But Tolleson rejects the notion that disability advocates missed the joke. "We have a sense of humor," he said. "But just as it is with every other group, there are lines that shouldn't be crossed."
Shriver worries that viewers will see the film as an opening to humiliate and harass the intellectually challenged. Already, T-shirts that say "Don't Go Full Retard" are popping up for sale on the Web. Shriver said the studio has said it will pursue legal action to stop the sale.
Other films have mined people with disabilities for laughs, most notably the Farrelly brothers, who made "Something About Mary" and "The Ringer," in which "Jackass" star Johnny Knoxville pretends to be intellectually challenged so he can compete at the Special Olympics.
But Shriver, who was a consultant for "The Ringer," said that film tried to educate audiences "through humor about the giftedness of people with special needs." "Tropic Thunder," he said, "tries to humiliate actors by linking them to people with special needs."
One good thing that may come out of this film, Shriver believes, is the joining together of all these different disability groups for the first time. He believes this could represent a significant turning point in the fight for disability rights.
"Families have felt increasingly empowered and they have had enough," he said. "That hits square down the bull's-eye of this film coming out."
Tolleson added, "Rather than legislative change, we're talking about cultural change. That is harder. You can legislate changes, but until you make cultural changes, the job is not complete."
Associated Press contributed to this report
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