Me Before You is a movie about an abled girl who is taking care of a suicidal man who recently became a quadriplegic. They have a good time, then he kills himself and gives her all his money, so she can go off and have a good life. Or, as Hollywood likes to say, ROMANCE!
There are lots of great pieces on the film. Here's Emily Ladau's via Salon, if you're new to the issue.
It's been interesting watching the movie and its PR machine (which includes its stars, such as Emilia Clarke, Mother of Dragons) slowly roll out its response. I have a theory about where it's going to go.
Here are The Five Stages of Grief When Your Movie Turns Out To Be Ableist Crap
1. Denial - This isn't happening. Everything's fine here.
2. Anger - What's wrong with you people!
3. Bargaining - I respect your criticism but you don't have the full view of the movie.
4. Depression - I'll just sit here in the dark by myself and cry while I watch my movie.
5. Acceptance - I'm so proud we started a dialogue around these important issues.
We're at Stage 3.
