TIFF 2026 Review: Being Heumann – “This will definitely be a crowd pleaser.”

Judy Heumann advocates for the signing of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and in the process becomes known as the “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.”

The camera travels low to the ground as what is revealed to be a wheelchair is moving towards a protest that is taking place on a sidewalk featuring those with physical disabilities as well as those feeling marginalized by society. The frustration of being ignored by passersby causes the wheelchair bound Judy Heumann lead everyone onto the pedestrian walk to halt traffic.  The core issue is that the federal government has not signed Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which is meant to prevent those with disabilities from being discriminated for employment and to make buildings physically accessible for them.  Things escalate as the nationwide protestors are instructed by Heumann to occupy the federal buildings until the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph Califano makes their rights official.

If you liked CODA, Siân Heder has crafted  a worthy successor with Being Heumann.  The opening shot is a great way to place the audience in the perspective of someone in a wheelchair trying to navigate their way around the world which is full of precarious situations.  As much as the story is clearly on the side of those with disabilities there is an unvarnished portrayal to those involved that emphasizes that they are humans too whether it is smoking pot, having sex, goofing around, or simply trying to deal with personal issues.   The decision not to have able bodied actors fill in the parts pays off in dividends as there is a real authenticity to the performances.  Ruth Madelye is great as the bullish Judy Heumann, Madeline Delp excels as big thinker and more restrained Kitty Cone, Dylan O’Brien continues to be a chameleon with his roles and the portrayal of rookie reporter Evan White, and quite frankly Mark Ruffalo has the thankless task of embodying the hapless villain, Joseph Califano.

Outside of the opening shot, the camera takes an observatory position and avoids any fancy movements.  The decision to go with a classical approach is a wise one in that it allows for the performances to be the main focus.  The production design is solid as it does feel like 1970s.  The closing shot has symbolic implications and is found to have a dramatic solution by the archive news footage.   This will definitely be a crowd pleaser but also a wakeup call that what makes you appear different on the outside does not mean that you are not experiencing the same things on the inside because in the end we are all just being human.

The 51st Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10-20, 2026, and for more information visit tiff.net.   

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.