No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie
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A delightful family film, "No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie" is a film about bullying, disabilities and overcoming them in your own way.
"Hero" tells the tale of Tony Kane (John Maucere), who stars in a children's television show as a superhero named "SuperDeafy." The show is meant to celebrate differences, specifically deafness, but many of the gags on the show are centered around the comedy of the difficulties he has communicating with the outside world.
At the same time, young Jacob (Zane Hencker) is having his own difficulties. Jacob is deaf and having problems keeping up in school, largely because his father (James Leo Ryan) insists on him learning to lip-read rather than rely on American Sign Language (ASL). His rationale is that Jacob needs to "be normal" and not have the crutch of needing ASL to communicate. As a result, Jacob has difficulties in class, is teased and is falling behind academically.
While "Ordinary" doesn't strive for innovation in filmmaking techniques, its subject matter, though presented at times in a familiar way, remains for those uninitiated a fresh spin on issues deaf people encounter. The film is at its most interesting as Jacob's parents debate whether he should be put in special classes that employ ASL, or whether "coddling" him is detrimental to his development. Both approaches potentially put him at a disadvantage, though from the beginning, it's obvious what the filmmakers believe is the right choice.
While at times undeniably maudlin, the narrative, to its credit, never attempts to invoke pity for its subjects. Its deaf characters, while hurt by gestures that are both intentionally and unintentionally cruel, allows its characters to rise above them and provide a positive model.
This film was undoubtedly created at least in part by Marlee Matlin's involvement, and she has a small but ultimately pivotal role playing herself. "No Ordinary Hero" is an uplifting, refreshingly uncynical take on disability or, more accurately, the desire to prevent a physical disadvantage from becoming a disability. It's a wonderful family film, one I watched and enjoyed with my children. If you're looking to teach your children about diversity and tolerance and how to look at life through the eyes of someone else, show them this film.