Okay, "Mask" completely BROKE me - Hear me Out!

Ugh, guys, I just finished watching "Mask" (1985) and I'm still a MESS. I knew it was going to be sad, I mean, come on, the premise is right there, but wow did it hit differently than I expected! Like, Rocky Dennis, played by Eric Stoltz, is such a beautiful soul, and his mom Rusty (Cher!) is just fierce and protective. I was a goner from the scene where she's just trying to make him feel good about himself, even though you KNOW she's hurting inside too. Their bond was just so... raw and real. It gets me thinking, though. Is Rocky's incredible emotional insight partly because of his physical challenges? I mean, think about it. People are automatically going to react to him differently, right? Maybe that forced him to develop a hyper-awareness of other people's emotions and intentions. Like, he had to see past the initial shock or prejudice to connect with people. The scene where he connects with the blind girl, and she doesn't see his face, but only feels his kindness? GUT PUNCH. It made me wonder if that lack of visual bias gave her an edge. Maybe she could see the real Rocky more clearly than anyone else from the start. And it also made me think about Rusty. She's this biker mom, right? Living on the fringe, but fiercely loving. Maybe she's learned to see through the superficial crap too. Maybe that's what drew her to Rocky's dad in the first place (even though that relationship was short-lived). Like, both of them had this filter for BS, and that allowed them to see the beauty and potential in each other, and later to protect it in Rocky. It's like their 'outsider' status gave them this superpower of empathy. I def cried ugly tears when he passed. I know it sounds cheesy, but I honestly think "Mask" isn't just a story about overcoming physical adversity, it's about how adversity can actually reveal our truest, most compassionate selves. Or maybe I'm just super emotional right now. What do you guys think? Am I reaching, or is being “different” a real key to Rocky's emotional intelligence?