Shows and Movies about Special Needs on Hulu
Special Needs Featured on HULU
A little while ago we did a blog over Netflix shows and movies that featured special needs. We had a lot of fun making it so we decided to the same with HULU.
A few things to note: The information we listed underneath the trailer is taken straight from a combination of IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes and Netflix itself.
As with Netflix, Hulu also changes out its movies and shows from time to time, so if you are reading this post a while after it has been posted, you may not be able to find the media listed below. However, if it is a HULU original, it will be there.
We’re also very surprised at the number of features we found working on this post. When we started we expected to find around five, but we found an astounding 18.
Autism on Hulu
These features will bring a tear to your eye and inspiration to your heart. Most of them deal with romance, but all of them deal with overcoming perceptions of Autism.
THE SPECIAL NEED (2014)
Documentary
Director: Carlo Zoratti
Writers: Carlo Zoratti, Cosimo Bizzarri (co-writer)
Stars: Carlo Zoratti, Enea Gabino, Alex Nazzi
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NR
Maturity Rating: NR
Runtime: 84 min
Synopsis: “28 year old Enea is looking for love – physical love that is. But as the autist he is, living in Italy, this is anything but easy. So he and his best friends Carlo and Alex set out on a journey through Europe and eventually find a lot more than they are looking for.”
A foreign documentary, you can now view the perception of Autism in Italy. But, we believe watching lovable Enea on his quest for “physical love” will be both interesting and enjoyable.
THE GOOD DOCTOR (2017 – )
Drama
Creator: David Shore
Stars: Freddie Highmore, Nicholas Gonzalez, Antonia Thomas
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 58%
Maturity Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 1 season (43 minutes each), 18 episodes planned
Synopsis: “Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and Savant syndrome, is recruited into the surgical unit of a prestigious hospital.”
Savants are people who have intellectual disabilities but also exhibit a great amount of intelligence. Watch a young man with Autism, who has a medical doctorate but must continue to fight for respect. Hospital shows are some of the most addictive out there, which can be a pain because HULU does not have all the episodes up for streaming at the is time.
JANE WANTS A BOYFRIEND (2016)
(Requires SHOWTIME upgrade)
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director: William Sullivan
Writer: Jarret Kerr (as Jarret F. Kerr)
Stars: Louisa Krause, Gabriel Ebert, Eliza Dushk
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 29%
Maturity Rating: R
Runtime: 101 minutes
Synopsis: “A young woman with Asperger’s tries to find her first boyfriend with a little help from her older sister.”
A love story that deals with love between a woman with Asperger’s and a man who is neurotypical. Will society accept their relationship for what it is? What will people say? Find out with this sweet, moving film.
SANCTUARY (2017)
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director: Len Collin
Writer: Christian O’Reilly
Stars: Stephen Marcus, Tara Breathnach, Amy-Joyce Hastings
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 100%
Maturity Rating: NR
Runtime: 87 min
Synopsis: “Larry has Down’s, Sophie has epilepsy, in a world that conspires to keep them apart, will love triumph?”
An Irish film, Sanctuary may be the greatest romantic comedy that no one has never heard of. 100 percent on rotten tomatoes is no easy task even for films with little coverage. It will make you laugh out loud, feel butterflies and maybe, just maybe, make you cry.
Dwarfism on Hulu
Like many other disabilities, dwarfism is one that struggles with the image and representation.
Brad Williams: Daddy Issues (2016)
(Requires SHOWTIME upgrade)
Comedy
Director: Scott L. Montoya
Writer: Brad Williams
Star: Brad Williams
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NR
Maturity Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 61 min
Synopsis: “Comedy special featuring Brad Williams’s hilarious take on his father.”
Comedian Brad Williams will leave you on the floor laughing and probably feeling a little guilty about it.
Deafness on Hulu
Maybe Deafness isn’t the best way to sum up the following movie. We’d prefer to think of it as a film for all disabilities.
Music Within (2007)
Biography, Comedy, Drama
Director: Steven Sawalich
Writers: Bret McKinney, Mark Andrew Olsen
Stars: Ron Livingston, Melissa George, Michael Sheen
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 33%
Maturity Rating: R (for language including sexual references, and some drug content)
Runtime: 93 min
Synopsis: “The true story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past, who returns from Vietnam severely hearing-impaired and finds a new purpose in his landmark efforts on the behalf of Americans with disabilities.”
