Parents' Guide to

The Brooke Ellison Story

By Tracy Moore, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Stirring tale of quadriplegic girl's fight has heavy themes.

Movie PG 2005 91 minutes
The Brooke Ellison Story Poster Image

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What's the Story?

Walking home from school, 11-year-old Brooke Ellison (Vanessa Marano and Lacey Chabert) has a life-changing moment when she's hit by a car and suffers a devastating injury that paralyzes her from the neck down, rendering her unable to breathe without a ventilator or survive without round-the-clock care. With her loyal mother Jean's (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) nurturing and her father Ed's (John Slattery) encouragement and, eventually, the aid of her entire community, she manages to accomplish one dream after the next in spite of those obstacles, from returning home with her family to completing school and even attending Harvard.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

THE BROOKE ELLISON STORY is a remarkable tale. Directed by Christopher Reeve and released just after his death, it's an extraordinary example of how little disability can hinder you from accomplishing what you want in life, as well as the story of one mother's enormous self-sacrifice to ensure her child's success. But there's an even bigger message about a kind of disability we all carry -- our attitudes -- and the film addresses how much influence they have over the course of our lives.

That's a rich message that will carry through even for parents and kids who find this a tough watch. The story is a difficult one, but it's also a relentlessly positive one that opts for courage over despair. It can, at times, veer into the sentimental, but it does take the time to show some of the more realistic aspects of care for a loved one with a severe disability: the piling-up medical bills, the exhaustion, the disruption for other family members who feel neglected, the risk of divorce, the obstacles sometimes from within your own community about what's best for your child. The performances from veteran actors here are a big plus, and the result is a film that works diligently to show an accurate but ultimately uplifting portrait of disability and struggle. These are heavy themes, but, for kids who are old enough, pondering such questions can be rewarding.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about accuracy. Do you think the film accurately showed what it's like to care for someone with a spinal cord injury? Why, or why not? How might the film have been more realistic in terms of the struggles the family likely faced?

  • What was your reaction to Brooke and her mother Jean's attitudes in the film? How did their attitudes change everything about the impact of the situation on their lives?

  • Brooke was never teased in the film for being different. Do you think that's a realistic portrayal of disability? How are people with disability treated in your community?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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