Francesco Clark wrote a book called “Walking Papers” which describes his experience of suffering after a driving accident caused a spinal cord injury. He says this book features in a “key scene in the film” which he is not too happy about.
He said: “I was never asked if my book could be included in the movie, nor was I ever told that it would be included. While I understand that this movie is based on a work of fiction, my book – and my life – is not.”
Mr Clark has received many emails from people who have noticed his book in the movie, who also believe that he is involved in the movie in some way.
The movie, “Me Before You” is based on a bestselling novel by Jojo Moyes. The film is centred around a rich high-flyer who become quadriplegic after an accident, and his carer who is horrified to learn he is planning to visit an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland.
Mr Clark says he has “worked tirelessly to show people that being quadriplegic isn’t the end of your life”.
“While I am by no means taking a stance on the issue of assisted suicide, I feel compelled to express that I am angry to be unwittingly associated with a storyline that suggests the only option for those who sustain injuries like mine is death,” said Mr Clark, a Longtime Ambassador for The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
“I had no involvement in the making of this movie, and am in fact saddened by the association. I will continue to spread a message of positivity and hope for those who have experienced spinal cord injuries, either directly or as a loved one.”
Moyes, who has a hearing-impaired son, told NPR: “I feel passionately that this should not be seen as some how-to manual.”
The film, which co-stars Game of Thrones beloved Emilia Clarke and Hunger Games heartthrob Sam Claflin, has received much criticism from disabled rights protestors over the plot featuring the death of the protagonist who is quadriplegic.
