The Other Sister (1999)
Clara is a mentally retarded woman of considerable spirit.
Instead of succumbing to the well-meant, protective urgings of
family and friends, she shrugs off their limited view of her
potential and signs up for a vocational training class where she
meets and falls in love with a retarded man. They want to live
a normal life together as a couple, but find that her family
resists the idea, especially when it comes to sex. But rather than
give in to the pressure, they hold fast to their dream. The film
illustrates how tenacious determination to fight off prejudice
sometimes can win the world over.
Viewing Suggestion:Watch how Carla accepts who she is
and focuses on creating the life she wants for herself instead of
being concerned about what other people think about her.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973)
Sometimes, you just have to acknowledge that you are differ-
ent from the rest of the flock. Jonathan, an irrepressible seag-
ull, decides to follow that instinct, and it leads him to discover
powers within himself that amaze his friends and set him apart
from the crowd. But he quickly learns that independence from
social norms can carry a high price. His newfound powers
excite fear and jealousy in the others. Eventually he is cast out
of the flock. But trusting his inner voice, he learns that even his
ostracism has its hidden blessings. Jonathan learns that being
true to your inner nature leads one to a fuller understanding and
love of others.
Viewing Suggestion:Watch how Jonathan gains his own
identity and a new perspective on life when he differentiates
himself from his flock and takes flight into the unknown.
Nell (1994)
Isolated from the world her entire life deep in the Carolina
backwoods, Nell is a “wild child.” With only her stroke-
afflicted mother as an example of spoken English and with no
other human contact, she inhabits a world few others could
Negative Belief Index 77