Terrible movie in many ways

Rating: 1/10 (19 July 2005)

I thought I was going to see THE movie of the year. Must have been a bad year.
Aside from the factual inaccuracies of the portrayal of a quadriplegic woman, the stereotypical "white trash" family, the cartoonish boxing, and the ridiculous "Danger" character, it was OK.
In the end, the movie proves to be a cheap political statement, and sends a terrible message in the process. I was paralyzed from the shoulders down at age 18. I'm not on a ventilator as Swank's character is, but I am totally dependent on others for feeding, dressing, etc.
This movie just perpetuates the myth that sustaining such an injury leads to a meaningless life. Swank can choose between school and death, and she chooses death. Thank you for setting the disabled community back a few more years.
What have I done differently? I've gone to college, lived on my own, and work as a respected journalist in the community. Where is the story about someone like me? Why does every disabled person in a movie have to be a punchline in a joke or depressed and angry? For the record, my feelings about the message don't have any bearing on my feelings about the quality of the film. It just wasn't that great.
My opinion is the only reason it received such acclaim is a) Clint Eastwood, and b) it deals with a controversial subject. We know Hollywood loves to wax on political issues. If you watch this movie, please realize that the depiction of Swank as a quadriplegic is poorly researched. Hit me up if you want to know what it is really like.