Rare disorders brought to light by film

The characters and stories we adore in modern film often educate us about real physical and neurological disorders. Ain’t no entertainment without enlightenment these days.

Nowadays the purpose of modern film and TV is rarely just to entertain. Writers and directors often embed powerful historical, philosophical, and political messages within their work and sometimes, intentionally or not, they bring to light rare physical and neurological disorders we never knew existed through the evocative on-screen performances of their actors.

In the late 80s Dustin Hoffman’s Oscar winning portrayal of ‘autistic savant’ Raymond Babbit was many people’s first introduction to the concept of autism as a biological disorder rooted in brain development. Throughout the 60s and 70s, autism was defined as being a psychiatric condition attributed to environmental factors; not unlike schizophrenia. But Barry Levinson’s Rain Man piqued the curiosity of many, prompting them to look into the real life affects and origins of autism for the first time.

Alongside The Elephant Man, this is arguably the most obvious example of the big-screen raising awareness for obscure disorders out there, but we’ve put together a list of examples that we believe have succeeded in bringing some clarity to the public consciousness in recent times.

Joker

Joaquin Phoenix’s masterful portrayal of Batman’s cackling nemesis in Joker has taken the world by storm this month. Whittled down to a skeletal figure, watching Phoenix is almost as physically exhausting for us as it is for him, particularly when he’s attempting to stifle bouts of pathological laughter.

Many (myself included) believed this to be fictional disorder created to accommodate Joker’s iconic laugh in a more realistic narrative. But in the days that followed the premiere, several real-life sufferers came forward to share their harrowing battles with PBA (Pseudobulbar affect).

PBA – often referred to as emotional incontinence – is characterised by uncontrollable episodes of crying and/or laughing and is believed to stem from neurological damage to the limbic system. The exact aetiology is yet to be fully pinpointed but disruption to the nerve impulses in the central nervous system is thought to be a major factor.

One particular video is circulating on the internet at the moment showing 47-year-old Scott Logan of Virginia trying to contain an involuntary laugh in his car, and honestly Phoenix’s representation couldn’t have been closer to the real thing. While speaking to Lad Bible, Mr Logan revealed that, like Arthur Fleck, his episodes arise when under duress or extreme emotional trauma often leading to awkward misunderstandings and social conflicts.

The King’s Speech

Colin Firth landed an Oscar for his emotional portrayal of George VI in The King’s Speech back in 2011. The period drama centres around the struggles of a troubled monarch as he attempts to tackle his severe stammer/stutter in the public eye in the build up to World War II.

Many of us will know someone who currently, or at one point in time has struggled with a stutter. Today, it’s defined as a communication disorder in which the flow of speech is broken by repetitions of syllables, prolongations, and abnormal stoppages. Researchers remain baffled about its direct origins, but childhood trauma has been ruled out as a contributing factor. Therapy has proved the most effective method of combatting the symptoms.

The King’s Speech was an endearing celebratory story about the triumph of the human spirit and friendship, but as well as making the audience feel all warm and fuzzy it also provided them with insight into actual therapies and treatments for stuttering.

King George’s therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) employs real techniques throughout the film, including teaching how to speak words connected in groups, using loud music to mask learned patterns of stuttering, and a nice dose of self-confidence building.

Wonder

Based on R. J. Palacio’s 2012 novel of the same name, Wonder arrived on the big-screen in 2017 and has since become one of the most popular movies on Netflix. The story follows a young teenage boy in a typical all-American suburban high school trying to fit in despite standing out due to his obvious physical difference.

Having been born with a craniofacial disorder – meaning an abnormality of the face or head – called Treacher Collins Syndrome, young Auggie struggles to make friends in his first year at public school. But eventually inspires his friends and those around him to look past his differences and see him for who he really is; a humble and kind soul. It’s a film starring Owen Wilson, it was never going to end badly was it?

Although the lead actor Noah Jacob Tremblay isn’t actually a sufferer in real life, Auggie swiftly became the face of TCS. His story opened millions up to a disorder they previously knew little or nothing about and empowered young sufferers the world over, according to the Children’s Craniofacial Association.

Occurring in only 1 in 50,000 births, TCS stunts the development of bones and facial tissues. Hallmarks include underdeveloped cheek bones, a small jaw and chin, a cleft palate, and slanting eyes. These abnormalities are largely superficial and vary in severity, but can occasionally affect respiration, vision, and potentially hearing (if the ear forms in the wrong way).