Daruma is a film unlike any that I have previously seen, featuring two disabled lead actors, Tobias Forrest and John W. Lawson. Directed by Alexander Yellen and written by Kelli McNeil-Yellen, the film follows two unlikely friends as they travel across the country.

The film starts off quite comedic, introducing us to wheelchair-bound veteran, Patrick (Tobias Forrest), who spends his time drinking, smoking, and going to the strip club. However, things start to progressively get more serious, as Patrick discovers he’s a father. He soon discovers that the mother of his daughter has passed away, leaving him as her sole guardian. Although he tries to avoid this new responsibility, he’s convinced to give fatherhood a chance after hearing that the mother named him the beneficiary of her life insurance, so long as he cares for their daughter.

As he balances this new responsibility, Patrick comes to the realization that he isn’t fit for fatherhood. He ultimately makes the decision to transfer guardianship to his daughter’s maternal grandparents. The only problem, however, is that they live across the country, and he has no means to take her there (due to his fear of flying and lack of a car). This leads to him asking his neighbor Robert (John W. Lawson), who happens to be a fellow disabled veteran, to drive them, resulting in a journey of growth and an unlikely friendship between the three. This trip has its ups and downs, especially considering how different Patrick and Robert are. We see the two constantly bicker and disagree, but we also see their shared love of Patrick’s daughter lead them to open up about their pasts.

I really enjoyed several aspects of this film, especially when it comes to sharing a story that isn’t stereotypical when it comes to disabled people. Rather than it be a story where audiences are expected to feel bad for the characters, it is actually quite the opposite. We learn of aspects of Patrick and Robert’s lives that show they aren’t perfect people. Despite these flaws, anybody can grow as a person as long as they are willing to embrace the circumstances that life has presented them. There is a lot of range when it comes to each of our lead’s stories, where we learn of troubled pasts for both Patrick and Robert. While the film maintained a sense of playfulness, there were several parts of the film that were intense and moving (in particular, the scene at the park where Robert confronts Patrick.) However, I do feel there were parts of the film that were a bit too on the nose and could’ve been left out, it is still an inspirational and touching story.

We give Daruma a 3.75/5.