What do you think?
Rate this book
Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies
You can learn a lot from the movies-about sex and relationships, about business, about history. Sure, there's a fair amount of fantasy, wish fulfillment, and glorious hair to exaggerate everything, but for better or for worse, films remain one of the most important ways that viewers around the world learn about other people and cultures. And almost since the dawn of the medium, movies have shaped the public's understanding of and assumptions about disability.
As a movie critic and disabled person, Kristen Lopez speaks with particular authority on how disability is represented-and too often misrepresented-in Hollywood movies. Having dealt with the effects of osteogenesis imperfecta for her entire life, she has experienced directly the lack of accommodations, political neglect, and social difficulties that disabled people deal with daily-and she has witnessed the vast difference between those everyday challenges and how they are typically depicted on-screen. As Lopez points out in this book, even when they're not just narrative props to help out an able-bodied protagonist, disabled movie characters are overwhelmingly white, affluent, and conventionally attractive, which obscures the variety of disabilities and the experiences of those who deal with them. (Roughly one in four people in the US have a disability, and a disproportionate number of them live in poverty.)
Popcorn Disabilities is an impassioned but nonetheless fun and engaging survey of how Hollywood has dealt with disability over the last century, covering not only the many ways that cinema has distorted the lived reality of disabled people, but also where films have gotten it right, and how the power of the medium can continue to be used to enlighten and educate in the future. From little-remembered gems like Tod Browning's Freaks—one of the earliest well-intentioned attempts to show disabled characters as complex, three-dimensional human beings—to contemporary films like Coda, My Left Foot, The Little Mermaid, Unbreakable, and many others, it challenges popular assumptions about disability while never losing sight of movies' unique power, influence, and potential as a tool for social good.
As a movie critic and disabled person, Kristen Lopez speaks with particular authority on how disability is represented-and too often misrepresented-in Hollywood movies. Having dealt with the effects of osteogenesis imperfecta for her entire life, she has experienced directly the lack of accommodations, political neglect, and social difficulties that disabled people deal with daily-and she has witnessed the vast difference between those everyday challenges and how they are typically depicted on-screen. As Lopez points out in this book, even when they're not just narrative props to help out an able-bodied protagonist, disabled movie characters are overwhelmingly white, affluent, and conventionally attractive, which obscures the variety of disabilities and the experiences of those who deal with them. (Roughly one in four people in the US have a disability, and a disproportionate number of them live in poverty.)
Popcorn Disabilities is an impassioned but nonetheless fun and engaging survey of how Hollywood has dealt with disability over the last century, covering not only the many ways that cinema has distorted the lived reality of disabled people, but also where films have gotten it right, and how the power of the medium can continue to be used to enlighten and educate in the future. From little-remembered gems like Tod Browning's Freaks—one of the earliest well-intentioned attempts to show disabled characters as complex, three-dimensional human beings—to contemporary films like Coda, My Left Foot, The Little Mermaid, Unbreakable, and many others, it challenges popular assumptions about disability while never losing sight of movies' unique power, influence, and potential as a tool for social good.
- GenresDisabilityNonfictionFilm
240 pages, Hardcover
Published November 27, 2025
2 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Lopez
2 books33 followersKristen Lopez is the former Film Editor at TheWrap and former TV Editor at IndieWire. She has worked as a journalist and pop-culture essayist for nearly two decades, and her work has appeared in Variety, Forbes, MTV, Roger Ebert.com, and The Hollywood Reporter. Some of her more memorable (or controversial) articles on disability include her discussions of how The Shape of Water broke down barriers with regards to sex and disability, Joker utilized mental illness as a punchline, and Shazam promoted one's “best self” as being able-bodied. She is the author of But Have You Read the Book, from TCM/Running Press (2023). She was nominated in 2021 for a SoCal Journalism Award for her reporting on IndieWire about the lack of a ramp at the Emmys. In 2018, The L.A. Times spotlighted her in an article about marginalized critics. Kristen is active on social media, cultivating 10.3 thousand followers, many of whom routinely engage with her on disability in entertainment. She is based in Los Angeles. In her free time she produces and hosts the classic film podcast, Ticklish Business.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 9, 2025
3.5 rounded up to 4. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! This book was informative and eye opening in the sense that I had no clue about pretty much any of these movies, particularly those from the 20s and 30s, but not really eye opening in terms of my understanding of disability. This is likely because I am disabled myself, and my partner whom I live with is physically disabled, and not because of the quality of Lopez's analysis. I found the book to be interesting and Lopez presented many of her thoughts well. My main qualms are that some of the analysis was not concluded very well, and the number of movies mentioned becomes confusing quite easily. This is also because Lopez reflects on movies from previous chapters as she goes through her analysis, which occasionally detracts from the specific movie she is talking about. She also intersperses other movies in between her analysis of each specific movie, which makes it hard to follow her train of thought sometimes. I think I would have liked this book more if it had been formatted a little differently, but overall I did enjoy it and would recommend to my friends.
