My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989)

No one expects much from Christy Brown, a boy with cerebral palsy born into a working-class Irish family. Though Christy is a spastic quadriplegic and essentially paralyzed, a miraculous event occurs when, at the age of 5, he demonstrates control of his left foot by using chalk to scrawl a word on the floor. With the help of his steely mother — and no shortage of grit and determination — Christy overcomes his infirmity to become a painter, poet and author.

Genres: Drama

What to watch after My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown

• Rory O'Shea Was Here (2004)
• Breaking Away (1979) — Same feel: dramatic, realistic
• In the Name of the Father (1993) — Jim Sheridan directed both
• Bloody Sunday (2002)
• The Boxer (1997) — Jim Sheridan directed both
• Billy Elliot (2000) — Same feel: dramatic, emotional