Variety: The upcoming film “Blind,” starring Alec Baldwin as a novelist who loses his sight in a car crash, has drawn criticism for casting an able-bodied actor as the blind lead.
The Ruderman Family Foundation, a leading organization advocating for disability rights, spoke out against the film, accusing it of “crip-face” — a comparison to blackface — in having Baldwin portray the main role. The private philanthropic group is known for advocating on behalf of casting disabled actors.
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I appreciate that this article brings into attention the subject of disability. While films often feature big name actors for the publicity, they do so while sacrificing the integrity of the piece. The upcoming motion picture, Blind, tells the story of a blind man who lost his vision in a tragic car accident. Variety discusses how the Ruderman Family Foundation spoke out about Alec Baldwin being chosen to play the lead rather than granting the opportunity to a blind actor. I was surprised by the comparison of it to blackface performance, but it is strikingly similar. Both instances involve rejecting the actor that is better connected with the role. It is disappointing that diversity in art, specifically film and television, continues to be a problem. This article accurately touched on this topic, but did not go into much depth about it. The briefness of the piece prevents readers from getting a complete understanding of the issue at hand, which makes it less impactful than it could be.
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