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January 14, 2006

"Murderball"

Last night, I watched a facinating, engrossing and uplifiting documentary called "Murderball" about the sport of Quadriplegic Wheelchair Rugby. It spends time with the official US Paralympic Team, and focuses on their intense rivalry with the Canadians as they prepare for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.

First, a clarification - "quadriplegic" is not synonomous with "paralyzed." "Quadriplegic" means you're impaired in all four limbs, but obviously the level of impairment can change depending on the reason you're in that condition. Some of these guys were in motorcycle or car accidents, some are vets, some had polio as kids. Whatever the cause, each athlete gets a "point" (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and so on) assigned to them, with higher points correlating to greater function. Any given team gets a total of 8 points on the court at any one time.

The really fabulous thing about "Murderball" - aside from the fact that it's interesting, well-made, and full of people you come to know and like - is the unblinking, unsympathetic look at the lives of people with these disabilities. Mark Zupan, for example, is a regular guy who was injured about ten years ago. He went through rehab and now is a heavily-tattooed, highly-competitive athlete with a shaved head and a goatee, getting out on the court and trash-talking the guys he's up against. The fact that he's in a wheelchair is kind of beside the point - and that's the point of the movie. These guys are as raunchy and ribald as you'd expect, and they do address almost every aspect of their lives (including "The Sex Question" - the answers are "yes" and "as often as possible").

One other thing that comes shining through is the importance of sports like Wheelchair Rugby to the newly-injured. If you're an Iraq vet who just lost a leg or has nerve damage, you're probably in a lonely place, wondering what the rest of your life is going to hold. Murderball, the sport, gives you a way to see yourself succeeding, with a social outlet and the pride that comes with athletic accomplishment.

It's an amazing movie. Don't miss it.

UPDATE, May 13, 2006: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined.

Posted by Gavin Shearer at January 14, 2006 11:12 AM. Posted to Entertainment.

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