I am left-handed. For years, I've claimed my left-handedness as a disability, a cruel trick played by nature that has made life more difficult than it needs to be.

I was only half-joking.

As painful as being left-handed can be -- you righties flip a spiral-bound notebook upside-down and see how long an essay you feel like writing -- I understand that in the grand scheme of things, it's more of an inconvenience than a physical challenge.

Yes, scissors are a drag, but certainly less of a drag for me than the man or woman who can't grip the handle or see to cut.

There's nothing quite as dramatic as the person whose day-to-day life is a constant process of acknowledging and adjusting to a disability. Whether mental, physical or developmental, it takes courage and conviction. It is no wonder, then, that Hollywood has always been attracted to these stories. Though some treat characters with physical challenges and disabilities as the "other," there are also many fine films that champion these characters, casting them as the hero. Here are five favorites:

FREAKS (1932): A somewhat painful picture today, this drama revolving around circus performers treads the line between celebration and exploitation. Still, there's hope in the film's ultimate message of acceptance. It also says something that a small film released to little fanfare more than 75 years ago can still generate discussion and debate.

THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980): This tale of a man dealing with terrible deformity and societal disdain asks hard questions without giving easy answers. What does it mean to be human? What makes a monster? When does help become a hindrance? A superior film.

WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE (1993): In the first hint that Leonardo DiCaprio might develop into a rare talent, this film features the future Titanic star as a mentally handicapped 17-year-old facing the problems of impending adulthood and the reality that his brother and guardian angel Gilbert (Johnny Depp) might not always be around. A great performance in a very good film.

CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD (1986): This story of a speech teacher (William Hurt) at a school for the deaf who falls for a former pupil (Marlee Matlin) at the school is less about the inability to hear and more about the universal struggle to communicate. The inability to hear serves as an immediate and significant metaphor for those things, physical and emotional, that often get in the way of emotional understanding.

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946): This was one of the first films to pay attention to the toll World War II took on those left behind and those returning home. The most powerful plot line deals with a vet who lost his hands and must decide whether his fiancee's devotion stems from love or pity. It's an incredible performance by Harold Russell, a GI who lost his hands training paratroopers in North Carolina.