Disability in film

This article was written by Dana Fore in 2011

The article makes the argument that disability in Avatar is used to simply get an emotional response and for the audience to take pity on the character Sully, but it is also handled in a way that doesn’t put too much focus on his disability.

Dana makes a point that the dialogue is used to show Sully’s’ vulnerability and increase ‘audience sympathy for him’. 

“They can fix a spinal [injury], if you’ve got the money. But not on vet benefits. Not in this economy”(Avatar 2009).

He also states that this line ‘over simplifies the nature of difficulties in disabled people’s lives by ascribing those difficulties to personal weaknesses, without considering larger social factors like wealth, class, race or gender’.

Overall I agree with their statements, as I believe that the main focus of the film is the fact that Sully is vulnerable while in his wheelchair. The fact that the main objective for Sully and one of the key plot points is him trying to obtain his ability to walk further supports this.