Footprints in the Snow: reviews
So the big disability-related TV programme over the weekend (I said that like there were lots to choose from, didn't I?) was obviously the ITV drama Footprints in the Snow, starring Caroline Quentin as Julie Hill in, according to the publicity, "the true story of woman's fight to regain her life after a horrifying accident leaves her unable to move her legs".
Now, I have a confession to make. This Monkey was a bit tired last night, and I couldn't possibly manage to stay awake to watch it. Plus, my new DVD recorder is still a mystery to me, so I couldn't record it either.
However, checking the few reviews in the press this morning, it sounds like I didn't miss too much. The free Metro paper, in a review written by Larushka Ivan-Zadeh that's unfortunately not available online, said:
"Two hours and my own legs were going numb. This was ho-hum stuff at best with just enough down-to-earth scenes about disability - awkward sex, patronising publicans - to justify the 'oooh, innit awful?' tear-pulling (I remained dry). The whole slightly-off tone is summed up by Quentin's own misjudged quote in the production notes: 'I've got enormous respect for people with spinal injuries.' Yes, well done them."
Think that's bad? Oh, that's nothing. It gets worse, as The Guardian makes clear in their :
". . . why, instead of crying, do I feel like throwing up through most of it? It's just so saccharine, so mushy-gooey - the warm humour of the other paraplegics in the hospital, warm humour with just a hint of bitterness. The charming Irishman. The stoical young girl who's paralysed from the neck down, the lovely kids . . . I don't know, the whole thing shouted uplifting, life-enhancing ITV drama, and it made me a bit queasy."
That's what they thought, then. But what about you? Were you weeping buckets during Footprints in the Snow? Was it the best disability TV drama you've seen since the, er, last disability TV drama? Tell us in the comments. Go on, you know you want to.
Comments
I thought it was beautifully portrayed by all concerned, maybe it would not have appealed to younger disabled people. I think they would not have understood the adult relationship problems! It was humourous,heart pulling stuff. I and my family went through virtually the very same predicament. I thought it was just fab.
I should first say that I am disabled myself, blind actually, but don't currently know anyone with spinal injiries. However, I should also say that when I was working as a physiotherapist, I worked for a short time on a spinal injuries unit. There was a high level of cameraderie amongst the patients in the unit and that joky atmosphere depicted on the programme was evident. What the programme didn't show though were the down times, even though they touched on them with the main character. I was unsure about the husband's attitude and how he was suddenly right behind her when he thought she might walk again, but thinking about it, I realise that my mother would be the same. Even 40 years on she is still not comfortable with my disability and would jump at any possible whiff of a cure. In summary then, although it was a bit of a Sunday night feel good drama, I did enjoy it.
I regarded this story more of a documentry and Caraline Quentin played a brilliant part showing problems that are real to some people, not meant to be a tear jerker
You'd think they (the tv makers) would get it by now would'nt you about cripland, all these ramps we got now. All the programs there have been about disability and the effects thereof, and yet here we are nearly 25 years since the year of the disabled and - we the REAL disabled are still being patronized to death by guess who? Your favourite stars (able bodied of course) playing at being disabled! Very clever. Im sure its all very difficult in these acting rolls, and those who do these programs try to treat the issues very sensitively with genuine disabled people on site advising etc, but when we're all sitting round the camp fire after a day skiing, (like thats the sort of thing people in chairs do) - I couldnt look (but I did) with embarrassment, so now anyone seeing that program will be thinking all people in wheelchairs go skiing! Oh no, another stereotype to deal with If there's going to be programs about disability how about one that tells it how it REALLY is - tough, hard, gutsy - no sugar. Or leave it to the guys in Little Britain.
I thought the programme was good in that it brought disability into our living room and showed us some of the daily issues which arise for disabled people, but would also agree that it was very sugar coated and as a professional working within a disability setting, not one that i see tooo often on a daily basis. Good effort though....
Success or failure, who knows with 'Footprints in the Snow'. The drama got so much wrong in its portrayal and yet raised many all too familiar issues. Benefits were not portrayed because it was implied that the family income denied funding for all the adaptations required. There are many who have the ramp but insufficient funds to complete internal adaptations or vice versa. I hated that ramp by the end of the film but it signified the disjointed and numbing experience of eligibility criteria!! Those moments of humour whilst embarrassing and sometimes trite, did speak of the comfort of inclusion experienced with peers as we are excluded bit by bit by those we know and love. Their emotional struggle in the face of change creates barriers that leave us stranded and isolated. Once familiar relationships become strained, complex and difficult, withering and dying. Emotions are overwhelming and unmanageable, communication is not practised and truths are not shared. The message whilst contrived did at least attempt to address issues that rarely exit into the psyche of communities. Perhaps 'Footprints' will provoke discussion, perhaps not. Here's hoping there is more to come from TV land. Here's hoping messages will be clearer, more daring, accurate, challenging, entertaining and inclusive.
I'm disabled. A lot rang true in the drama but a lot just didn't. The visit of the Social worker to decide how to adapt the home who I think told husband that home couldn't be adapted. Then suddenly she's going home after a ramp is made but has to go to her mothers for a bath. Doesn't quite add up. She would need specialist equipment and if it were in my area would have to go on a waiting list to see a social worker then the occupational Therapist who makes a decision. Often can be refused due to financial limits of the Authorities.. No mention of the Benefit system and the problems most of us have trying to get DLA and hang on to it. The bedroom scene again skimmed over the problems that would be encountered. I would liked to have seen a phone number/web link or addresses for various organisations that could answer queries people had about the program.
I was too embarrassed to watch this most of the time plus got pretty bored too. This was classic 'here is what it is like to be a cripple tv' by people who have no idea what is like at all. I hated the bit in the pub when they were all drinking and smoking like the programme was saying 'look cripples do this too you know'. I am depressed, like an earlier email said, that all my life (I am 45) there are still programmes being made like this. Where were the REAL disabled actors? I hated it, it really was 'throw up TV'. I hated the bit where the two blokes in the wheelchairs were doing the 'wheelie' bits in the corridor. Yuk, yuk and double YUK!!!!!
This programme was a bit close to home because i lost the use of my legs 6 weeks ago. I found the whole programme a bit strange but caroline quentin crashing into all the door frames in her new chair was very very funny because it is driving me mad and nice to know i am not the only one with a house where the doorframes have wheelchair attracting magnets
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> esempio di ricorso verbale cds
> sintomo gravidanza
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> lisola dei gormiti
> nuova lancia delta
> mariti cornuti
> riforma pensioni