With no chance at an ordinary life, he lived an extraordinary one.
Standout tells the powerful story of Ben Kjar, born with Crouzon Syndrome, a rare craniofacial disorder. From birth, doctors warn that his life will be overshadowed by limitations. Ben yearns for an ordinary life free from the harsh scrutiny he faces daily. However, each experience of adversity, including relentless bullying and a series of painful surgeries, ignites a fire within him. Wrestling becomes his proving ground, a place where he learns to transform his facial difference into a source of power. Determined to succeed, he pushes himself relentlessly, breaking through physical, social, and even romantic barriers that once seemed insurmountable. But as unexpected challenges arise and ridicule resurfaces, Ben finds himself at a defining crossroads: fade into the background of a “normal” life, or fully embrace his unique path and boldly stand out.
I ended up liking this a lot more than I thought I would. It can be a bit melodramatic and a bit heavy handed at times, also maybe a bit emotionally manipulative, but it still really overall worked for me and I found it quite effective in the end. One thing is for sure, this really is truly an incredible story and I loved some of the messages and themes it explores as the documentary tells us the story of Ben Kjar. I love the idea of standing out as a force for good, as someone who generally just tries to be invisible, it's a good reminder. I really liked how it approached the subject of cruelty. He of course experienced lots of cruelty because of his appearance, but the movie made a point, rather effectively imo, that often times the cruelty is a mask for pain and inner turmoil. When someone is cruel to you, standout and be kind. I think that's an incredible message. That's why we really shouldn't judge others. From our perspective we may just think someone is an awful person, and sometimes maybe they are, but so often good people lash out and do horrible and cruel things because of something they are going through. It doesn't justify what they did, but responding in kindness is best tool to fight cruelty. So overall, I think this is certainly a film worth checking out. It's a great story and told quite effectively. 9/10
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