"Being Heumann" REVIEW

Published on 10/5/2026 

Written by: Braylon Mitchell 

Directed by: Sian Heder 

Cast: Ruth Madeley, Madelene Delp, Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O'Brien, Will Brill, Rob Delaney, etc. 

Plot: In 1977, disability rights activist Judy Heumann leads a historic 28-day occupation of San Francisco's Federal Building, uniting protesters in a fight for accessibility laws and equal rights. 

REVIEW 

Her follow up to Academy Award Best Picture winner "CODA", with "Being Heumann" I don't think there's any doubt that Sian Heder has found her place as a filmmaker and voice in Hollywood—a voice that's interested in telling human stories about humans that are misunderstood, underrepresented, or in some instances absent cinematically. Some may downgrade this film as too sappy or "rah rah" for their tastes as its presentation and script are quite conventional, but I found myself won over by the film's rousing emotions and crowd-pleasing nature. It's unfortunate that a majority of people who see this film will be at home on their couch as it'll only play in select cities a week before streaming on Apple TV; this is a film that is meant to be seen with a crowd. I saw this film as the closing night presentation of the Nashville Film Festival with a packed audience that adoringly laughed and clapped throughout. This is one of those films, one of those stories, that is best experienced as a shared experience—even if it's with an auditorium of complete strangers, that's part of the magic of going to the movies after all. I'd already been familiarized with the story of the 1977 disabled occupation and activist pioneer Judy Heumann's part in that story via the Oscar nominated 2020 documentary "Crip Camp" (a really great doc; all these years later it's remained on my mind) but still, seeing it dramatized didn't take away any of the power or inspiration whatsoever out of watching a revolution of mistreated human beings radically standing up for basic rights. We take for granted universally accepted, supported means of everyday accessibility such as ramps, and this film wants you to know that there was a long struggle to get to this point and that there's still work to be done. When it comes to its messages, representation on screen with a cast of primarily disabled performers, and crowd-pleasing appeal, "Being Heumann" is to me undeniably effective. 

THREE BEST ELEMENTS

• The ensemble. Comprised of casting actors that are wheelchair users, blind, deaf, have dwarfism, have Down syndrome, etc. allows for there to be a tangible and very prevalent layer of authenticity that I find to be undoubtedly engrossing. This is such a wonderful, funny, heartfelt ensemble. 

• Ruth Madeley's performance. Madeley gives a rousing, commanding performance in which she provides all the emotion and compelling presence required to be a strong lead player as part of such a large ensemble. Madeley is a true breakthrough; her work in this film is fantastic. 

• Sian Heder's direction. I think that "CODA" is, by a pretty large margin, better than this film, but I was more impressed specifically by Heder's direction of this film. She obviously has a keen eye for making sure to focus on little human moments other directors may overlook or not see as important, and especially during some of the film's more dramatic moments she conveys the tension in a way that's easy to grasp. 

WORST ELEMENT 

• The film and its script follows a formula you've seen played out a thousand times before in similar uplifting films, whether you love the film or not its predictability is unmistakably top of mind. 

RATING

7/10

You should watch it, buddy!