'THE BROOKE ELLISON STORY' Film is final triumph for the late Christopher Reeve

A & amp;E movie depicts what it's like to become paralyzed.
By HAL BOEDEKER
ORLANDO SENTINEL
Christopher Reeve's death will bring a bigger audience to "The Brooke Ellison Story." The poignant film deserves the attention because it's a high point of his career.
With sensitivity and intelligence, Reeve directed this true story about a paralyzed girl and her supportive family. Reeve wanted the A & amp;E movie to represent what it's like to live with paralysis.
The film sharply conveys the Ellison family's agony after a car hits 11-year-old Brooke, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down. The movie powerfully depicts Brooke's pain and loss, but also her determination to adjust to her condition.
Ellison and her mother, Jean, told their story in a book originally called "Miracles Happen." It was a fitting title because Brooke graduated with honors from Harvard, aided by her selfless mother, who attended classes with her.
Camille Thomasson closely follows the book in her largely fine script. But in compressing the story for a short running time, she resorts to glossy montages during Brooke's college years. The movie only touches on the awkwardness of attending college with your mother.
Compelling
Still, those drawbacks matter less because "The Brooke Ellison Story" does such a compelling job early on in depicting the girl's devastating injuries and the upheavals to her family.
Dad Ed (John Slattery) demands that doctors be positive in their treatment and fights bureaucracy over exorbitant medical costs. Mom Jean (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) overcomes naysayers to care for Brooke at home and at school.
The family must contend with the anguish of the older daughter. But even at dire moments, help comes from unexpected sources in scenes guaranteed to produce tears.
Reeve, who was a fine actor, works skillfully with his cast. Slattery and Mastrantonio give fiercely committed performances as the parents. She delivers the crucial speech simply but persuasively.
"You belong in this world," the mother tells a disheartened Brooke. "But you have to decide whether you're going to contribute to it or be paralyzed."
Actors
Sharing the role of Brooke are Vanessa Marano as the girl and Lacey Chabert as the young woman. Both do lovely work. Appearing as Mike, a college student who befriends Brooke, is Luke Flynn, grandson of swashbuckling legend Errol Flynn.
In meeting TV critics in July, Reeve discussed why the project mattered to him.
"It was very important to me, after being in film and theater for 35 years, not to give it all up just to be an advocate for paralysis," he said. "Although, of course, I care very much about that. But it's been a privilege to have a creative life. ... So I've been very fortunate that wonderful material, like Brooke's story, has come my way."
The news often overshadows movies, and it will in this case. I saw "The Brooke Ellison Story" shortly before Reeve died. I found it a stirring work that celebrates hope, family and education while acknowledging hardship and loss.
The artistry of "The Brooke Ellison Story" should not be ignored. It is the rare movie that does well as it does good.