Rachel Is

Rachel Is
Lauren Kirk

Rachel Is I saw Rachel Is on Saturday afternoon at CIFF and I am so glad that I did. Rachel is a 21 year old developmentally disabled girl living in Pittsburg with her mother, Jane. Her sister, Charlotte directed the piece and the entire film is so intimate as a result. All three invite the camera and essentially the audience into their lives. The focus of the film is essentially on where Rachel will be living after she graduates from school, she wants to move out of her mother's house, yet Jane does not want her to live anywhere but a group home. Shared living options are tested and do not work out, so Jane intensifies the search for a home where Rachel can live with her peers and lead a normal life. Rachel is hilarious and warm, yet I could tell that the demands she unknowingly imposes could be harrowing for a caretaker. Throughout the film, Jane is almost unflinching. Stoic even. Her quiet strength and patience with Rachel was truly inspiring. So was her passion for finding the best care for her daughter in a system that often overlooks developmentally challenged adults. Watching Jane as she remains calm while Rachel screams in the doctor's office can only be described as amazing. Some people lose patience quickly over a minor tear, and here Jane remains strong. You can see the love that all three have for each other and none of it is forced or faked for the camera. Even when it is obvious that Rachel is annoying Jane, I never got the sense of resentment. Charlotte did a great job directing this film, getting her point across, and showcasing her sister. I was particularly struck and moved by a point where she stated: "when I was 16 I realized it was time for me to stop apologizing for Rachel. She was just Rachel." Just because Rachel has a disability, it does not make her a freak, nor is anyone else with one. I think society probably often forgets this. Rachel Is was a great film about love, family, support, and also made me very aware of the limits of services for the disabled.