Me Before You Director Says Film Is ‘Misunderstood’ After Protests

The director of drama ‘Me Before You’ has said that she hadn’t expected the furore that the movie has caused among disability campaigners and that it’s been 'misunderstood’.

The London premiere of Thea Sharrock’s movie, which stars Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin, was picketed by protesters who have objected to its portrayal of disability and assisted suicide.

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“I didn’t quite anticipate this,” she told The Hollywood Reporter of the controversy.

“The disappointing thing is when people make a protest when they haven’t either read the book or seen the film. I have no problem with people seeing this film and not liking it for 101 different reasons; you go into every project with that as a possibility.

“I understood going into it how vulnerable a topic it is and susceptible to very strong opinions. It has big themes in it that are very easy to make quick judgments on.”

*Spoiler alert ahead*

Asked how she’d respond to critics of the film, who have slammed it over its perceived message that it’s better to be dead than disabled – Claflin’s character Will takes his own life in an assisted suicide after struggling to come to terms with his quadriplegia – she said: “It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what the message is.

“I was attracted to this because I love the almost traditional love story that lies behind it. It reminds me of films that I don’t think have been made for a while that used to be made quite a lot.

“And I love the bravery of the studios wanting to produce such a film. It’s a fictional story about how important the right to choose is. The message of the film is to live boldly, push yourself, don’t settle.”

Many activists and disabled move fans have slammed the film on Twitter.

The film was adapted from the best-selling novel by Jojo Moyes, and has received mixed reviews.

Image credits: Warner Bros/Getty