THE STORY – Scrappy, defiant, and done being treated like a burden, Judy Heumann turns her outrage into a revolution. In 1977, she and more than 100 disability rights protestors send a very loud message: The system is broken, not us.
THE CAST – Ruth Madeley, Madeline Delp, Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Rob Delaney, Daniel Durant, Roberta Colindrez, Antwan Tolliver, Jon Beavers, Ray Fisher, Andrew Pilkington, Michael Patrick Thornton, Russell Harvard, Charlie Rush-Reese, Rio Finnegan, D’Arcee Charrington Neal, Will Brill, Matthew August Jeffers, Sienna Rafter & Rein Barcel
THE TEAM – Siân Heder (Director/Writer) & Rebekah Taussig (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 127 Minutes
In the opening moments of Siân Heder’s “Being Heumann,” Brooklyn-raised activist Judy Heumann (a wonderful Ruth Madeley) takes to the streets of 1972 New York to demand human rights for people with disabilities. After being completely ignored and undermined, she tells her fellow activists to put her in the streets. Judy then proudly flips the middle finger to a honking driver behind her, and the film’s title card aptly drops. That same sense of tenacity and sheer determination runs through the heartfelt core of Heder’s film. Based on a real life revolution, “Being Heumann” puts a team of radical activists at the center of their own narrative, portraying their voices with a lot of nuance and care. Actively challenging a broad inspirational story, the film urgently depicts disabled people’s everyday struggles for accessibility in a world that was not (and still isn’t) built with everyone in mind. Recounting Judy’s punk rock fight through a candid lens, “Being Heumann” shines as an incredibly insightful and necessary watch.
Judy Heumann (Madeley) knows what she wants, and knows how to turn her needs into tangible action. Considered the founding mother of the disability rights movement, she rallies communities together and takes the lead on historic fights for equality. Heder shows us this fierce perseverance early on in 1972 New York and five years later in San Francisco, where the majority of the film takes place. Judy and her team of abled and disabled supporters examine where they ought to protest next. The new plan involves pressuring the ignorant Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Joseph Califano (Mark Ruffalo). Califano has refused to sign long-delayed regulations to implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a law that protects people with disabilities and requires accessibility in all federal places. Determined not to let Califano’s inaction go unchecked, Judy stages an occupation in San Francisco. What begins as a one day protest unfolds into a 28 day sit-in.
Framing the film around this 504 sit-in shows a fight across multiple levels, from political and cultural to the characters’ internal self-advocacy. And it makes time for intersectionality, showing how Judy’s leadership led to bringing different civil rights groups together. When the government tried to cut off outside resources, for instance, the Black Panthers delivered food to sustain the protesters. Brad Lomax (played by an excellent Antwan Tolliver), a Black Panthers member who had multiple sclerosis, helps lead the protest alongside Judy and organizes vital support. When another ally learns of this condition, it’s misinterpreted as “multiple” of sclerosis, one of several examples of a strong sense of humor throughout the film. Additionally, “Go show your cleavage and cry” becomes an amusing running line, which starts as a piece of advice given to Judy on how to handle an imminent press conference. The humor never comes at the expense of characters; it’s interwoven into the story simply as a mirror to life itself, comedic and tragic in the same breath.
Adapted from Heumann’s autobiography, Heder and co-writer Rebekah Taussig maintain a core message of access in how they approach the story. As Judy states to her fellow disabled citizens, “You are not the problem.” It’s society’s lack of accessibility that creates hardship and continues to undermine the significance of disability rights. The 504 sit-in framing gives the film a strong narrative focus and places you at the heart of the action. While some of the building-set scenes begin to feel drawn out, the story quickly regains footing as a new obstacle emerges. The 504 sit-in also helps frame Judy’s impact on implementing change, which was met with some critique from within her community. In a standout scene, Kitty Cone (a brilliant Madeline Delp) serves a reminder that Judy is not “the movement,” nor does she get to speak for everyone. There are other voices at play, and the film makes time for several characters’ perspectives on what is needed in terms of accessibility on a day-to-day level. In a moving final act, a collection of court testimonies speak to what living with a disability means. It’s a resounding reminder that access also comes in the form of opportunity.
As Heder demonstrated with the Oscar winning “CODA,” components of the deaf community could not be played authentically unless an individual has actually lived the experience. She fought to cast deaf actors in the roles of deaf characters, and brings that same determination to “Being Heumann,” which features a marvelous ensemble of disabled actors. Ruth Madeley, a wheelchair user herself, delivers a star-making performance as she leads this story with incredible nuance and sharp wit. She lets the character’s spunky personality shine unapologetically, and does not shy away from being a little bit of an asshole, as described with love by Kitty. Madeley also sheds her Manchester accent to embody Judy’s Brooklyn voice and no-nonsense candor, adding another layer of discipline to the role.
The entire supporting cast brings phenomenal screen presence and nuance to this story. Andrew Pilkington shines as disability activist Hale Zukas, who uses a head pointer to communicate. Roberta Colindrez, a standout from 2022’s “A League of Their Own” series, plays Judy’s adviser and occasional caregiver, Joni Breves. Jon Beavers plays Judy’s love interest, Jim Pechin, and their flirtatious scenes together are among the film’s joyous highlights. And from an endearing Charlie Rush-Reese (playing lifelong activist Dennis Billups) to “CODA” star Daniel Durant (playing Steve McCleeland), the film has an abundance of stellar turns. While some characters’ backstories go underexplored, nearly everyone in the principal cast has a moment to make their mark.
Additionally, Dylan O’Brien has a small role as KGO-TV reporter Evan White, who uses his able-bodied privilege to help bring Judy’s group to Washington DC, where they go after Joseph Califano in person. Mark Ruffalo excels as the uncompromising Califano, whose resistance to change stems mainly from an unwillingness to put his job on the line. There’s a palpable weariness that Ruffalo conveys in the character, and it’s especially dynamic knowing the actor’s own admirable activism offscreen.
Heder brings humor and heart to “Being Heumann,” crafting a very compassionate portrayal of people with disabilities and their daily resilience. It’s Heder’s finest work yet, and needless to say, an excellent follow-up to “CODA.” Most meaningfully, “Being Heumann” will open up integral conversations from within the disabled community about the significance of representation onscreen. Hopefully, this will help pave the way for more authentic stories and continue to highlight that the fight for accessibility is not over. As Judy’s character exemplifies in the film, one celebratory win for activists does not mean releasing the pressure. As we near the 50 year anniversary since the 1977 sit-in, the message of this film remains deeply relevant: the fight to achieve human rights is ongoing, and to this day, section 504 remains in jeopardy.
