(no subject)

So I saw this tumblr post -- i can't find it now, of course, but it was a gifset of James McAvoy as Rory O'Shea, with bleached spiky hair and a nose ring introducing himself as having Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ("Besides the full vocal range, I have the use of two fingers of my right hand, sufficient for self-propulsion and self-abuse. You can shake me hand or kiss me arse - but don't expect me to reciprocate.") -- and while I'd seen caps of that role before, it had never quite pinged in my consciousness that the character was disabled. 

The movie in question, Rory O'Shea Was Here, is available on Netflix, and so I decided, in a fit of utter brilliance, to watch it. 

I have no sense of self preservation, I really don't. 

The main characters are Michael, a young man with fairly severe cerebral palsy that interferes with his ability to communicate, and the aforementioned Rory. Michael starts out the movie in a group home, but after Rory befriends him they end up moving into a flat of their own and trying to make a proper life for themselves out in the world

Aside from the annoyance that these characters are not portrayed by people with actual disabilities, it's decently well done; at least as far as i can tell; but augh. Watching Rory -- who has less mobility than I do  -- was painfully like looking in a mirror. This is what people see when they see me (only without the dodgy hair and piercing). Watching Michael -- who wants to be accepted, to connect, to be something, but also with a tendency to sit at the window watching life pass by -- was like looking in a mirror also. 

Neither was very insightful or anything. It just kind of ached. 

I think I may be a little too close to the subject matter. 

(Though I did laugh at Rory's proposed letter ( reference to suicidal intention )