Jenni Gold on her ‘Gold test’ for the portrayal of disabilities in media

TORONTO – Filmmaker Jenni Gold has developed what she calls the “Gold test” for works of fiction that feature a character with a disability.

Like the Bechdel test for women in movies, her test asks that the project meet certain criteria, including that the story not be about the disability and that the character not be solely defined by the disability.

Gold details the evolution of disability in entertainment in her documentary “CinemAbility,” which is screening at Toronto’s inaugural ReelAbilities Film Festival that runs Thursday through May 19.

Films that she says pass the Gold test include:

— “Creed,” in which Tessa Thompson’s musician character has a hearing issue but it’s not a major plot point.

— “Deadpool,” in which Leslie Uggams plays a blind character who “is treated like everyone else in the film,” says Gold.

— “Mad Max,” in which Charlize Theron’s character has one arm but it doesn’t set her back.

Films that Gold says don’t pass the test include:

— “Jurassic World,” particularly because its theme-park scenes don’t feature anyone with a disability.

“How many times have you been in a theme park and seen a wheelchair with somebody go by? Hundreds of times, right?” says Gold.

“Apparently they didn’t want anybody in a wheelchair getting attacked by a dinosaur, which I think we should fight for our rights to be eaten by dinosaurs just like everybody else.”

— “Million Dollar Baby,” in which Hilary Swank’s boxer character is paralyzed after breaking her neck and “suddenly threw in the towel,” says Gold.

“What message does that send to the cheerleader who falls off the pyramid and breaks her neck that weekend? It sends a message that life isn’t worthy of living if you can’t move.”