During the 1970’s, when Brian Donovan was young, inclusion typically only happened in families’ homes. School classrooms, employment, community recreation, and local clubs and organization memberships were only really for the non-disabled. And following your dreams of becoming a Hollywood star was certainly not for a person with Down syndrome and health conditions.

However Brian and his sister, Kelly, who was born with Down syndrome, shared the same dream of becoming a Hollywood Star. Brian, an aspiring actor does leave his hometown of Buffalo, NY in the hopes of making it big in Hollywood. Kelly stays behind with their parents, works marginally on an assembly line, and keeps her dream alive performing in her bedroom and constantly connecting with her brother Brian.

It wasn’t fair. Kelly knew it. Brian knew it.

He believed Kelly to be beautiful. Her wonderful hugs, relentless vivacious personality, and all the things that made them laugh. Those big belly laughs. The kind that can make your sides ache—it was like they shared their own private joke. Things she did or said that only they knew were hilarious. Kelly was hard too. She was complicated and over-demanding of Brian sometimes. There were the cyclones, feeling of jealousy if Brian dared to be in a relationship. When she came to visit it could be two separate lives colliding, exhausting. For better or worse, rich and difficult, hysterics and hurricanes they would always be siblings. 

Driven by his love for his sister Kelly, and knowing in his soul that Kelly had a right to have her own dreams come true, Brian created the possibility that she too could have her own Hollywood Dream could come true.

This inspiring and sometimes tough film captures Brian’s love for Kelly and their commitment to each other with all its jagged edges. That in itself would have been enough to enroll you. Memorializing another level of their story in his creating the possibility that Kelly could have her very own Hollywood became an Opus to his belief that everyone has the right to pursue their dreams. Everyone.

I don't think Brian could have ever imagined that his beautiful film, Kelly's Hollywood would become an international Anthem to all who dare to believe that yes, everyone can have an enviable life. You just need someone who loves you and believes in your dream too!

The film is the journey of how Kelly did get her very own Hollywood. It’s her journey. Brian’s journey. Their journey. 

It is simply masterful. 

Lauri Medeiros,
Metro Boston Regional Coordinator
Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change