Movie Review: The Sea Inside

My timing in watching this movie may not have been ideal. I picked up the DVD at Blockbuster the day after I got my grandmother's will in the mail.

The Sea Inside is based on the true story of Ramon Sampedro, a quadriplegic who fought and lost a 30-year campaign to end his life with dignity.

Although the film did its best to address concerns disability activists may have with Ramon's arguments that living a life as a quadriplegic was living a life without dignity, this movie definitely brings up complicated questions about:

What is quality of life? And who decides if my life is valuable?

The point Ramon Sanpedro and euthanasia activists make is that a quality life and dignity are subjective. Only each of us can say whether our lives are worth living.

In the end, Ramon Sanpedro is not euthanized. However, he commits assisted suicide.

I sobbed at the end of this film - for the losses Ramon's loved ones experienced, but tears of content for Ramon Sanpedro because he finally achieved his 30-year dream of being freed from the constraints of his life.

I do not support quadriplegics requesting euthanasia. But I support individual people making their individual decisions about quality of life, including having the option to choose assisted suicide under appropriate circumstances.

And that reminds me - don't forget to vote if you haven't on the question of assisted suicide in my sidebar. I will be posting the month end's results and then putting up a new question in the beginning of July.