In the NFB's defense, both sighted and sightless members actually attended a screening of the movie, which is more than I can say for the majority of people protesting a film. "Everyone was offended," an NFB member informed the Associated Press. For those who think the blind can't appreciate a movie, I point out that Stevie Wonder scored THREE movies, including The Secret Life of Plants, which he was better off not actually seeing. That movie had a telepathic cabbage, for God's sake!

When Blindness opens, the NFB will be outside theaters handing out flyers and carrying signs, both of which better have Braille on them. While the film on the surface seems to reinforce stereotypes, the characters suddenly go blind with none of the training that most blind people undertake, so it's not an exact comparison. These folks are acting more out of panic than blindness. Nevertheless, I must commend the NFB for screening the film before deciding to go against it. I just wish they'd also protested those Mr. Magoo cartoons I endured as a kid. Excepting his Christmas Carol, Mr. Magoo cartoons were pure torture. Contrary to popular belief, Mr. Magoo wasn't blind at all, just nearsighted. But still.