Inclusion Daily Express -- And The Nominees Are . . . "Murderball" . . .

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July 25, 2004: The Buzz On 'Murderball'

And The Nominees Are . . . "Murderball" . . .
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
February 1, 2006

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA--"Murderball" made it.

The rough and tumble portrayal of quadriplegic rugby was nominated Tuesday for an Academy Award in the category of Best Documentary Feature.

"Murderball" follows the U.S. quad rugby teams as they compete from the 2002 World Championships to the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. During the more than two years of filming, directors were able to get the cameras and the microphones close to the slams and crashes on the court.

They also spent time in the day-to-day lives of these young athletes, as they talked about everything from picking up women to how they were first injured and how they felt about the possibility of further injuries in the full-contact game.

While some reviewers have criticized the film for being slow in places, and some advocates expressed anger at team leader Mark Zupan's use of the "r-word" in referring to Special Olympics, most (including myself) praised the movie for its honest depiction of these hard-hitting athletes while not shying away from the reality of their disabilities.

It's a far cry from past movies that have portrayed real people and characters with disabilities either as super-human or as victims needing pity.

"Murderball" faces competition from "Darwin's Nightmare"; "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room"; "March of the Penguins"; and "Street Fight."

The 78th Annual Academy Awards are scheduled for March 5 at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, and will be broadcast on ABC-TV.

Related:
"Murderball" (Internet Movie Database)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436613
"Documentary film made mostly in Alabama up for Oscar" (Associated Press)
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/local/13766418.htm
"'Murderball' challenges perception of paralysis" (CTV)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/06/red/0201b.htm

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