Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a 2002 romantic comedy film starring Christina Ricci. It is a story of forbidden love between a developmentally-disabled young man and a sorority girl. The film was directed by Anthony Abrams and Adam Larson Broder and written by Broder. Plot Carolyn McDuffy is a college senior beginning her last year of studies at a Southern California university. To help her sorority win a coveted award that has eluded them in the past years, she joins them in training some handicapped young adults for the Challenged Games (a fictional version of the Special Olympics). Carolyn is paired with Jesse "Pumpkin" Romanoff, and is horrified as she has never been around challenged people. He is kind towards her and soon she finds herself developing affection towards him as he is genuine, unlike her boyfriend Kent Woodlands, and her sorority sisters, as led by Julie Thurber. Carolyn experiences backlash and disdain about the relationship from her friends and family, including Pumpkin's own mother, Judy, despite the fact that her love has inspired him to get out of his wheelchair and become the best athlete on the team. Judy later walks into her son's room, discovering that Carolyn and Pumpkin have been sexually involved.