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Blind Major 
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TITLE |
Can
You Feel Me Dancing (1986) (TV Film) |
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NOTES |
From the
true story of Cheryl McMannis and Joe Nasser. A
teenage blind woman seeks independence from her family.
First we see the blind girl (about 20) hang-gliding, encouraged and
guided by her father. But she lands in the water and is rescued by a
good looking hunk. She dates him, her first date with a sighted boy.
Her parents are sensible but negative and over protective about the
relationship
She is accepted for college in New York (they live in
California). Her parents of course don't think she can handle
that and won't give her money to make it possible.
The boy friend teaches her to dance with the usual
consequences that they win something. She moves in with
him. This is really where the film begins as we see her adapt
to independent living.
She applies for a scholarship so she can go to college and is
interviewed by a blind woman who points out that she has
never done anything independently. The girl mentions the
hang-gliding and other 'sporting' achievements but the woman means the
everyday things.
[Last night on TV I saw a teenage girl in a wheelchair hoisted
up to the crow's nest on a sailing ship. And everyone below
clapped. Why? She hadn't done anything beside sit there in
her chair. Of course they were applauding themselves.]
The young woman attends a day skills class where she
learns how to use a microwave, tell clothes of different
colours apart etc...........
The boyfriend takes her out to a night-club meets up with old
friends, gets drunk and neglects her. She walks out in a huff
and is mugged. So she learns self-defence.
Definitely good material for comparing attitudes towards
visually impaired people and their perceptions of themselves.
The cotton-wooling of the young woman might appear far-
fetched but this is based loosely on the stories of Cheryl
McMannis and Joe Nasser who are seen very briefly in the film.
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Notes
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