At last, at long last. I’ve been interested in Being Heumann, the Judy Heumann biopic, ever since I saw a casting call that came my way. Since I’m part of the disability community, the call was looking for a wide array of disabled actors to submit to fill out the ensemble of the new Siân Heder film. I don’t know that anybody could have possibly expected to know the extent to which Heder would cast, but she ended up with one of the most inclusive and authentically cast ensembles in cinema history. Within the film, there’s a conversation Judy has with an intrepid young reporter, Evan White (Dylan O’Brien), who’s trying to justify his presence as a non-disabled person among the protesters. He tells Judy that he thinks people will be inspired, to which she replies, “Inspired or inspired to do?” Because those are 2 completely different things, and it really made me think about this film. About whether or not I enjoy it simply because I am a disabled film critic, or whether or not the film in and of itself is great, and also whether or not this is inspirational for the sake of giving people that warm, fuzzy feeling, or whether or not it is inspired to do. Will anybody actually move as a result? Naturally, I have thoughts.

For anyone who doesn’t know the story of Judy Heumann, Being Heumann does a wonderful job of capturing, at least, the most important chapter of her life: staging a peaceful sit-in to protest the failure to implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It originally passed during the Nixon administration, and then, once they watched the government change hands to Ford and then Carter, it became kind of frustrating to still see no momentum on the actual application of Section 504, which prohibits disability discrimination in programs and institutions receiving federal funding. It was the spark that started the flame that would eventually give broader rights in the Americans with Disabilities Act, but at least Section 504 would force a lot of public buildings, like courthouses, libraries, and hospitals, to make accommodations so that everyone could use them. It’s such a strange concept to think that this once wasn’t a thing, because disabled people are taxpayers too, and for some of those projects, they are paying taxes to be able to use institutions which they cannot enter. But as the film wonderfully tackles, the idea of why the disabled community is ignored, as one character ruminates, is because they’re afraid of becoming them. Not because they are afraid of disabled people in general, but of what it reminds them. And as someone who acquired a disability and wasn’t born with one, I can tell you that is absolutely true. Personally, for me, the circle around me in my life changed as I became a cautionary tale. A warning to those that they’re not safe, that no one is. Disability can come for anybody at any time, and it’s not something anybody really wants to reckon with. The idea that you could lose your sight in your mid-30s is not something most people want a daily reminder of. And part of that comes with the exclusionary aspect of making sure that, if you don’t want to be reminded of something, then you make it so that people cannot be in the same space as you, something that Judy and her crew face and challenge throughout the film.

The movie centers on an impromptu sit-in where Judy and other disabled advocates occupied a federal building in San Francisco in order to bring attention to their cause and get Section 504 actually signed and enforced, instead of just passively existing. Judy is whip-smart and attractive, something that the film embraces wholeheartedly. Not only does she go toe to toe with anybody she faces, but the film dares to present Judy Heumann as sexy. There’s a scene that could have gone a completely different way where we see an able-bodied man pass by and look at Judy. She questions what it is that he is looking at, and instead of saying something like, “You’re pretty for a wheelchair user,” or “You’re pretty for a disabled woman,” he just comments, “Nice legs.” From that point on, Judy and that character, Jim Pechin (Jon Beavers), end up having several flirtatious moments, showing that Judy is far more than just her disability or her chair. She’s still a woman, and an attractive one at that. This is an interesting one, because the audio description never has to try to describe her as being attractive, which is very subjective to begin with. But it’s through Heder’s storytelling that supports the idea that Judy isn’t afraid to embrace her womanhood. There are other times where she is going to make a public statement, and she unbuttons the top button on her blouse to allow the cleavage to do some extra talking on her behalf, and even suggests that her new recruit, Kitty Cone (Madeline Delp), follow suit. A lot of the stuff in here I’ve heard about through other documentaries and other stories, like how the Black Panthers fed and stood in solidarity with Judy and her activists. And that intrepid young reporter, Evan, played by Dylan O’Brien, plays a crucial part in holding fire to the flame in terms of seeking the truth and forcing change. Being on the inside, he gets to see this diverse group of individuals and how passionate they are about their future, wanting to do more than just exist, but wanting to actually live. Mark Ruffalo, as the antagonist, Joseph Califano, is very good, mostly kept to a one-note character so we can’t possibly sympathize with him. He doesn’t really have much of a redemption arc other than the eventual caving that we know he’ll make historically. Rob Delaney also plays Congressman Miller, who is one of the few who supports Judy in her cause. And among the notable cast, Ray Fisher plays Chuck Jackson, a Black Panther assigned to Brad Lomax (Antwan Tolliver), a disabled Black Panther who is at the rally. Chuck also becomes involved in the protest as a byproduct.

