The new movie 'Me Before You' has just launched its world premiere on May 23, 2016. However, it has drawn out a host of criticism from the disabled community. What they have been protesting all along, is that the film was able to cast an able person giving him a disabled role, and that the story ended tragically.
It seems to them that the movie depicts that their lives are not worth living. A UK group called Not Yet Dead showed how annoyed they are about the movie. Their dismay was even posted on their facebook group page and website.
The film is released by Warner Brothers. It is based on a novel by Jojo Moyle
The movie's leading actors were Sam Claflin from Hunger Games and Game of Throne's Emilia Clarke. The Story is about a guy Will Treynor (Claflin) who has been affected by quadriplegia after an accident happened to him. He was then given a caregiver in the person of Clark (Emilia) with whom he later on fell in love with.
According to one disabled activist Ellen Clifford, 38, she described the film as having a dreadful message. She told Buzzfeed that "The message of the film conotes that disability is a tragedy and disabled people are better off dead." She added that, "It comes from a dominant narrative carried by society and the mainstream media that says it is a terrible thing to be disabled.
Activist group in the US also protested against the movie. In social media, complaints and boycotts against them are under the hastag, #MeBeforeAbleism.
Disabled people are constantly told that we're a burden and should put abled people before us. #MeBeforeYou #MeBeforeAbleism
— Rabbit KM (@BathysphereHat) May 25, 2016
TW suicide #MeBeforeAbleism because people think telling us they would kill themselves if they were disabled is some huge compliment
— ✨ sandra ☔ (@sicklefrijoles) May 25, 2016
As reported by The Mighty, Moyle in her 2013 interview with Goodread said that she has gotten thousands of emails and thank you notes from the community of paraplegics and for reflecting their lives. She also reportedly has a son who is hearing impaired, but she has not yet responded to the recent criticism of her work that has been turned into a movie.
Warner Brother's has not yet released any statements regarding the issue. Perhaps the book is better than the movies? What say ye?
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