Bittersweet at its best

Of course it’s beautiful and of course it’s sweet, but it can also be so dark. I am talking about the great story of Christi Brown chronicled in My Left Foot. I said before that this plotline has been done many times. Every time I watch a film like this, where a man triumphs over adversity, it makes me happy but it can also get me really depressed. This film was no different. Some scenes were so amazing like when he writes “mother” on the floor of his house. His father then proceeds to parade him over his shoulder into the pub claiming, “My son Christi Brown. Genius.” That is an amazing scene. However just a few scenes later, when Christi is a teenager there is a shot of him on the ground detached from the boys playing soccer. At first I thought this meant that he wasn’t allowed to play. Then he makes an amazing save with his head and proceeds to be kicked furiously by an opposing player. That initial shot is extremely depressing and the save is even more saddening. One would think this is a triumphant scene, but to me it paints a picture of how he wishes he was just like everyone else and he realizes that he never will be. People like Christi Brown deserve admiration, not pity, but I can’t help but feel sorry for him. He has such mental and emotional strength. Why does he deserve to have a physically weaker form? The sad fact is that people usually judge a book by its cover and true beauty, especially in Christi Brown’s case lies deep beneath the surface. It just stinks that most people are unwilling to dig that deep.