MOVIE REVIEWS : ‘Gaby’s’ Story Is a Triumph of the Spirit

The reason for seeing “Gaby --A True Story” (at the AMC Century 14) is best expressed in the final line of a poem written by its subject: “God, if life is so many things that I am not, and never will be, give me the strength to be what I am.”

The measure of “Gaby’s” success lies in our ability to see ourselves in its remarkable heroine and, by the end of the film, be able to feel the full force of those words of hers upon our own lives. Rachel Levin’s performance as Gaby Brimmer, a victim of cerebral palsy who became determined to live life as fully as possible, is so radiant that instead of pitying Gaby or shunning her, we are instead able to identify with her, to feel with her a common bond of humanity.

As a drama of affliction, “Gaby” is an emotion-charged expression of the triumph of the spirit. As a film, it’s traditional to the point of being old fashioned, but it is a work of such obvious and deep commitment on the part of all involved that matters of style become secondary. Because of this sense of commitment, “Gaby” is also that rare instance of an incredibly diverse international cast melding itself into an effective ensemble. Its characters are well written, which allows for many fine performances under the direction of the fledgling Luis Mandoki, who dedicated years to getting made what is only his second feature.

Only after Gaby--the real Gaby is now in her early 40s--was born did her parents (Liv Ullmann, Robert Loggia) realize they were RH negative. Her cerebral palsy is so severe that she cannot speak and has only the use of her left leg. Yet for all the harshness of her affliction, Gaby is not without luck. Her parents, Austrian-Jewish emigres to Mexico City, are wealthy, sophisticated people, but her greatest good fortune is that a shy, simple household maid, Florencia (Norma Aleandro, star of the Oscar-nominated Argentine film “The Official Story,” in her English-speaking debut), finds herself drawn to the howling, helpless and incorrigible infant Gaby and discovers she can communicate with her by teaching her to signal with her one good foot. In time Gaby learns how to express herself by pointing with her big toe to the letters of the alphabet and by typing with that toe. Locked inside that uncontrollable body is a mind of exceptional intellect and talent.

Gaby’s story is that of an individual struggling to break out of the prison of formidable physical barriers. Gaby and her parents must fight for her right to receive an education in regular schools, since the school for the handicapped only goes to the sixth grade. And as she matures, Gaby even dares to seek romance. But the real love story of “Gaby” is that of the unstinting mutual devotion of three women: Gaby, her mother and Florencia.

Although “Gaby” benefits from a subtle score by Maurice Jarre and from the rich, muted color of Lajos Koltai’s camera work, it is a film of performances rather than images. Ullmann and Loggia offer portrayals of loving, devoted, intelligent parents who are at the same time human enough to show us the very real toll Gaby’s predicament exacts upon their lives. Aleandro’s Florencia may be a saintly miracle worker but she has her own struggle in overcoming a prudishness in regard to Gaby’s natural physical desires and a possessiveness in regard to the young woman to whom she has devoted her entire life. Aleandro and Mandoki allow the devout Florencia’s unsophisticated conservatism to become a source of quiet humor.

Lawrence Monoson is Levin’s equal as Gaby’s first love, also a victim of cerebral palsy but capable of speech, a passionate youth whose spirit is finally crushed by his rich, foolishly despairing mother (Beatriz Sheridan). Monoson, who was the adopted son in the West Coast company of “Torch Song Trilogy,” and Levin went to extreme lengths in their preparations for playing victims of cerebral palsy, and none of the handicapped students in the film’s classroom scenes were told that the actors were not actually afflicted. Levin was also able to draw upon her experience as a now fully recovered victim of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a severe neurological disorder that causes paralysis. Robert Beltran has the difficult assignment of playing the handsome, dashing University of Mexico student who eventually must admit to Gaby that he is attracted only to her mind. Tony Goldwyn plays Gaby’s older brother David, who was born normal.

Blessed with a beautiful smile, Levin, who is making her film debut, is extraordinary in her ability to express Gaby’s inner glow and intellectual brilliance; there’s even grace, paradoxical as that may seem, in the way she expresses Gaby’s awkwardness and in her pride in her deft use of her one functional limb. As a work of art, “Gaby” (rated R for mature themes) is not the stunner that “The Elephant Man” was, yet Levin’s portrayal of Gaby has the same innate dignity and courage that John Hurt brought to his gallant John Merrick.