Directed by Damien O’Donnell
Starring James McAvoy, Steven Robertson
Rated NR
104min.

There are many physically disabled people in the world, and we can see them easily. We can see this through a road made for people using a wheelchair and restrooms made for physically disabled people. However, have you ever imagined being in their shoes? There is a movie that can help us to think about the inconveniences and injustices that physically disabled people endure. It’s called Inside I’m Dancing.

In the movie, there are two men. One is Michael Connolly, who suffered from polio and has a speech impediment. The other is Rory O’Shea, who suffers from DMD (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy), so he can only move two fingers, and he is rebellious. One day, Rory is put in a nursing home because he couldn’t be subsidized for independent living, and he meets Michael. No-one could understand Michael talking because he has a speech impediment, but Rory can understand him. The people who have lived together for a long time in the nursing home didn’t try to understand him, so Rory changes Michael’s boring life. They use money from collected contributions for drinking and going to a club. Rory is refused from being subsidized again because of his irresponsibility. However, Michael is subsidized, using his knowledge and eloquence, through Rory’s interpreting. They finally are able to leave the nursing home.

In the movie, they are judged by people who have a prejudice because they are physically disabled. However, the movie shows that we shouldn’t judge people so quickly. Anyone can fall in love, enjoy dancing and even become fashionable. During the last part of the movie, Michael pointed out the subsidy supporting committee’s prejudice in that they judged Rory as irresponsible because he is rebellious. We know that there aren’t standards or correct answers of responsibility. Like this, we may judge that they can’t dance because they don’t dance like common people, but there aren’t standards or correct ways to dance. We think that they need and want help because they are physically disabled, and put some of them in a nursing home. However, in reality, most just want to choose for themselves how to live.

Have you ever judged someone in this way? The title of the movie, Inside I’m Dancing, means “I’m dancing, but you can’t see it.”