Summary
The Intouchables is a movie whose plot is founded on two men in France who come from very diverse backgrounds. Phillippe is a rich white man who survived a tragic paragliding accident and ended up being a man with a quadriplegic condition. Upon interviewing several candidates, he settles to hire Driss, a black man. Driss comes from low socioeconomic status, is unenthusiastic, and only goes for the interview to receive a signature for unemployment benefits (The Intouchables). However, Phillipe gives him the challenge of becoming his caregiver. Even though Driss displays unprofessionalism at the beginning of this training, Phillipe appreciates the true interpersonal relationship they begin to have.
Additionally, his choice of caregiver is criticized by his friend, who ends up calling Driss violent and unfriendly. However, Phillipe tells his friend that he does not need anyone who is pitiful to him with his current condition. Driss rejuvenates Phillipe’s lonely, repetitive, and boring life. Phillipe writes to a woman in Dunkirk who asks him for a photo. However, Driss empowers Phillipe to be open to creating a relationship with his friend, Eleanore. Towards the film’s end, Driss secretly arranges a meeting between Eleanore and Phillipe. On the other hand, Phillipe unknowingly introduces Driss to new experiences and values.
Communication Barriers
One major communication barrier is stereotyping. Driss is fond of making unintelligent and stereotypical jokes against Phillipe. For instance, when Driss accompanies Phillipe to the art gallery to buy an artistic design, Driss constantly jokes about Phillipe’s condition. For a moment, Phillipe was saddened by such sentiments, but Driss reminded him that it was a joke (The Intouchables). The movie also shows Driss’s over-exaggeration of his condition when he tells Phillipe to stretch his arm and reach for his ringing cell phone, showing his insensitivity (The Intouchables). Empathy allows people to share, care, and understand each other’s emotions, which Driss lacks. At the beginning of the movie, Driss shows a lack of decorum in the interview by using slang words, which shows that the communication barrier is caused by the socioeconomic status between the two characters. However, Driss is a helpful caregiver because he constantly adheres to Phillipe’s demands when in pain. Also, the fact that Phillipe constantly advocates for Driss to be his caregiver despite the existing communication barriers shows that he has already accepted Driss’s communication style as it is.
Application to Healthcare
The movie teaches significant lessons regarding how people in the medical field treat people with disabilities. Communication often breaks down between a healthcare provider and patients with special needs because a caregiver might not know what the patient is going through in terms of pain or discomfort. Most especially, this movie depicts a caregiver who has no previous experience caring for a quadriplegic patient and may seem to be insensitive, like when Driss pours hot water on Phillipe’s skin to confirm that he feels nothing ((The Intouchables). One circumstance that this movie teaches that applies to the healthcare providers and their patients is when Driss teaches Phillipe that despite the physical and emotional challenges, it is important to live a good. Driss successfully teaches Phillipe to be open to relationships, have a social life, and not allow his disability to challenge his normal life. The Intouchables has shown the importance of human interaction even in humanizing living with disabilities.
Work Cited
“The Intouchables.” 2011, ww4.fmovies.co/film/the-intouchables-7885/.
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