Directed by Loren Goldfarb, diagnosed at birth with a rare condition that was expected to kill him, Chad “Shorty” McDaniel embraces humour, grit, and a competitive spirit to live the life others said he would never have and shatter assumptions about disability.
With 96 Pounds of Dynamite, Loren Goldfarb could have chosen to spend the documentary’s runtime exploring Osteogenesis Imperfecta and how it impacts quality of life but instead, chose to celebrate Chad “Shorty” McDaniel. The focus lands entirely on his outlook on life, his personality, his passions and his upbringing. That works really well because McDaniel is a very charismatic, committed person.
At no point does the conversation ever veer into “these are the obstacles I faced” or “this is what needed to change”, 96 Pounds of Dynamite manages to have a conversation about accessibility and disability awareness, while keeping it surprisingly light. The entire discussion revolves around the idea of adapting. McDaniel makes very clear that to him, he never saw it as things he couldn’t do, it was simply a case of finding a way to do them. It’s a hugely positive attitude and one that clearly has served him very well throughout his life.
Goldfarb builds that attitude into the tone of 96 Pounds of Dynamite, it’s charming, confident and motivated. He does a wonderful job of reflecting McDaniel’s strong character and really lets the audience get to know him, his family and his wife. The documentary moves well, it’s coming in at just under eighty minutes so it can’t delve too far but it covers a good amount of ground in McDaniel’s life. The directorial style is simple but effective and you can feel that McDaniel was a part of the process, not solely the subject. Particularly in how the film deals with his relationship with his stepfather, and makes very thoughtful choices.
96 Pounds of Dynamite is uplifting and has an infectiously positive attitude. It’s a tale of determination, knowing what you want and figuring out how to get it, which you can relate to most walks of life. Chad “Shorty” McDaniel is charming and outgoing, seeing his perspective of living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta is wonderful, as it’s so focused on adapting rather than on the negatives. Loren Goldfarb created a great balance of explaining the condition but making clear that this documentary is about McDaniel as a person, not just his disability. It’s a lovely watch as it does terrific justice to McDaniel’s endearing and lively personality.
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