So, to answer Judy’s question, inspired or inspired to do, we have to look at the current climate. I’ve been predicting this film to get Oscar nominations since I started talking about the Oscars for this year. I’ve had it in Picture, Actress, and Casting. If it doesn’t get a Casting nomination, I feel like it should be a crime, since Being Heumann took away the record for the most disabled actors in one film set by Freaks nearly a century ago. That is not a good film to have that record, and I am so happy that this is the film that now does. Also, because Siân Heder cast so many disabled actors, she found out there was only 1 accessible trailer in all of Hollywood. So they had to make more. Now, thanks to Being Heumann, there are multiple accessible trailers for disabled actors to be able to work on other film sets in the future. I will say that given the fact that I’ve been talking about Being Heumann for quite some time, I found it very odd that I was never given this as a screener. I’ve never been invited to a screening of Being Heumann. Nobody reached out to me, and I’m one of only a handful of disabled critics on Rotten Tomatoes. So, on the off chance that Apple, Siân Heder, or anyone else involved in the film happens to read this, while I take nothing for granted, I am also the only blind film critic. And if you want to ask the question about inspired to do, you have to look at the people who are doing, who are still working in advocacy to try to push forward accessibility beyond what Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act have allotted thus far. Given the niche representation, I would have thought someone would have noticed me by now. And in case you’re thinking, “Well, sir, I mean, I’ve seen your website. It looks kind of ghetto. Do you really think you’re going to get a screener opportunity for Being Heumann?” To counter that, I would say Apple’s previous film, Tenzing, I was offered a screener for. Apple has, on occasion, offered me opportunities to screen other films and television series. So, yeah, it does strike me as a little weird that the film that actually aligns with who I am as a disabled person is the one thing that I had to wait until it landed on Apple TV to see.

And that’s also part of my inspired to do answer. I don’t know, Judy. I do not know if people will be inspired to do because Apple may have botched the campaign for this film, and if it doesn’t catch fire on Apple TV, those predictions that I had for it may go away, which would be tragic, because I think this is one of the best films of the year. But giving a film a slight theatrical run just prior to debuting it on the platform gives me pause. When I log onto the platform on Friday morning to watch Being Heumann and it’s not even the most important thing that they have, I begin to wonder about the importance of the film to Apple. The big banner show took over the spot that should have gone to Being Heumann up at the top, reminding people that this TIFF People’s Choice runner-up and Oscar hopeful was now available for them to access. So, as far as whether or not Being Heumann as a film will inspire to do, I certainly hope so. That is what I had in my heart of hearts heading into this for months.

I was hoping that, given the current climate, where in the past 2 years 17 states were suing to challenge Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the very piece of legislation that Judy fought so hard to enact, people would pay attention. The attorneys general of 17 states were involved in a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s Section 504 regulations, including provisions concerning gender dysphoria. Disability advocates feared the broader implications for Section 504 itself. Luckily, the pressure from residents and advocates helped change the course of that challenge. But in the last 2 years, that is not the only attack made on disability rights. The current political climate and administration have sought to turn the words diversity, equity, and inclusion into critical buzzwords used to rally an army, when really a focus on those things is what allows disabled people opportunities to seek education and employment, to be considered fairly, more so than just simple anti-discrimination, but to actually encourage institutions to find ways to hire disabled individuals. We always know that we can show up to a job interview, and those of us with visible disabilities that cannot be hidden, who need some sort of reasonable accommodation, are going up against a slew of non-disabled individuals. Who’s to say that the person they end up choosing that’s not us didn’t truly nail the job interview better than we did, or isn’t slightly more qualified? It’s often tough to challenge those types of decisions unless you truly feel like you were discriminated against and can prove it. But DEI programs encouraged opportunities, not just to expand ethnic, gender, age, and sexual orientation opportunities, but also to think about whether or not there’s a place for that disabled person. So when the word inclusivity is turned against us, suddenly we become the problem, and we have a president who blames blind people for plane crashes, and his son pointing to inclusivity at Boeing, with the implication that those with intellectual disabilities are the reason why Boeing’s airplanes are falling apart.

Judy Heumann is as relevant today as she was in the 1970s. We needed Being Heumann to come out in 2026 because we needed a reminder, regardless of how the midterm elections turned out, that these accommodations we have are hard-fought, and we need to be able to inspire to do, to change our world, and continue to adapt legislation that strengthens our accessibility and accommodations beyond what the Americans with Disabilities Act affords. For example, from my perspective, I would love to see audio description become more commonplace, and that starts with legislation that requires it beyond its initial status, which simply asked that network television provide a certain number of hours of audio-described programming, later expanded to additional networks. And for movie theaters, there isn’t actually a regulation requiring film distributors to make audio description. The requirement is that the theater itself has to have the equipment in operating condition and available, and if a film has an audio description track, they are required to pass it through. But there isn’t a requirement for film studios to make the audio description track to begin with. That is how last weekend the #1 film at the box office had no audio description. Being Heumann, however, is quite progressive in that not only does it have audio description on Apple TV, which has been excellent in terms of their consistency in providing audio description across their television shows and films, but they also offer an ASL companion, which I cannot attest to the quality of because that is not my disability. But I do hope, for those seeking it out, that it works wonderfully. The question Judy Heumann asked that day, if people would be inspired to do, I think has been answered by the continued growth in advocacy and awareness, the increase in accessibility and accommodations, and the existence of the Americans with Disabilities Act. People are inspired to do. Now the question is, has Apple put enough gas in the tank for people to be inspired to do because of Being Heumann?