December 19, 2025
I discovered "Popcorn Disabilities" while looking for an essay collection by a disabled author for The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge 2025, and I’m grateful to the reader who recommended it to me. The subject matter felt perfectly aligned with my interests. As someone who loves pop culture and movie history, I was immediately drawn to this book!
Kristen Lopez writes with both authority and vulnerability as a disabled film critic, examining how disability has been represented (and often misrepresented) on screen. She emphasizes that even when disabled characters are not just used as inspirational props for able-bodied protagonists, they are usually portrayed as white, affluent, and conventionally attractive. This narrow perspective overlooks the true diversity of disability and the variety of lived experiences. Lopez is incisive in her critiques while remaining fair, highlighting instances where films have succeeded and where cinema has real potential to educate and foster empathy.
The book examines the representation of disability from the earliest days of film to the present, covering a wide range of topics. Lopez explores themes such as disabled horror, the ongoing lack of representation for disabled people of color, the prevalence of "caretaker cinema," and the practice of "cripping up" to gain awards recognition. What I appreciated most is that she does not shy away from difficult conversations, yet her writing remains accessible and deeply personal. Her love of movies shines through, even when she critiques an industry that has repeatedly failed people like her.
This book strongly reinforces the idea that representation matters. More importantly, it emphasizes that how representation is handled is just as crucial. Lopez skillfully blends film history with cultural criticism and personal insights, encouraging readers to consider not only ableism in Hollywood but also its deep entrenchment in our broader culture.
I learned a lot from this book and found the challenges it presented to be productive. It deepened my appreciation for the significance of media representation. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would love to explore more of Kristen Lopez's work in the future. Since this book focuses on film, I would be particularly interested to see her address disability representation in television next.
Kristen Lopez writes with both authority and vulnerability as a disabled film critic, examining how disability has been represented (and often misrepresented) on screen. She emphasizes that even when disabled characters are not just used as inspirational props for able-bodied protagonists, they are usually portrayed as white, affluent, and conventionally attractive. This narrow perspective overlooks the true diversity of disability and the variety of lived experiences. Lopez is incisive in her critiques while remaining fair, highlighting instances where films have succeeded and where cinema has real potential to educate and foster empathy.
The book examines the representation of disability from the earliest days of film to the present, covering a wide range of topics. Lopez explores themes such as disabled horror, the ongoing lack of representation for disabled people of color, the prevalence of "caretaker cinema," and the practice of "cripping up" to gain awards recognition. What I appreciated most is that she does not shy away from difficult conversations, yet her writing remains accessible and deeply personal. Her love of movies shines through, even when she critiques an industry that has repeatedly failed people like her.
This book strongly reinforces the idea that representation matters. More importantly, it emphasizes that how representation is handled is just as crucial. Lopez skillfully blends film history with cultural criticism and personal insights, encouraging readers to consider not only ableism in Hollywood but also its deep entrenchment in our broader culture.
I learned a lot from this book and found the challenges it presented to be productive. It deepened my appreciation for the significance of media representation. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would love to explore more of Kristen Lopez's work in the future. Since this book focuses on film, I would be particularly interested to see her address disability representation in television next.
