Disney+ has been all the rage over the past few weeks and Float is nothing short of pure magic. Written, directed and produced by Bobby Rubio, this short film will touch you in ways you didn’t know possible. Based off of Rubio’s own relationship with his son, Float is a beautiful metaphor for autism, but will touch anyone affected by different needs.

The film begins when a father realizes his baby boy can float! He is overwhelmed with love and joy for his new baby, but as the stares, the finger pointing, and the comparison begins, the father’s joy begins to fade. He decides to keep his son inside while he grows up, thinking it will protect him from a cruel outside world. One day, his son escapes him on the playground and floats past the other children, around the slide and on top of the swings. The child is happy and free, but the parents of the other children are afraid. They see him as different, which encourages their children to think the same. The father frustratingly chases him around the playground until he finally catches him and screams the only words of the entire film,

“Why can’t you just be normal?!”

The child becomes visibly upset and the father, upon seeing his son’s reaction, feels ashamed. In that moment, the father decides that he no longer cares what other parents or other children think. His son can float! And whether others can or not, he will not hold his son back from living the life he was meant to live.

This six minute short film is a beautiful portrayal of the ups and downs of raising a child with a disability, and for those of you that fall into this category, I am confident this will resonate with you in deep ways. For those of you that are not raising a child with different needs, I pray you see the impact your actions and words have on your children.

If you already have Disney+, you can watch Float here and if not, you can sign up for a FREE one week trial - trust me, it’s worth it to see this short film!

...mg