The fascinating true story behind Patrice: The Movie on Hulu, explored

Patrice: The Movie is a one-of-a-kind documentary film that denotes itself as a "documentary romantic comedy." The documentary film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, then on Hulu on September 30, 2024, making the unique story accessible to a wider range of viewers.

The documentary is directed by Ted Passon (known for Philly D.A.). ABC News Studios and All Ages Productions are the primary producers of the film in association with ESS Projects and Cedar Road. The documentary takes viewers into the life of a disabled woman from New Jersey named Patrice Jetter who wants to get married to her partner Garry Wickham.

However, a harsh reality awaits the two lovers as they find out that two disabled people stand to lose their Social Security disability benefits or Medicaid support if they get married and live together. Patrice: The Movie documents Patrice's struggles with the system and how it fails to recognize basic rights for the disabled.

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The fascinating true story behind Hulu's Patrice: The Movie

Filmmaker Ted Passon has known the protagonist, Patrice Jetter, for over three decades. She is a disabled woman, a Special Olympics athlete, and a disability rights advocate who works as a school crossing guard. Her disability is never revealed in the documentary. The romantic angle of the documentary settles in very soon as viewers are introduced to Patrice's longtime boyfriend, Garry Wickham, who suffers from cerebral palsy.

Patrice and Jerry are in their 50s, and they love each other. They want to get married and move in together. After deciding to be married, they are then faced with the devastating realization that should they choose to move forward, they would lose their Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income benefits.

This is because a married couple's joint asset cap to qualify for SSI is currently $3,000, and marriage would surpass the cap. A disability rights lawyer warns Patrice and Gary that their payments may be reduced, even though they only plan to live together.

Later in the documentary, it is revealed that the asset laws originated in a bygone age when a large number of people with disabilities resided in institutions and were not expected to marry or look for productive jobs. In the documentary, one of their friends, Elizabeth Dicker, makes the following statement:

"If two people are having Medicaid benefits, and then those two people get married and then they just don’t lose their benefits, how is the government making or losing any money?”

A still from Patrice: The Movie (image via ABC News Studios)

Patrice: The Movie is intended to challenge this bygone law and bring to light the overarching political and legal framework that causes hindrances to the lives of disabled people. The documentary shows how the legal and political hindrances are not the only problems faced by Patrice and Gary.

When the couple decides to solidify their relationship through a commitment ceremony, Patrice's wheelchair-accessible van faces a breakdown, and she eventually has to quit her job (a position she had spent years fighting for). This issue is highlighted in the documentary as it places Patrice in an impossible position to replace her van. At the same time, she can't maintain more than $2000 in her bank account, a condition to keep receiving disability benefits.

Although the documentary focuses on the draconian disability rights laws keeping the two lovers from getting married, the story is centered around their love. Patrice and Gary continue being in each other's lives and tackling problems one at a time.

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Patrice: The Movie is currently available to stream on Hulu.