November 14, 2025
Kristen Lopez, Popcorn Disabilities, Bloomsbury Academic, November 2025.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Prepare to question your responses to disability, not only as depicted in the films that are discussed, but also in relation to friends and strangers with a disability and government and non-government disability policies. Kristen Lopez has opened a discussion that, while concentrating on films, raises questions about a broad range of issues related to disability. In doing so, Lopez has created a narrative that is superbly knowable about numerous films. Some are obviously relevant; others raise important questions that conflict with understood meanings about disability and its depiction. It is the range of examples, the preparedness to see positive aspects amongst the dross, and to succinctly criticise the latter that gives this book its gravitas. I sometimes felt offended, after all I have some knowledge of the issues. Or so I thought! But this is another strength of Lopez’s work. Questioning one’s own responses to the films and her ideas is a valuable tool for making the most of the information in Popcorn Disabilities.
Some of the chapter titles provide useful clues to the issues Lopez sees in the films she describes. ‘Silent Saints and Tragic Monsters’ immediately reminds anyone who has seen films that include disability of the way in which people with disabilities have been portrayed. Why? Is the question such a reader and film goer must ask. ‘War and the rise of the Bitter Cripple’, again, an easily recognisable trope. In contrast, ‘Black and Disabled’ raises no such recognition. Again, why? ‘Disabled Horror and the Horror of Disability’ is such a profoundly distressing image, and so too, are the realities raised in the chapter. ‘Pretty Disabilities’ the opposite image to that in the previous chapter, also casts a wide swathe through audience reception of characters with a disability in films. As an audience can we acknowledge our own feelings about disability and the ‘costume’ it wears to placate us?
‘Crippling Up and the Oscar Myth’ was of particular interest to me, raising as it does the work of Marlee Matlin. I did not see her in Children of a Lesser God, for which she received the Oscar, but her role in The West Wing demonstrated her acting ability. Unlike the criticism, that she was only playing herself, it was glaringly obvious she was acting. Another example, Christopher Robin – a biopic with the real character a person with a disability, depicted as a person without a disability? Of course, Lopez cites so many more instances of the way in which disability might impact on Oscar successes, or the way in which they are received. In many ways, this chapter provides the essence of the way in which disability is depicted and received by audiences. A valuable read – but then, this is typical of the whole book.
Although Popcorn Disabilities is not a comfortable read, it is profoundly important. Kristen Lopez’s discerning work is a great compendium of information about films, actors, scripts, and directors as well as raising the issues that are her focal concern.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Prepare to question your responses to disability, not only as depicted in the films that are discussed, but also in relation to friends and strangers with a disability and government and non-government disability policies. Kristen Lopez has opened a discussion that, while concentrating on films, raises questions about a broad range of issues related to disability. In doing so, Lopez has created a narrative that is superbly knowable about numerous films. Some are obviously relevant; others raise important questions that conflict with understood meanings about disability and its depiction. It is the range of examples, the preparedness to see positive aspects amongst the dross, and to succinctly criticise the latter that gives this book its gravitas. I sometimes felt offended, after all I have some knowledge of the issues. Or so I thought! But this is another strength of Lopez’s work. Questioning one’s own responses to the films and her ideas is a valuable tool for making the most of the information in Popcorn Disabilities.
Some of the chapter titles provide useful clues to the issues Lopez sees in the films she describes. ‘Silent Saints and Tragic Monsters’ immediately reminds anyone who has seen films that include disability of the way in which people with disabilities have been portrayed. Why? Is the question such a reader and film goer must ask. ‘War and the rise of the Bitter Cripple’, again, an easily recognisable trope. In contrast, ‘Black and Disabled’ raises no such recognition. Again, why? ‘Disabled Horror and the Horror of Disability’ is such a profoundly distressing image, and so too, are the realities raised in the chapter. ‘Pretty Disabilities’ the opposite image to that in the previous chapter, also casts a wide swathe through audience reception of characters with a disability in films. As an audience can we acknowledge our own feelings about disability and the ‘costume’ it wears to placate us?
