WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS
US, 2020, 110 minutes, Colour.
Charlie Plummer, Taylor Russell, Molly Parker, Walton Goggins, Andy Garcia, Anna Sophie Robb, Beth Grant, Lobo Sebastian.
Directed by Thor Freudenthal.
Recommended is the first word that suggests itself for this review.
It can be recommended for younger audiences, high school age audiences, especially, who can identify with the central characters. They have limited experience of mental illnesses but may well have experienced them in fellow students. This is an opportunity for some understanding and some tolerance.
It can be recommended for older audiences, especially parents and grandparents, for teachers and those involved in youth education. They will have had much more experience of mental illness but this is an opportunity to see it dramatised within the space of two hours.
One of the advantages of the film is that it has a very well-written screenplay, intelligent and articulate, with a great deal of sadness, but also with some humour.
Young actor, Charlie Plummer, brings the central character, Adam, to vivid life. Adam is still at high school. His father has walked out. His mother, Beth (Molly Parker), is absolutely devoted to him, taking him to doctors and psychiatrists, eager to find the right medication and program, perhaps over-eager in her love and care. Many times, Adam finds this smothering. The screenplay alerts audiences to prescriptions, medical programs, side effects, the dangers of not following the regime.
The film uses visual devices to indicate Adam’s schizophrenia and its effect on him. In various episodes, the images are blurred, sometimes a black pervasive smoke, distortions of people around him. For the voices that he hears, they are embodied in three characters, Joaquin, a fellow off-hand teenager, Rebecca, a sympathetic young woman, and a Bodyguard, tough and fierce, with some associates. Adam also hears voices from open doors. And, as for the title, it appears towards the end in a frightening hallucination of so many words of graffiti on the toilet walls.
Adam is very frank about his schizophrenia. He is filmed, direct to camera, explaining himself and his experiences to a psychiatrist. At school he has an episode and burns the arm of a fellow student, and is expelled. Interestingly, for a Catholic audience, while he is not a Catholic, Adam is enrolled in a Catholic school, St Agatha’s, the principal, Sister Catherine (Beth Grant) rather strict but prepared to make allowances for him. There is quite an amount of Catholic imagery around the school, statue of the Sacred Heart, images in the Chapel.
The Catholic theme is emphasised in the introduction of the character of Fr. Patrick played by Andy Garcia. Adam wanders into the Chapel, goes into the confessional, unfamiliar with what happens, but finding a very sympathetic priest who is able to listen, use common sense, is not judgemental, offers a range of Scripture texts (which Adam is not enthusiastic about), explains the nature of the confessional and how acknowledging one’s limitations and faults can be liberating. (If only all the clergy had the genial characteristics of Fr. Patrick!).
The other character that Adam encounters is fellow classmate, Maya (Taylor Russell). She is a very self-assured young woman (for those familiar with the Myers-Briggs? Indicator, she is a surprising example of a ENTJ). She has a system going where she writes essays for fellow students. But, Adam is smitten, asks her to be his tutor. The relationship between Adam and Maya is sensitively portrayed, hardships, warmth, to love.
There is a further complication at home when Paul (Walton Goggins) moves in with Beth and she becomes pregnant. Adam is hostile to Paul – although, ultimately, Adam has completely misjudged him. (There is a quietly moving moment at the end when Adam is hearing voices and Paul quietly moves to close the door to stop the voices.)
Words on Bathroom Walls is sensitively directed by Thor Freudenthal (who had previously directed rather slight films and comedies). The performances make quite an impact. The screenplay is able to communicate some of the aspects of schizophrenia, the episodes, the effect on the schizophrenic, misinterpretation and bullying by those who do not understand. And, as has been said at the beginning, recommended.
1. The title? The literal words in the school toilets? The final hallucination of words?
2. An American story, universal? The town, homes, middle-class? Poor homes? Schools, the Catholic school, the Catholic atmosphere, hospitals, psychiatry rooms? Kitchens, the prom dance? The musical score?
