MY LEFT FOOT (1989), 103 minutes

In this extraordinary film Daniel Day Lewis plays Christy Brown, who was born in Depression-era Dublin to a family of 22 children––thirteen of whom survived infancy. That Christy Brown himself survived is something of a miracle as he was diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy. Unable to speak or move any part of his body except his left foot, Christy was initially considered beyond hope by everyone except his mother. But at an early age Christy demonstrated he was indeed aware, and with fierce determination he learned to write and paint amidst the rough and tumble dynamic of his working-class family.

In scenes that are as tough as they are inspiring, Christy develops into a hard-headed, sharp-eyed artist, and when one considers his upbringing took place when a disability was considered a moral failing, the story is that much more striking.

BE ADVISED–– This film is rated R, with smoking, drinking, sexuality, profanity, violence, familial mayhem, self-hatred and one suicide attempt.