Film Review: BEING HEUMANN (2026): A Terrific, Uplifting Look at a Fascinating Topic

Being Heumann Review

Being Heumann (2026) Film Review, a movie directed by Sian Heder, written by Kristen Joiner, Sian Heder and Judith Heumann and starring Ruth Madeley, Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Rob Delaney, Jon Beavers, Will Brill, Ray Fisher, David Hewlett, Daniel Durant, Roberta Colindrez, Ryan Allen, Russell Harvard, Missy Yager, Madeline Delp, Joe Cobden, Matthew Jeffers, Linden Porco and Michael Patrick Thornton.

Filmmaker Sian Heder’s Oscar-winning film, CODA, was a triumph, and Heder’s latest picture, Being Heumann, is an even stronger accomplishment. Structured around the efforts of a wheelchair-bound activist named Judy Heumann (Ruth Madeley in an awards-worthy turn), this new film is an important piece of history where the rights for people with disabilities were fought for with tremendous perseverance. Being Heumann isn’t overly sympathetic, yet it stands firm in its presentation of Judy as a working activist who was fighting for rights that were absolutely essential.

This film’s premise begins with Judy’s attempts to get through to the powers that be on the telephone. She has no luck and gets brushed off. Mark Ruffalo serves as Joseph Califano, an important lawyer and United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Califano has the power to make reforms, which would make sure that accessibility is able to be achieved across the board.

Rights for people in wheelchairs to access entry to places were not easily attained. It took extreme measures by Judy and her fellow activists to convince Califano to see reason. This movie illustrates those efforts, which are brave and effective in achieving results.

It must be said that when San Francisco’s Federal Building gets taken over by the disabled protesters for several weeks, there are some crowd-pleasing moments, to be certain. Judy, in particular, is quite charismatic as she takes to her signature attitudes in order to make sure that the cause that she is fighting so intensely for is recognized. All people with disabilities have certain rights that were being overshadowed in the name of ignorance. A great shot shows a large number of stairs to a public building as the movie clarifies why the importance of accessibility comes into play.

There is also a wonderful turn by Madeline Delp as Kitty Cone, who was Judy’s helper in obtaining the rights which should be universal. In the late 1970’s, these rights came into view many times over. Dylan O’Brien plays the reporter, Evan White, who helped publicize Judy’s crusade, which became one of the most intensive fights for human rights ever.

Andrew Pilkington plays another wheelchair-bound activist who communicates with a pointer that is attached to his head and hits a keyboard to spell out what he wants to say. This is another memorable character in a film full of character actors who leave a lasting impression on the viewer. 

Humorous moments include mention of the toothbrush Judy brought with her in order to ensure she would be able to stay in the building long enough to achieve her goals. There were people who needed medicine who couldn’t necessarily stay constantly present in the fight for justice, and food eventually got delivered to the protesters who were able to thrive in their attempts to achieve equal rights.

Being Heumann is a great film. Ruth Madeley gives the character of Judy life as she breathes the personality of a fearless leader onto the screen. Judy was unafraid of going after what was important to herself and countless others. Sian Heder doesn’t make the movie feel like it’s manipulative at all. It presents facts that were essential to understanding the importance of the situation. Madeley keeps the movie feeling relevant through an astonishing and award-worthy performance.

While the movie moves along, it displays many of the situations that arise as the protesters wait for the powers that be to assess the situation and evaluate it further. This was not an easy fight, and the activists involved are all expertly re-created on-screen. Heder is unafraid to be honest in the portrayal of this battle for human rights, and every scene rings true, making the viewer respect the efforts of the protesters, even if their methods of attaining justice were a little unconventional, to say the least.

Don’t discredit Mark Ruffalo’s performance here. He may seem like the bad guy at first, but Joseph is so much more than that. This character must make mistakes before understanding the essential need for these rights, which may come at a great financial cost, but it is certainly a necessary expense. Ruffalo is memorable in this role and gives it a lot of attention as he adds a significant amount of charisma to the part.

Some audience members may feel that this is a movie designed to be a crowd-pleaser, and it is, but it’s also much more than that. It’s a representation of historical events that changed the world for the better. Being Heumann is an unforgettable look at the importance of taking risks and the necessity of change for the greater good.

Rating: 9.5/10

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