I believe that many of the negative stereotypes of the disabled come from what the general public sees on their TV sets and in the movies. Often, news reports about someone with a disability paint them as either helpless and needy or as courageous and heroic. And the most unfortunate part is that these stereotypes make the disabled person unlike you and me (unless you have a disability). They create barriers of mystery or unfamiliarity that make the disabled a very uncomfortable subject. Leave Them Laughing, featuring singer/comedienne Carla Zilbersmith who is dying from ALS, is different and hence an extremely important film because it blows those stereotypes into a million pieces.
Carla Zilbersmith is funny, she’s open, she’s sassy and she’s dying. She’s not your ordinary stereotypical cripple in a wheelchair; Carla is as human as human can be.
Leave Them Laughing is one of those rare films where the central character’s disability is not the only thing that defines them. It’s a film about a mother, a performer and a smart ass who allows us to see her struggle with ALS.
We aren’t told that she’s heroic or courageous in the face of her illness. But in the long run, we come away from this film thinking about her and thinking that she’s pretty remarkable to face her illness with such lust for life. The film leaves you appreciating life and wishing that Carla would be around a lot longer than she’s going to be, because we’ve laughed with her and cried with her. We’ve adored her son and their relationship. We want to hang out with her and have some fun. And we want more of her.
It is an axiom of the performing arts that you should leave them wanting more. Carla will do just that. And leave us laughing, too.
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