‘Avatar’: Big wheels keep on turnin’ ….
December 14th, 2009
It’s being described as the most expensive movie ever made, a live-action 3D epic with a pricetag reported at close to $500 million. James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ premieres in Hollywood this week amid enthusiastic early reviews, with Australian actor Sam Worthington in the lead role.
Worthington’s character, Jake Sully, uses a wheelchair in the film. Not so the real-life Sam Worthington.
The film’s official site refers to Sully as “a former Marine confined to a wheelchair.” Here’s a sampling of the language journalists are using to introduce the character:
- MSNBC: “wheelchair-bound soldier”
- [UK] Times: “wheelchair-bound war hero”
- Associated Press: “a brawny former Marine who lost the power of his legs in battle on Earth”
- [Toronto] Globe and Mail blog: “a wheelchair-bound U.S. marine”
- Bloomberg.com: “a paraplegic former Marine”
- Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times: “the hero, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is a paraplegic”
- Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune: “our hero is paraplegic ex-Marine Jake Sully”
- New York Times: “a Marine who has lost the use of his legs fighting in a war he didn’t understand”
- Variety: “wheelchair-bound former Marine”
- Fox News: “a former Marine paralyzed from the waist down”
- Chicago Tribune: “a Marine who comes home from combat in a wheelchair”
- MTV.com: “crippled ex-Marine”
- Kirk Honeycutt in the Hollywood Reporter: “a crippled former Marine”
- Michael Bodey in the Australian: “wheelchair-bound former Marine”
(Image from trailer on avatarmovie.com)
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January 1st, 2010 at 10:05 am
So – he is a marine with a disability who uses a wheelchair. Yup – and the only way he gets to accomplish anything and get the girl is by not having a disability!! Good message – not.
December 17th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
As to the reference “former” Marine, there is no such thing as former. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Great job on the film, Jake, hope to see more of you on the big screen. You’re what Hollywood needs to open the doors for the disabled.
December 16th, 2009 at 2:54 am
Often times, people turn away from real-life examples and look at extraordinary, although perhaps fictional (like Jake Sully) examples of disabled heroes. Especially with the war going on, there are many returning soldiers that have been incapacitated by mines and injuries. Through this film, I hope that more people can return to the real world and apply their respect and awe to real-life soldiers just as they did while watching “Avatar”.