Cultural Representation of Disability

In the movie Rainman, Dustin Hoffman plays a mental hospital patient (Ray) with savant austism. In the beginning of the movie, his brother (Tom Cruise) meets him at the melsees him as someone who can’t function and can’t live on his own. During one of Cruise’s later visits, he sees his brothers mathematical savant abilities show when toothpicks fall on the floor and Ray knows the exact amount that fell by looking at it. Cruise later “kidnapps” his brother to exploit his abilities. At the beginning of the movie, disability is reflected as a complete handicap, with someone who can’t live on their own and care for themselves. By the end of the movie, we see how disability can connect people as it did these two brothers and we can understand how powerful, and not powerless a disability can make someone. This was a movie that created a stereotype about mathematical savants with autism and how they can “dominate the Las Vegas scene.” When people think of savants now, they usually think of mathematical savants, specifically Ray from this movie. It is famous for portraying a savant in a positive way, and highlighting ability not disability.