Siân Heder certainly has what it takes as a director, crafting a biopic that doesn’t placate. It doesn’t play to the simplest ideas in that it’s not some tragic sob story. It has the necessary beats so that people who were not around in the 1970s can understand what it was like for disabled people. The opening sequence follows Judy as she navigates a busy city in her motorized wheelchair. And because she can’t get over the curb to get onto a sidewalk, she ends up having to boldly drive in the road with cars, slowing down traffic. The film also embraces the idea that it’s okay to make a joke, and finds just the right ways to do it. One of my favorite exchanges is with the 2 main Black Panther characters. When Chuck finds out that Brad has multiple sclerosis, his reaction focuses on “multiple,” as if he doesn’t understand what the disease is, and he thinks that his friend has multiple sclerosis, or would it be sclerosi? Like he’s been afflicted multiple times with the same thing. It’s not afraid to show these disabled advocates smoking weed, hanging out in a sex tent, and using everything they have to fight back. It’s also not purely outright a comedy, either, as there are some heavier moments, times when scare tactics are used to try to get them to back down, when people are ripped out of their chairs or disabled individuals are attacked. It’s sort of an all-encompassing experience, which it has to be because, as it may surprise you, disability is a spectrum. Another thing that Heder wisely chooses to address is a segment where there’s a little bit of discourse between many of the advocates about whether or not they should continue the fight, as it seems like they’re losing. Judy sits in a room with many different friends, all with different disabilities, and demands that each one of them be heard, like a true democracy. Because the reality is, each one of them would need different accommodations, different paths to accessibility. And they’re not sure that the government would provide all of them, or that there is a one-size-fits-all for the community. But Judy’s point is that without legislation requiring institutions to even attempt to provide those accessibility functions, it won’t result in some people being left out. It will continue to result in all of them being left out.

There was another part where an exchange between Rob Delaney’s Congressman Miller and Mark Ruffalo’s Joseph Califano has Califano question where all these disabled people even came from. Why doesn’t he see them? If they were good enough to be out in these jobs and schools, why aren’t they there to begin with? To which Congressman Miller reminds him that’s what they’re fighting for. It’s not just to simply exist, but to live, to be able to get out of the house. If you can’t access anywhere, then how, or what motivation do you have to leave, to be seen, to be present? There was also a statistic he dropped about having 2 million disabled kids who were, at the time, not enrolled in school that he would love to see enrolled. That’s a huge number. The performances across the board are stunning, as there are so many disabled actors here getting an opportunity to show what they can do, hopefully for future projects. But it’s really Ruth Madeley who steals the show in Being Heumann. She’s radiant, just powerful. She’s smart. And I hope the real-life Judy would have felt like she was fully captured on screen, because this representation is positive, strong, and Ruth brings a lot of soul to this role. Yes, she can be a hard-ass. Yes, she’s tough as nails, but there are plenty of times where we see those little cracks. We see her questioning if she’s making the right choices and yet continuing to persevere, even at the risk of her own health. She’s willing to go as far as she needs to without necessarily demanding or requiring that everybody else follow. When she goes on a hunger strike, she doesn’t require all around her to do so. There’s a part where one of the advocates, Ed Roberts (Michael Patrick Thornton), after Judy has sort of impromptu taken over this federal building, realizes that they aren’t leaving and they plan on staying for a while. He reminds her that because this wasn’t planned, not everybody can stay. Some people need medications. Some people have very specific needs that have to be met, like his, where he sleeps in an 800-pound iron lung. And so, unfortunately, he can’t stay.

I feel like Siân Heder really absorbed what it meant to be disabled within this time frame, listened to these stories, and made sure to authentically represent our community. Not just with the best of intentions, but with an honesty that isn’t just honorable. It’s necessary for audiences to be able to connect with an ensemble of actors authentically cast based on their disability, with non-disabled actors filling in supporting roles. If we do truly bother some simply by existing, then Heder has to find a way to craft a film that will convince those nonbelievers that accessibility is a right, not a privilege. I think I would love Being Heumann even if I wasn’t disabled. I think it’s just a damn good film. I just happen to understand it a lot more, because I conceptually understand what’s at risk of being lost. And I see the struggle to maintain and incrementally advance accessibility as technology continues to push us forward into a new age for which the Americans with Disabilities Act was not written. We need fresh legislation. And hopefully, with new blood coming in off the midterms and this wonderful film priming people to have a thought about our community, people will be inspired to do. That is my hope. Being Heumann is unquestionably one of the best films of the year. Possibly the best film of the year. Even if it’s just my favorite. I do tend to beat to my own drum when it comes to who I vote for, what films I vote for. So, unsurprisingly, I’m drawn to Being Heumann, not just as a disabled film critic, but as a decent human being who is interested in history, inspired by perseverance, but also inspired to do something about it. Ruth Madeley deserves to be in this Best Actress race, as she delivers a knockout performance. I am deeply grateful for the existence of this film. And I hope that if you’ve made it this far, you will be inspired to do.

Fresh: 9.2/10