'Music Within' leaves a strong message

If there's a down side to "Music Within," an inspirational film that enlightens as it entertains, it's that disabled Americans may soon face yet another stereotype: That every one of them is incredibly smart and funny as hell.

Based on the true story of Richard Pimentel, "Music Within" chronicles the first half of his nearly 40-year fight for disabled rights. Pimentel helped carve the path to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and is a nationally renowned speaker.

This independent film will surprise moviegoers on multiple levels: that disabled Americans embarked on their own civil rights movement against strong prejudices in the 1970s; that wise-cracking actor Ron Livingston of "Office Space" fame could convincingly portray a deaf, troubled man on a mission; and that watching a twitching, sometimes drooling guy in a wheelchair harass snotty coeds would make you want to cheer.

When the film begins, Pimentel is a confused child growing up in Oregon. His father dies when he's a boy, and his mother (Rebecca De Mornay) is an undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenic. In school, Pimentel soon discovers he has a natural gift for public speaking. But after getting his ego bruised by a professor at a college speech tryout - he'd hoped to earn a scholarship - Pimentel enlists in the Army and heads to Vietnam.

Pimentel returns a changed young man. A mortar attack has left him with extreme tinnitus and hearing loss. He learns to read lips but discovers how your life's dreams can be devastated when you're suddenly disabled.

Pimentel's true calling as an advocate for disabled people in the workforce - his "music within" - makes for alternately tragic, uplifting cinema as he becomes a successful agent of large-scale social change over the course of the film.

But it's Pimentel's pals who often steal this surprising little movie. Actor Michael Sheen is terrific as his brilliant, potty-mouthed pal, Art Honeyman, who is wheelchair-bound by cerebral palsy and can barely speak. (But when he does, watch out!) Yul Vazquez is equally likable as frustrated war veteran Mike Stoltz, a beer-swilling ball of anger with a chip on his shoulder.

Despite the noble underlying theme of "Music Within," the humorous dialogue ain't always PC - or PG, for that matter. Ultimately, it makes for a fast, fun, feel-good film. Livingston narrates the story "Wonder Years"-style, and the music of the times - Jefferson Airplane, Steppenwolf, Black Sabbath - adds to the free-spirited vibe.

It's useless to pretend "Music Within" isn't a message movie. It is. But "Music Within" isn't about disabled people conquering day-to-day battles; it's about everyday Americans changing their perceptions of the disabled - and how one man was a catalyst.

The movie's biggest triumph comes long after the curtains have closed. You will look differently at the next disabled person you encounter - on the street, in the grocery store, on the ski lift. That blockbuster car-chase movie you were thinking about seeing this weekend? It won't have that lasting positive effect. *

Produced by Steven Sawalich, Brett Donowho, directed by Steven Sawalich, written by Bret McKinney, Mark Andrew Olsen, music by James T. Sale, distributed by Metro, Goldwyn, Mayer.