OLD-SCHOOL WHEELING- MOVIES

The following article was originally printed in The Phoenix on July 15, 2005

There was a little gem of a film out last spring called "Rory O'Shea Was Here." It kind of got lost in the big box office crunch. I want to bring it to light, as it has a disability theme, plus it's a great movie to find now on cable or DVD.

The story is set at the Carrigmore Home for the Disabled and centers around the buddy relationship between two young men, Michael has Cerebral Palsy, which has not only affected his body but his speech as well. In fact, hardly anyone at the home can understand him. Until Rory moved in.

Rory has Muscular Dystrophy. He only has control of two fingers on one hand, but not much else.

Right away, you may think this sounds like a downer of a movie, and maybe the subject matter was a reason why it was lost in the shuffle when it hit theaters. But it is actually a very funny, moving movie, one that draws on the positive rather than the negative aspects of life, one that inspires and give you hope.

Rory is sort of the Jack Nicholson character in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest." He is a rebel. he is determined. And he is smart. He may be a prisoner inside a broken body, but his spirit isn't broken.

He is soon encouraging his friend Michael to join him at a local pub (it's an Irish film, so it's a pub, not a bar), as they try to pick up girls and even pick a fight. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but the results are both touching and humorous.

Rory wants out of the institutional world and into more independent living. The problem is the staff at the home don't think Rory is physically able to tackle independent living. Ironically, Michael, they feel, can do so with a caregiver and some motivation.

In steps, Rory, who is the inspiration Michael needs to become more independent. Plus, it just so happens that Rory can understand Michael's garbled speech better than anyone else. So he offers to be Michael's interpreter, which is also a way of Rory gaining his own independence from the home.

They need a caregiver, and there are the usual scenes of interviewing of several oddball type of applicants. They finally meet a young girl in a supermarket and convince her that taking care of them would be a lot more fun then stacking toilet tissue on shelves.She becomes their caregiver and friend.

Yes, the two young men eventually both have crushes on their new caregiver, which is interesting because Rory needs to interpret Michael's words many times, despite having his own feelings for the girl. The romantic triangle is handled with taste and isn;t as predictable as you may think. Plus, it shows that even in a wheelchair you can still fall in love.

This movie is full of joy and determination, as Michael and Rory feed off of each other's emotions. In Rory's case, it also proves that if you want to be a punk who happens to be in a wheelchair, you can be a punk in a wheelchair. You can really be whatever you want to be, as long as you try hard enough. It is a movie about the human spirit more so than the human body. And it again proves that one is only as limited as one perceives themselves to be.


There is a movie called "Murderball" coming out soon, which also has a disability theme. I will review that movie soon. Despite it's gloomy title, it is actually a documentary about the Team USA Wheelchair Rugby team. It made a big splash at this year's Sundance Film Festival, so I'm anxious to see it and review it.


The Paratransit system in Chester County is now known as ROVER. Nothing much has change of the system, just the name. The vans are being painted a different color, and there is a new logo.

Please remember that if you are disabled and need transportation anywhere in the Phoenixville/Chester County area, you can apply for a ROVER card. They can take you to doctor's appointments, the store, the hair dresser, or wherever you want to go. You just need to arrange the trip ahead of time. The cost is very minimal, considering the cost of gas these days. And it gives you much more independence and freedom, rather than depending on others for a ride.

After the ADA law was passed, Paratransit became accessible, not only for senior citizens, but to the disabled as well.So please use them.