‘Crippling Up and the Oscar Myth’ was of particular interest to me, raising as it does the work of Marlee Matlin. I did not see her in Children of a Lesser God, for which she received the Oscar, but her role in The West Wing demonstrated her acting ability. Unlike the criticism, that she was only playing herself, it was glaringly obvious she was acting. Another example, Christopher Robin – a biopic with the real character a person with a disability, depicted as a person without a disability? Of course, Lopez cites so many more instances of the way in which disability might impact on Oscar successes, or the way in which they are received. In many ways, this chapter provides the essence of the way in which disability is depicted and received by audiences. A valuable read – but then, this is typical of the whole book.
Although Popcorn Disabilities is not a comfortable read, it is profoundly important. Kristen Lopez’s discerning work is a great compendium of information about films, actors, scripts, and directors as well as raising the issues that are her focal concern.
November 7, 2025
Popcorn Disabilities by Kristen Lopez takes the reader on a journey through the cinematic depiction of disability from the earliest days of the silver screen to the current day. Discussing topics ranging from disabled horror and the horror of disability to the limited depiction of disabled People of Colour, the concept of "caretaker cinema" and the idea of "cripping up"" for Oscar glory, the author does not shy away from thought provoking discussion and debate while retaining a personal style linked to her own experiences as a disabled woman who loves movies but is often disheartened by them . This is a book that hammers home the point that representation matters and that the quality of that representation is key. Surprisingly, though perhaps it should not be, despite what seems like a vast improvement in the visibility of disabled characters on screen and the fact that one in four Americans have a disability a 2023 study found that over an eight year period only 2.4 % of all speaking roles in mainstream movies were disabled characters, so clearly we can and must do better. There is also a lot of discussion of how disabled characters are presented in ways that make them more palatable to the able bodied audience, the so called "pretty disabilities" often given to female characters so that they remain physically attractive, the "tragic monster " trope of characters like Quasimodo or The Elephant Man and of course the ever popular "caretaker cinema" that centres the able bodied care giver at the expense of the disabled character, who is seen as a burden. To quote the author " Caretaker cinema is about closing the door on the disabled and talking over them".
Each chapter is dedicated to a specific topic within the discussion with one or two movies being discussed, and while I was familiar with many of the more modern movies there were several earlier works that I am now curious to see, I am not sure if the finished version includes a watch list of these movies but if not it would be a nice addition, and I would probably recommend watching them as you read to enhance the experience.
The authors conversational tone and the sense of humor that pervades the book is a nice lightening touch for a heavy topic and I found her honesty about her personal experiences with some of the movies discussed very refreshing, as she highlights how it is possible to love a movie while still knowing that the representation may be less than ideal and acknowledging that fact,
This was a fascinating, educational and thought provoking book, and one that I recommend.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own
Each chapter is dedicated to a specific topic within the discussion with one or two movies being discussed, and while I was familiar with many of the more modern movies there were several earlier works that I am now curious to see, I am not sure if the finished version includes a watch list of these movies but if not it would be a nice addition, and I would probably recommend watching them as you read to enhance the experience.
The authors conversational tone and the sense of humor that pervades the book is a nice lightening touch for a heavy topic and I found her honesty about her personal experiences with some of the movies discussed very refreshing, as she highlights how it is possible to love a movie while still knowing that the representation may be less than ideal and acknowledging that fact,
This was a fascinating, educational and thought provoking book, and one that I recommend.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own
December 11, 2025
Book 46 of 2025 - ✅! Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies by Kristen Lopez, Foreword by Ben Mankiewicz read by Francine Brody.
After a stretch of (wonderful) fiction books, I decided it was time to foray back into the world of non-fiction. Popcorn Disabilities seemed to find me, as I was scrolling through social media, and came across someone talking about this book.
As might be apparent by the title, Popcorn Disabilities does a deep-dive into the film industry’s past with disability representation. Starting in the silent era of films and going through today (2025), Lopez is incredibly thoughtful and thoroughly researched everything in the book. Starting with movies like Freaks (1932), Lopez hones in on the (generally) questionable disabled representation throughout history. Among some of the other films discussed are some films that I very much enjoyed in the past: Rain Man & Children of a Lesser God and CODA to name a few. Now that I have a more mature lens through look through, and “when you know better, you do better,” it’s clear that even though some of these films were made with the best intentions, society as a whole needs to be better with disability representation both in front of and behind the camera.
