Willkommen in Freak City

This is a story of Ruth (Samantha Mathis) a young disabled woman who was living with her grandmother. The grandmother dies and the Ruth has lost her home and her caregiver. She is forced to move into a nursing home by her scheming family since they hold the power of attorney.

This is where the story is derailed. Perhaps 50 years ago it would be plausible for a competent person to be committed to a home against their will, but not now. There is no way for this to happen. Ruth is of sound mind, and she is able to manage her life except she is unable to walk. She could leave the hospital or nursing home any time she wanted, they can't hold you since these places aren't prisons. The only time you can be held against your will is if you're held on a psychiatric charge (a danger to yourself or to others), and that only is for 3 days.

So the movie starts off on the wrong foot, and it doesn't improve much from there. The characters are the typical quirky one-dimensional cardboard cut-outs you find in these types of pictures; a waste of a good cast. Then there is a love story, a fight against the family and the dealings with the other patients in the home. The story takes no risks and explores no new territory.

If the writers tried a little harder, they could have made a compelling story of a woman facing a serous debilitating disease and how she copes. Rather than a forced admission where she is held against her will, they could have given us a the real world scenario where Ruth runs out of choices and has to live in the nursing home because there is no other place for her to go. Her sole remaining family won't take her, and conspires to get the grandmother's house, leaving Ruth with no alternatives. We could see how she deals with her fellow patients in the home, how she deals with her illness, and how she fights to get back her house. If the writers gave us a story of a real struggle then it would be a film that means something. Instead the writers took the easy way with clichéd villains, badly written characters, and a ridiculous story. Could have been much better.

We try not to think about a time when me might be no longer self sufficient. If we do ponder the future, I suspect most of us just think one day we'll be living, the next day we won't. No muss no fuss.

It would be too humiliating to be dependent, too embarrassing, particularly if you are still young, and young at heart. Ruth Ellison (Samantha Mathis) is a young rebellious girl, whose immediate family is gone, all but her grandmother, with whom she lives. Ruth suffers from MS and is confined to a wheelchair. When her grandmother dies one day, what remains of the normalcy in her life goes with her death, and Ruth is forcibly confined to an in-patient care facility; housing physically and mentally challenged of all ages. Can you imagine?

'Freak City' is not a traditional name, nor is it a name that generally would attract filmgoers. That this film shows a lot of early promise, then totally self-destructs halfway through is no surprise. It completely comes off the rails.

A waste of a good cast, including Marlee Matlin, and we get so little chance to see her anymore. Such a shame.

Today, people like them would be put in an assisted living situation or some other situation. The idea is always to strive for the most normalized environment-the environment closest to what other people experience everyday---even if they were on SSI or if money was an issue. There are actually few institutions like that left--those that are look very little like that hospital.

The fact that the main character was over 18 makes it even harder to believe because if she did not want to live there then there is no way they could make her stay.

Freak City was a better movie than I expected. It actually was a good storyline and what a cast. From the talented and beautiful Samantha Mathis playing a girl with MS and she plays it so well to Jonathan Silverman playing a blindman so well. Marlee Matlin is terrific and such a talented actress who is deaf in real life. Natalie Cole plays a brain damaged singer and she is good. She sings in the movie and it is good. Now a movie about handicapped people may not be a movie geared to alot of people but when you watch this, you will basically be watching people's lives in this. I was so impressed with it and bought it to add to my Samantha Mathis collection. Samantha is superb as always and this girl shines like always as well. It was shot here in Toronto and that was when I had the honor of meeting Samantha who is such a sweetheart. Rent it or buy it, not boring at all.

There are very few movies that strike me as realistic in nature when it comes to dealing with the topic of medical challenges. In the movie Freak City, the viewer is given the chance to be a part of the anger and hostility that surrounds different disorders. Not only does it focus on self inflicted pain but it also takes a look at family reactions by focusing on the different ways that people cope.

Having been through the gamut with my own afflictions, I will have to say that this is a movie I truly identified with. Also, Freak City is a film that will give people a deeper insight into the lives of those that society deems handicapped.