Tropic Thunder hasn't even hit the big screen yet but is causing a lot of controversy, especially among organizations representing people with intellectual disabilities. The film, which premiers on Wednesday, August 13, features a cast of well known Hollywood celebrities including Matthew McConaughey, Steve Coogan, Nick Nolte, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller. This article in the New York Times offers more on the film from the studios perspective.

In the film, Ben Stiller plays the roles of two characters. The first as a fading action hero. He also plays “Simple Jack,” a kind-hearted dolt with bad teeth whose onscreen presence prompts frequent use of words like “retard,” “moron” and “imbecile.”

On Saturday a coalition of disability organizations held a conference call to discuss a strategy through which concerns about the films content could be voiced to studio executives and to the general public. Coalition members include the American Association of People with Disabilities, The Arc of the United States, Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Congress, United Cerebral Palsy, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, TASH, and the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts.

If you've been to the movies recently you've probably had a chance to view the trailer which I've included here. Every time I've watched it my first reaction has been, "how stupid do writers in Hollywood think we are?" The film clearly is an outrageous attempt at comedy appealing to those who don't require much substance or meaning in films they choose to view. I'm reminded of other films that have followed a similar path, most notably Blind Dating which I don't recall achieving anywhere close to the level of opposition being generated by this film and yet it too was tasteless. And like Blind Dating, Tropic Thunder appears to achieve the same level of lackluster entertainment and value for the money.

I must admit that a part of me wants to just ignore this film entirely with the almost certainty that it will follow a similar fait as other recent big budget films that have flopped. And yet, we can't do that. If anything, the stereotypical portrayal of the developmentally disabled character in the film allows us an opportunity to educate the public on reality and to the meaningful contributions made by people with all types of disabilities.

Unfortunately, it is probably too late for any major changes to be made to the film and the studios probably won't be amicable to such ideas. Instead, I think efforts would be better directed at a campaign designed to highlight the misrepresentations of people with disabilities in the film and to provide the movie going public with a reality check. Perhaps organizations could combine resources and purchase advertisements or public service announcements that would run proceeding the film? Distributing information about coalition organizations at the door as people enter or utilizing relationships with the media to mount a successful public relations campaign could also be great ways to get a more positive message out.