When she collapses down the stairs while in labour after carrying Christy up to his room, he crawls down to the front door and uses his left foot to kick at it in order to alert the neighbors.

However, his mother Bridget (Brenda Fricker) displays a strong love and tenderness toward her son, comforting him and encouraging him to develop independence when she has to leave for a few days. Born to a poor working-class Irish family in 1932, the young Christy (Hugh O’Conor) is regarded by his father Patrick (Ray McAnally) as a cripple, and he is essentially excluded from the dinner table, lying underneath the stairs. The subsequent flashbacks depict Christy’s childhood. This leads Christy to reminisce about his formative years. He displays an egotistical and entitled side to his personality as he badgers Mary to give him a cigarette when she states that she is not his mother, he replies, “I don’t need a fucking psychology lesson, I just need a fucking light!” However, Christy also shows a witty sense of humor and warmth, allowing Mary to read his autobiography, entitled My Left Foot, and share her thoughts about his artwork. Christy sits in a wheelchair, with his left leg being the only functioning limb, and his speech is deeply slurred due to the severity of his cerebral palsy. The film opens during a charity event in which Christy is the guest of honor, and it is here that we are first introduced to him while he waits in a drawing room with his handler Mary Carr (Ruth McCabe). In light of the subsequent improvements that have been made in disability services, the film provides a compelling look at the extent of the obstacles that Christy faced during his lifetime. This was particularly important because of the lack of advanced disability services for people with cerebral palsy and the widespread stigmatization that they encountered at the time. Having seen this film on previous occasions, I felt that it merited a review since it not only portrays Christy’s struggle to overcome barriers but also the significant role that his family’s love and support played in helping him succeed. This week I watched the 1989 film My Left Foot, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy Brown, who suffered from severe cerebral palsy but developed a unique ability to write and paint through the use of his left foot, eventually becoming an accomplished author and artist. Academy-award nominated My Left Foot (1989) garnered a best actor Oscar for Daniel Day-Lewis who portrays author and artist Christy Brown and a best supporting actress Oscar for Brenda Fricker who plays Christy’s mother.

My left foot story