Although much of the recent media and activism regarding people with disabilities has focused on access, the folks profiled in Christian Schneider's hyperkinetic paean to the indomitable human spirit have gone way beyond wheelchair ramps. In fact, they've gone way beyond traditional wheelchairs. Driving something that looks like a wheelchair that went through a chop shop, 25-year-old John Davis hurtles down the streets of San Francisco and outlying dirt tracks in a souped-up vehicle which allowed the paralyzed Davis to pioneer the sport of off-road wheelchair racing. Using high-tech adaptive sports equipment, the people with disabilities profiled here--whether mountain bike racing or (and you've got to see this to believe it) downhill ski racing--open new vistas of possibility to their peers. While Schneider's flashy approach (the film often looks like an extended Nike commercial) is a little off-putting, The Chariot Races accomplishes something important above and beyond expanding our awareness; children will see that people with disabilities can not only adapt, they can excel. As kids have always looked up to heroes--especially sports figures--the distinction is important; this film could inspire not only kids with disabilities but kids in general. Strongly recommended. Aud: E, I, J, H, P. (R. Pitman)
The Chariot Races
(1997) 30 min. $69.95. Live Wire Media. PPR. Color cover. Closed captioned. Vol. 12, Issue 3
The Chariot Races
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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