In 1977, disability rights activist Judy Heumann leads a historic 28-day occupation of San Francisco’s Federal Building, uniting protesters in a fight for accessibility laws and equal rights.
Chuck says:
“Being Huemann” a Testament to Courage
By Chuck Koplinski
Being Heumann – 3 ½ Stars
Cast: Ruth Madeley, Dylan O’Brien, Mark Ruffalo, David Hewlett, Rob Delaney, Ray Fisher, Madison Tevlin, Jon Beavers and Will Brill.
Directed by Sian Heder; produced by John Beach, Kevin Cleary and Heder; screenplay by Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner and Heder.
An Apple Films release. 127 minutes. Rated R (language) Streaming on Apple TV.
Without question, the greatest thing Sian Heder accomplishes with her fascinating new film “Being Huemann,” is putting the viewer in the shoes of its many characters. A recounting of the 26-day siege of the San Francisco Federal Building led by activist Judy Huemann, the film is at its most effective when it forces the viewer to see the world through the eyes of the disabled. Whether it be woman in a wheelchair, a blind man, someone who must sleep in an iron lung or any of the myriad others who are afflicted, the script by Kristen Joiner, Heder and Huemann pays special attention to their everyday trials. It proves to be a bracing education for those of us who take for granted the ease with which we get up in the morning, drive to work and walk about town.
In 1972, a small group of senators snuck Section 504 into the Rehabilitation Act. This would ensure that people with disabilities would have equal access to education, employment and other services, while calling for physical changes granting them easier access to buildings and during travel. After five years, it has yet to be signed and has fallen to Joseph Califano (Mark Ruffalo), the new Secretary of Health and Human Services, to address. Under pressure from President Carter to cut costs in his agency, he’s been reticent to sign the edict due to the costs of implementing it.
However, after five years, the patience of those directly affected has run out, chief among them, Judy Heumann (Ruth Madeley). Fed up with the lack of progress, she leads a seemingly impromptu protest that results in her and approximately 150 other people with disabilities to take up residence in the San Francisco Federal Building, vowing to stay until 504 is signed. Their nearly month-ling siege would bind them in ways they never anticipated.
The script employs an economical narrative approach, moving from one key moment or incident to the next, efficiently dispensing with the necessary historical context. Heder’s approach makes for a film we’re engaged with from the start, the background fascinating, the cause compelling.
The gathering proves educational for the characters and viewers as well. Thrown together, the occupants experience first-hand the trails each of them face, their empathy for one another growing as each day passes. Most importantly, they come to realize their self-worth. As Brad Lomax (Antwan Tolliver), afflicted with multiple sclerosis says, “The world starts to treat you like you’re invisible and you start to believe it.” This experience prompts many to reevaluate this notion, a sense of self-assurance the most important gain for many from this experience.
All these characters are presented in an unvarnished manner, Heumann in particular. While her strength and determination are commendable, at times she fails to take others’ concerns into consideration and often allows her anger trump her good judgment. Madeley gives a fierce yet sympathetic performance, rising to the challenge of bringing Heumann’s complex nature to life.
Perhaps the most affecting moment in the film occurs in the third act when Heumann and others travel to Washington, D.C. to confront Califano. With no vehicles configured for the wheelchair bound to travel safely, they are loaded into the back of a moving truck like so much chattel. This scene forcefully drives home that Heumann and her peers suffer indignities such as this on a daily basis. In an instant, “Being” shows us how important the passage of Section 504 was while underscoring the courage of those who pushed for its passage.
3 1/2 Stars
