The Ride Ahead: A Film Review
by Karen Pecota

Samuel Habib and Dan Habib | United States | 2024

A father-son (Dan and Samuel Habib) filmmaking duo set out to explore an age-old question of how one learns to be an adult, including an adult with a disability in THE RIDE AHEAD. Dan Habib is a known film director, producer, photographer and Samuel’s dad. Samuel Habib is also a filmmaker, and a typical twenty-one-year-old, looking forward to when he can live life on his own, start a career and find love.

These adulthood goals have their challenges for Samuel. The Habib duo notes, “The unexpected seizures and uncontrollable movements caused by Samuel’s rare genetic disorder; or his friends’ homes that are inaccessible to his wheelchair; or Samuel’s labored speech; or his use of a communication device are all barriers to a social life.” Samuel wants to know how he can overcome these hurdles and is determined to avoid the statistical realities of unemployment, isolation, and institutionalization, but how?

Samuel decides to seek advice from more experienced and wiser disabled adults, who have been through the challenges he faces. Samuel gathers around him an uncanny support group that helps him discover a roadmap for himself, and possibly for others like him. THE RIDE AHEAD is the feature-length version of the Emmy Award-winning New York Times Op-Doc short film, MY DISABILITY ROADMAP (2022), co-directed by Samuel and Dan.

The background is noteworthy to understand the impact of THE RIDE AHEAD. Therefore, Samuel and Dan share how their film came to fruition. Samuel begins, “I suggested an idea to my dad, who is a filmmaker: How about I interview badass adults with disabilities about their transition to adulthood.” Continuing, “I started to interview people I already knew, like Judy Heumann, and Bob Williams (Americans with Disabilities Act legends), and hip-hop artist Keith Jones. They are great advocates and role models for kids and young adults with disabilities.” Their advice on how to be successful mattered to Samuel. Adding, “These are just people I wanted to have as mentors. Those who would be honest and tell it like it is.” In addition, Samuel interviewed Tony-winning wheelchair-using pioneer Ali Stoker; autistic, queer activist Lydia X.Z. Brown; comedian, Maysoon Zayid; and Andrew Peterson, marathon runner and disability activist. THE RIDE AHEAD takes three years of Samuel’s life as an adult, ages twenty to twenty-three to discover from the advice of his mentors on how he can best prepare himself to accomplish his dreams.

Dan gives some history, “The roots of this film go back twenty years. In 2004, Samuel lay in a medically induced coma. He was four years old and had developed pneumonia from complications following a tonsillectomy surgery.” Continuing, “As my wife Betsy McNamara and I took turns by his bedside, one of his doctors, Dr. James Filipino, encouraged me to document our experience. He suggested I use my background as a photojournalist to tell the unvarnished story of parenting a child with a disability.” Dan recalls, “In the hospital room, taking pictures was a way for me to do something other than freak out with fear. That moment was the catalyst for creating my first film, INCLUDING SAMUEL (2007), which focuses on our efforts to include Samuel in all aspects of life between the ages of four and seven—especially in education.”

To be commended is how Dan was able to use the film after it was presented on public television in 2008. It has been translated into seventeen languages and continues to be used worldwide to support inclusive education and disability rights. Dan acknowledges, “That film led me to change my career to full-time filmmaking, and I’ve produced and directed dozens of films of additional disability-themed films.”

Samuel’s journey is all inspiring and one sees that through struggle but with the determination to follow a dream, more things are possible than not with a supportive family and community of friends that help to make a way for Samuel to “ride ahead.”