For more information, Diane Coleman or Stephen Drake (708)209-1500

Jan. 14, 2005 -- Chicago disability activists will be protesting the bigotry and ignorance of the members of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) January 19. Virtually every critic in the association gave a rave review to Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, a film that promotes the killing of disabled people as the solution to the "problem" of disability.

On Wednesday, January 19th, activists will picket and distribute protest leaflets outside of the Union League Club of Chicago. Attendees at the CFCA event will be met by activists from the Chicago disability rights community, protesting the bigotry and ignorance of Chicago movie critics. Ignorance and bigotry are the only explanations for the universal adoration expressed for a movie that is being called a "corny, melodramatic assault on people with disabilities" by one reviewer in the disability community.

Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times, has named it the number one movie of 2004. In fact, he seems to find new opportunities to promote the movie every couple of days. His TV partner, Richard Roeper, also gave the film an enthusiastic "thumbs up." But like we said, they're not alone. Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune gave it 4/4 stars.

The vast majority of critics talk about the "surprise" ending without telling their readers and viewers what it is. It's simple -- the "surprise" is that a young woman boxing star becomes disabled, and Eastwood's character (in a painful, self-sacrificing gesture), kills her.

It's a pro-euthanasia movie. But they don't want you to go in expecting that to be the main message. But it's the romanticized killing at the end that makes the movie "great" for most of the critics.

We feel it's no coincidence that Eastwood is also a staunch opponent of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He's been sued - and lost - under the act in regard to a resort he owns. After his loss in the courts, he engaged in a legislative campaign to weaken the ADA, even giving testimony in Congress. His face is on the cover of a book on ADA backlash called "Make Them Go Away." This film appears to be his revenge on our community.

Suppose instead Eastwood had been an active opponent of the civil rights of any minority other than people with disabilities. Suppose he'd been sued for race or gender discrimination at his resort instead of disability discrimination. And then suppose he'd made a movie manipulating the audience to sympathize with someone who killed a member of that group. We suspect the reactions of critics across the country would have been -- pardon the expression -- "critical."

Read Stephen Drake's article, Dangerous Times, a critique of the film at Ragged Edge Online.

Eastwood Continues Disability Vendetta with 'Million Dollar Baby' -- Statement from National Spinal Cord Injury Association.