''Being Different'' is a Canadian documentary film, directed by

Harry Rasky Harry Rasky, CM, O.Ont (9 May 1928 – 9 April 2007) was a Canadian documentary film director. Life and career Rasky was born in Toronto, Ontario into a Jewish family, where he completed studies at Oakwood Collegiate Institute and then Univ ...

and released in 1981.

Jay Scott Jeffrey Scott Beaven (October 4, 1949 – July 30, 1993), known professionally by his pen name Jay Scott, was a Canadian film critic."Critic Jay Scott, 43 among world's best". ''Toronto Star'', July 31, 1993. Early life Scott was born in Lincol ...

, "Rasky's 'freaks' turn out to be extraordinary ordinary people". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', June 13, 1981. Adapted in part from

Leslie Fiedler Leslie Aaron Fiedler (March 8, 1917 – January 29, 2003) was an American literary critic, known for his interest in mythography and his championing of genre fiction. His work incorporates the application of psychological theories to American lit ...

's 1978 book ''Freaks: Myths and Images of the Secret Self'', the film profiles various people, including amputees, people with

dwarfism Dwarfism is a condition wherein an organism is exceptionally small, and mostly occurs in the animal kingdom. In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dw ...

conjoined twin Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are twins joined ''in utero''. A very rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence ...

s and people who are much taller or fatter than average, who have physical characteristics that make them different from the "norm", and centres on both the positive and negative aspects of their experiences. Figures appearing in the film included actor

Billy Barty Billy Barty (born William John Bertanzetti, October 25, 1924 – December 23, 2000) was an American actor and activist. In adult life, he stood tall, due to cartilage–hair hypoplasia dwarfism. Because of his short stature, he was often cast ...

; Jóhann K. Pétursson, a 7'8" circus entertainer;

Sandy Allen Sandra Elaine Allen (June 18, 1955 – August 13, 2008) was an American woman recognized by the Guinness World Records as the tallest woman in the world. She was tall. Allen wrote a book, ''Cast a Giant Shadow''. Although over the years other ...

, who was recognized by the

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

as the tallest living woman in the world; and Peter Strudwick, a German-American marathon runner who was born without feet. The film premiered at the 1981

Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF; french: le Festival des Films du Monde) was one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF (although the Toronto Internat ...

, and was screened at the 1981 Festival of Festivals in September.Sid Adilman, "Isaac Stern's China a prize for festival". ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'', August 27, 1981. Allen personally attended a later commercial screening at Toronto's Carlton Theatre in October.

Response

of ''

'' called it "Rasky's finest film, and that assessment includes '' Homage to Chagall'', for which he received an Oscar nomination." Maureen Peterson of the ''

Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...

'' praised it as "a documentary about the handicapped that has warmth and humour and is almost miraculously devoid of voyeurism and sensationalism", concluding that "if a work of art is something which nourishes our spirit and alters our perception, then ''Being Different'' is a work of art." Michael Walsh of ''

The Province ''The Province'' is a daily newspaper published in tabloid format in British Columbia by Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, alongside the ''Vancouver Sun'' broadsheet newspaper. Together, they are British Columbia's only ...

'', conversely, contrasted it unfavourably against

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...

's infamously controversial 1932 film ''

Freaks Freak has several meanings: a person who is physically deformed or suffers from an extraordinary disease and condition, a genetic mutation in a plant or animal, etc. Freak, freaks or The Freak may also refer to: Fictional characters * Freak (Ima ...

'', writing that "I couldn't shake the feeling that ''Being Different'' is too self-consciously well-intentioned, a film rather desperate to mask its less-than-wholesome voyeuristic tendencies with goodwill. All things considered, Browning, the old ex-carney, made a more honest film." The film received a

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...

nomination for Best Feature Length Documentary at the

3rd Genie Awards The 3rd Genie Awards were awarded on March 3, 1982, at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto,Jay Scott, "Academy lists Genie nominees". ''The Globe and Mail'', February 4, 1982. and honoured Canadian films released in 1981.Liam Lacey, "Ticket to ...

in 1982.

, "Les Plouffe, Ticket to Heaven lead the pack: Academy lists Genie nominees". ''

'', February 4, 1982.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0131963 1981 films 1981 documentary films Canadian documentary films 1980s English-language films Films directed by Harry Rasky 1980s Canadian films