Change Your Image
thwillisss13
Reviews
Miss You Can Do It (2013)
Miss You Can Do It--exactly what pageants should be
I wouldn't say I'm a fan of beauty pageants, they're shallow. Throw young girls in the mix and suddenly you have a reality TV show—definitely not a fan. The Miss You Can Do It pageant is exactly what every pageant should be. This pageant uplifts girls with disabilities and makes them shine and this documentary beautifully and whimsically captures this.
The film begins with Abbey Curran, a young woman with cerebral palsy who fell in love with pageants and through her determination became the first woman with a disability to compete in the Miss USA Pageant. After, she was compelled to pass along what she gained from her success and created the Miss You Can Do It pageant. Throughout the film the viewer gets an intimate snapshot into the lives of eight contestants learning of their struggles and excitement for the pageant whether it be their first or ninth time competing.
Their stories are incredibly inspiring and heartwarming, and truly helps to shift the perception of disabilities and educate the viewer. The pageant allows each individual girl to be little girl and not disabled. She is allowed to feel beautiful and normal and meet friends who relate and the documentary enables their personalities to radiate on screen.
Although there seems to be the perception that having a child with a disability is a burden, the personal interviews with the parents of the contestants gives the audience a new understanding. Each parent loves their child like any other parent and would do anything to make them happy and live a healthy life; they regret nothing besides not wanting their child to suffer.
Each contestant's unique story and personality really makes it easy to fall in love with these girls and this film. If you are looking for a film that can inspire a new outlook on life and warm your heart I recommend taking 70 minutes out of your day to watch this wonderful documentary.
Mr. Twister (2013)
"Mr. Twister", a short doc that unravels the stigma around autism
Brian Tolley is a teen who has a interesting talent, he makes sculpture type art with twist ties--the metal encased in plastic or paper ties that keep bread bags closed. Oh and Brian is autistic, but this short bypasses dwelling on his condition and instead highlights that an unexpected person can create something unexpected. His art is an ingenuity I'd never heard of and was pleasantly surprised to see how Brian discovered his craft and how he's excelled. When we first meet Brian, he describes how he had trouble communicating and socializing, but then you see how he interacts with people about his craft and you don't see an autistic teen. I loved this short because it unravels the stigma around autism by illustrating that creative expression is solely and uniquely in the hands of the creator and that creator can be anyone. His personality radiates through his craft and the cinematography and score captures the individual beauty of Brian's personality and his creativity. The editing is light and engaging and pushes the story forward. Short and sweet, Brian Tolley is redefined as an artist and not just some boy with autism.