The plot of Strait Undercover is described on IMDB as “A biotech company secretly housing a government contract for terminator seeds and a Nexxus robot is infiltrated by a low-level USDA agent who connects telepathically with nature.” Sounds bizarre, and it is. But that doesn’t matter at all, as the plot is just an opportunity to highlight the acting talents of Race Eberhardt, who is reported as being the first person with obvious disabilities to be the lead in a film that never calls attention to his disabilities. There have been many actors, genuinely disabled or not, who have played similar leads in other films (e.g., The Theory of Everything, I Am Sam, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Peanut Butter Falcon, etc.), but this one ignores Race’s disabilities completely and puts him squarely in the lead role without comment.

I can’t be objective here for a couple of reasons. One is that I know Race personally and have for a few years now. The other is that Race’s acting career began with Artists Unlimited, a Rochester, New York-based theatrical troupe that “provides opportunities for individuals with developmental, physical, or intellectual disabilities to participate in the performing arts.” Race is an integral part of Artists Umlimited. I have been one of the artistic directors at AU for a few years, and have recently joined the Board of Directors as well.

This is a low-budget film with few “real actors” that won’t ever be nominated for an Oscar, although the film looks great. But Race in the lead is a revelation. Writer/director Ben Genyo, who discovered Race a few years ago and decided to build a film around him, uses his main actor as well as any director ever used his lead. Race has a lot of strengths as an actor: he can be funny, angry, loud, and thoughtful, and Gonyo finds and pulls out that acting “sweet spot” in every scene. He clearly knows what Race is capable of, and he draws out his best in every scene.

It takes a few minutes to adjust to having a disabled person as the lead character in a film that draws zero attention to that. But once you get used to Race’s rhythms and personality, it becomes delightful.

If I were writing my typical film analysis (see www.film-prof.com), I might go into the other actors, the editing, the production values, and the intriguing twists and turns of the plot. That’s not necessary here. The plot is bonkers but fun, and the only standout visually is some truly beautiful shots of western New York State, from beautiful landscape shots to old, classic farmhouses. Yes, Strait Undercover is low-budget and independent, but it’s also groundbreaking. If you thought you couldn’t enjoy such a film, just give yourself the opportunity—if you can find it—to see how a good director with sensitivity and insight can locate and draw out the treasures inside his lead.