Though it can feel a little bit like a textbook, Lopez does a great job of talking through each example and film featured, and it made me want to revisit a lot of movies and shows with some of my new-found knowledge to reassess reviews I’d given to things years ago. 4/5 ⭐️ ♿️🧏♀️👩🦯#popcorndisabilities
After a stretch of (wonderful) fiction books, I decided it was time to foray back into the world of non-fiction. Popcorn Disabilities seemed to find me, as I was scrolling through social media, and came across someone talking about this book.
As might be apparent by the title, Popcorn Disabilities does a deep-dive into the film industry’s past with disability representation. Starting in the silent era of films and going through today (2025), Lopez is incredibly thoughtful and thoroughly researched everything in the book. Starting with movies like Freaks (1932), Lopez hones in on the (generally) questionable disabled representation throughout history. Among some of the other films discussed are some films that I very much enjoyed in the past: Rain Man & Children of a Lesser God and CODA to name a few. Now that I have a more mature lens through look through, and “when you know better, you do better,” it’s clear that even though some of these films were made with the best intentions, society as a whole needs to be better with disability representation both in front of and behind the camera.
Though it can feel a little bit like a textbook, Lopez does a great job of talking through each example and film featured, and it made me want to revisit a lot of movies and shows with some of my new-found knowledge to reassess reviews I’d given to things years ago. 4/5 ⭐️ ♿️🧏♀️👩🦯#popcorndisabilities
October 9, 2025
This dragged for me. Each chapter focusses on one movie or theme in a detailed way, but spending a chapter reading about representation in a movie I haven't (and probably will never) see was quite tedious. Maybe I should have made a reading list and watched the movies before trying to read about them. Lopez brings a measured viewpoint to her analysis of disabled representation, sharing her personal reactions and placing both the movies and her experiences in the wider cultural context. Her conclusions seem or feel correct, but to me expanding from the individual from the genre didn't quite work. this may be as much a reflection on my lack of knowledge than any flaw in the book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the free e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the free e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2025
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing this book as an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This book explores the history of disability representation in Hollywood alongside providing an incisive cultural critique and commentary about ableism, violence and the socioeconomic and political realities of disabled people in America. Kristen Lopez carefully explores the nuances of filmmaking, scriptwriting, visual story telling and pop culture in a way that is both enjoyable and insightful. I especially appreciate how the pages felt imbued with Lopez's love for the medium of filmmaking and the way that she provided the language for the various tropes, plot points and trends that we see depicted on the silver screen.
This book explores the history of disability representation in Hollywood alongside providing an incisive cultural critique and commentary about ableism, violence and the socioeconomic and political realities of disabled people in America. Kristen Lopez carefully explores the nuances of filmmaking, scriptwriting, visual story telling and pop culture in a way that is both enjoyable and insightful. I especially appreciate how the pages felt imbued with Lopez's love for the medium of filmmaking and the way that she provided the language for the various tropes, plot points and trends that we see depicted on the silver screen.
November 26, 2025
An interesting and well developed read that shines light on the importance of disability representation in the media. Lopez expertly blends her perspective as a disabled film critic with historical references that force readers to not only consider ableism in the film industry, but the broader context of how ableism permeates our entire culture. I was shocked to learn that trillions of dollars are being lost out on because storytellers are hesitant to tell disabled stories in meaningful ways. It was a super enjoyable book. Thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for this ARC. Expected publication is November 27.
November 3, 2025
As an able-bodied person who understands why representation matters, this book was an eye-opening experience. I’ve always considered myself someone who has inclusive attitudes, but we all have something to learn in this ever-changing world. Lopez will make you think twice about what you see and more importantly don’t see at the cinema, while giving you a few chuckles along the way.
The word fascinating is overused, however it’s perfect for this book.
I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
The word fascinating is overused, however it’s perfect for this book.
I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews