These films are based on true stories unless otherwise noted as F (fiction) or ? (unknown origin of story). This list was compiled for adults to learn more about disabilities and giftedness, so please preview before presenting to children. Several of these films have excessive inappropriate language, violence or sexual content indicated by an *asterisk.

FILM                                                                     EXCEPTIONALITY

Rain Man/ Kim Peek  (*) Autistic/Savant
Mozart and the Whale (*) Asperger’s
Temple Grandin Autism
A Life, Animated Autism
The Accountant (F *) Asperger’s
Ray/Ray Charles (*) Visually impaired
The Miracle Worker /Helen Keller Visual & hearing impaired
If you could see what I hear Visually impaired
Concussion Traumatic Brain Injury
Music Within /Richard Pimentel (*) Traumatic Brain Injury
Radio Intellectual disability
Born This Way (6 TV episodes) Intellectual disability
I Am Sam Intellectual disability
Door to Door /Bill Porter Cerebral Palsy
My Left Foot /Christy Brown  (*) Cerebral Palsy
First Do No Harm Epilepsy
Beautiful Mind /John Nash Schizophrenia/academically gifted
The Soloist (*) Schizophrenia/creatively gifted
Benny and Joon (*) Schizophrenia/creatively gifted
Mask /Rocky Dennis Physical disability
Murder Ball (documentary) Physically impaired
What about Bill (F) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
As Good as It Gets (F) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
The Aviator / Howard Hughes (*) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder/ EBD
Mr. Holland’s Opus (?) Hearing impaired
Children of a Lesser God (?) Hearing impaired
Beyond Silence Hearing impaired
The Front of the Class Tourette Syndrome
I have Tourette’s…(documentary) Tourette Syndrome
October Sky Gifted
Finding Forrester (F) Academically gifted
Gifted Hands/Ben Carson Gifted
Gifted (F) * Academically gifted
The Kings Speech/King George (*) Speech impairment
The Music Man (?*) Speech impairment

 

(F)  fiction 

(?)  not certain of origin; may not be a true story

(*)  contains inappropriate language, violence, or sexual content