The must-see on this list. A biographical kindhearted portrayal of Richard Pimental who was fundamental in creating American Disabilities Act. Another disability showcased is cerebral palsy which Richard’s friend Art has.
Cerebral Palsy on Hulu
One of the shortest lists on this blog but maybe one of the best. We are happy to see this disability get a great a show to represent it. If you’d like to learn more about Cerebral Palsy click this link.
Speechless (2016 – )
Biography, Comedy, Drama
Creator: Scott Silveri
Stars: Minnie Driver, John Ross Bowie, Cedric YarbroughIMDB Rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 98%
Maturity Rating: R (for language including sexual references, and some drug content)
Runtime: 22 min
Synopsis: “The family of a special-needs teen is good at dealing with the challenges he faces – and excellent at creating new ones.”
A hilarious sit-com that does not need a laugh track. We want to stress that this show is by no means a “token” disability show, and the humor carries the show itself. What we enjoy most is that the humor normalizes cerebral palsy and is in no way mean-spirited. Cerebral palsy is highly underrepresented in the film and television. We could only find one show on Hulu that deals with cerebral palsy, and we’re glad this is it.
Note: Only season 2 is on Hulu, but don’t let that stop you.
Blindness on Hulu
We could only find one film dealing with blindness, so we hope you like Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore.
Also, speaking of blindness: Hulu was recently sued for not providing audio tracks allowing people who suffer from blindness to enjoy Hulu, you can read about it here.
BLIND (2017)
Drama, Romance
Director: Michael Mailer
Writers: Diane Fisher, Diane Fisher (story by)
Stars: Alec Baldwin, Demi Moore, Dylan McDermott
IMDB Rating: 5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 20%
Maturity Rating: NR
Runtime: 98 min
Synopsis: “A novelist blinded in a car crash which killed his wife rediscovers his passion for both life and writing when he embarks on an affair with the neglected wife of an indicted businessman.”
Under-appreciated, this not so well-known film stars the well-known Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore. Critics did not show it too much love, saying it was full of cliches, but if you already have a Hulu subscription there’s nothing to lose.
Stroke Survivors on Hulu
We found a few films that have strokes being a major plot-point in the film, one heart-warming, another dramatic and one humorous. One thing to note about this list is that it showcases different levels of severity in strokes. One character loses control in his entire body aside from eye movement, while another has a limp and a speech problem. For more information about stroke victims, follow this link.
The Straight Story (1999)
Biography, Drama
Director: David Lynch
Writers: John Roach, Mary Sweeney
Stars: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Jane Galloway Heitz
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
Maturity Rating: G
Runtime: 111 min
Synopsis: “An old man makes a long journey by lawnmower to mend his relationship with an ill brother.”
OK, so the stroke may not be apparent in the film but is a driving force behind the plot. We hesitated to put it on the list, but critics loved it, and it is a true story. We think everyone will get something out of it. It’s great for the whole family.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Biography, Drama
Director: Julian Schnabel
Writers: Ronald Harwood (screenplay), Jean-Dominique Bauby (book)
Stars: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94%
Maturity Rating: PG-13 (for nudity, sexual content and some language)
Runtime: 112 min
Synopsis: “The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn’t paralyzed.”
The trailer above does not give too much information, so we’ll fill in the blanks here: Based on the autobiography of the same name, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly follows Jean-Dominique as a stroke leaves him almost completely paralyzed. This event brings together his loved ones while he learns to communicate using only his eye. Jean-Dominique lives up to making the best of situation.
Flawless (1999)
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: Joel Schumacher
Stars: Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Miller
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 43%
Maturity Rating: R (for pervasive language and strong violence)
Runtime: 112 min
Synopsis: “An ultraconservative police officer suffers a debilitating stroke and is assigned to a rehabilitative program that includes singing lessons, with the drag queen next door.”
Robert De Niro fans, rejoice! He’s on this list! Although this isn’t necessarily one of his most known films. After suffering stroke, De Niro’s character not only has to overcome the stroke, but also his own apprehension of the gay community. It is funny, and you can learn about the drag world while learning a little about strokes too.
Donate Today
Not all of us can control what we see on our televisions. Most of us don’t have the skills to make movies with characters and actors with special needs. But we can all help in our own way.
Even if you could only donate as little as $10, you’d be supporting an organization that building confidence in children and adults with special needs, so that one day they might be on the big screen. Donating $10 is as easy as watching a film on Hulu. It could mean a world of happiness for one of our students.