3. The target audience? The effect on teenagers, conscious of their own mental situations, of others? The effect on parents, understanding of mental issues, coping, helping, loving?
4. Charlie Plummer as Adam, his screen presence and performance? His story, the narration, confiding in the audience, his response as a boy to his mental condition, as a schizophrenic, as searching for an identity?
5. Adam, his age and experiences, his episodes, knowing about his schizophrenia? The three characters: Joaquin and his age, cheeky, sexual attitudes; Rebecca, gentle, wise advice; the tough bodyguard and his action, weapons, threats, his companions? The voices, the open door? The fact that the film visualised these characters and their voices, visuals, advice? The visuals of the episodes, distortion, blurring, black cloud, the hallucination in the bathroom with the words? The effect on Adam? Episodes in the classroom, at home?
6. Adam’s mother, love and care, the father walking out, the visits to the doctors, the medical regimes, pills, the effect on Adam, side effects? Is Mother talking about being a team? Her reading all the material, studying? The effect on her, the effect on Adam? Some smothering?
7. Paul, quiet personality, his love for Beth, moving in, working at home, his reactions to Adam? The pressures? Beth’s pregnancy? The letter to Sister Catherine and Adam glimpsing it? His presence at the school with Beth? With the doctors? His sensitivity in closing the door when Adam heard the voices?
8. Adam at school, experiencing bullying, his friend and the chemistry laboratory, the episode, the burning of the hand, Adam being ousted, student reactions? Leaving the school?
9. Going to St Agatha school, not being Catholic, the Catholic atmosphere, statues of the Sacred Heart, the Chapel? St Agatha’s story? The nuns, Sister Catherine and her style, the interview, classes? The toilets, the graffiti (Jesus love you if you’re not homosexual)? The toilets and the later hallucination of the walls?
10. Maya, in the toilet with the student, writing essays, the money? The encounter with Adam, her taking control, dominant personality, the discussion about tuition? Adam and his food, her tasting? His being smitten? Negotiations about paying for the tutoring, the discussions with Beth? The visits, working together, the bonding?
11. Maya being caught by Sister Catherine, the threats, her being a valedictorian? Separating from Adam? His wanting to find her, the past left home, the mansion, the visit, her father doing the work on the roof, his going to the house, finding the father and the boys, cooking, maya returning from work, ashamed?, Her relenting, her taking him to the kitchen of the restaurant?
12. The maths work, Adam needing help, bad grades, improving? The issue of the Benchmark essay on what depended on it, mayo getting a story from him about failure?
13. Father Patrick in the Chapel, sitting in the confessional, pleasant personality, listening to Adam, understanding his situation, the quoting Scripture texts, his exercise of common sense? Non-judgemental? Adam and his further visits, talking, seeing Father Patrick outside, the later hospital visit, his presence at the graduation, encouraging Adam, the final wink? The contrast with Sister Catherine, her severity, discipline, his pushing her over, his being suspended?
14. Sister Catherine and the reaction, Beth and Paul coming, the letter? The suspension a blow for his cooking course? Upset, going to the bathroom, the vivid hallucinations and the writing on the wall?
15. His going to the prom, the gift for Maya, Maya insisting that she invited him? The music, the drink, the crowds, Sister Catherine confronting him, walking out, on the roof, his falling?
16. In hospital, mayo learning the truth, her response? Beth giving him Paul’s letter and his support of Adam? Adam’s change of heart?
17. The graduation ceremony, Sister Catherine, father Pat, the speeches, Adam going to the stage, his speech, explanations, his benchmark story? The consequences?
18. The shared experience of Never Been Kissed?
19. The future, the new baby, love for the baby, going to the kitchen, the lessons?
20. A message film but communicated by characters and narrative? Some sympathy for an understanding of people with mental illness, schizophrenia?
