry at his kite because it will not fly, so he says it
“must be retarded.” He also faces a moment in a multi-story library where he
gets into an elevator and gets lost on a floor that is strange to him. He becomes
so scared that he shouts out for Tru and is frighten by the librarian. The
pivotal moment during that scene is when he finds Tru and tells her that he is
tired of being different, that he wants to be like everyone else. Everyone in
Tru’s circle (her parents and friends) is very protective of Eddie, but there
is a moment in the film where Eddie encounters a group of male teenagers who
take advantage of him. Tru finds out that the group gave Eddie a hat that they
each took turns spitting in before giving to him. When she found out about
that, she is so enraged that she attacks the leader of the group by pushing him
over a bridge and into a creek.
If Eddie were my
student, I would try to find alternative ways of teaching what Eddie needs to
learn, and possibly find ways of rephrasing the subject matter as though I were
teaching it to a first or second grader (because that is the developmental
range that Eddie appears to be at). I would make sure that Eddie has a
comfortable seating arrangement that makes him feel at ease in the classroom,
and I would offer reading materials that are on his reading level (because
Eddie likes reading). I would also offer opportunities where he can have
hands-on moments of learning, because he likes observing nature and doing things
with his hands. At this moment, just by observing his character from the movie,
and not knowing how he copes with academics, the only other thing I can offer
to do, without fully knowing his capability, is to view him on the same level
as a primary student. Therefore, I would find materials for Eddie that a
primary student would use and further learn from. A teacher of Eddie’s might
face the challenge of dealing with his moments of outburst where he has
tantrums and does not change his behavior. The teacher may even have a
challenge of finding materials, and adjusting them, to meet on the same learning
level as Eddie’s level.
The reason I chose
this movie is that I feel it is a modern outlook on intellectual disabilities.
Moreover, the film is about how a typical family member has to deal with a
loved one who has a disability. Tru, her mother, and her father deal with
different strains in their relationship to each other as they cope with Eddie’s
disability. Tru feels guilty that she turned out normal (for lack of a better
word), the mother tries to mend a failing relationship with her husband and
daughter, and the father hides in his work because he is so frustrated with the
disability. I think this movie effectively shows the perspective of those who
have loved ones with a disability that is similar to Eddie’s. Moreover, I liked
how it captured Tru’s struggle as a typical teenager as she cares for her twin
brother who has an intellectual disability. It shows that Tru had to mature at
an early age just so she could protect Eddie from a world that is not as kind
or understanding to his situation.
Reference
(2002). Tru confessions. USA: Disney
Channel Original Movie.