USA Today - Music Within

By Anthony Breznican

“Music” adds a healthy dose of humor

You might expect a weep-fest from an inspirational movie called Music Within, opening Oct. 26, about two disabled men in the the 1970s trying to make the world more accessible for the disabled.

But what if the characters were smart-aleck, tough-guy troublemakers?

That’s the approach of the comedy/drama with Ron Livingston (Office Space) and Michael Sheen (The Queen). inspired by the true story of the men who helped create the Americans With Disabilities Act, which required wheelchair ramps and other public accommodations for the disabled. Livingston plays Richard Pimentel, who lost his hearing in the Vietnam War. Sheen plays his friends, Art Honeyman, who has cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair. They use humor to provoke those ignoring the needs of the disabled.

“If you ask Richard, he’ll say his disability isn’t his hearing loss but his anger,” says director Steven Sawalich. “His whole drive was based on a lot of his anger to stick up for the person who’s not begin stood up for. And that’s represented by his sarcastic sense of humor. People want to laugh. And one way to get your point across is through humor.”