Molly

Beautiful and vibrant, Molly experiences life through the eyes of a chile.  Autistic since birth, Molly (played by Elisabeth Shue) has lived in an institution since her parents' deaths.  The institution must close due to financial problems, and Molly goes to live with her older brother, Buck (played by Aaron Eckhart), an advertising executive, and creates nothing but chaos in his orderly world.  Buck consults Molly's neurologist (played by JillHennessy), who suggests an experimental surgery to treat Molly's autism.  This procedure could completely "cure" her autism, but is it worth the risk?  Molly is willing to take the chance.

Viewed from the perspective of disability studies, this film showcases an in-depth portrayal of a disabled woman, whereas all of our other films and documentaries present only men.  Its plot is mainstream with easily recognizable actors, so it should have wide appeal.  Spirituality and Practice gave a good review.  Though it received mostly negative reviews from professional film critics, we must remember that we are looking at it through the perspective of disability studies, with different goals in mind.  If nothing else, it may generate good discussion for our audience.  Released in 1998, this film is rated PG-13, and is available on DVD.