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It seems as though each summer brings a new drama about a teenager battling a serious, sometimes terminal illness, though we rarely see stories about kids struggling with mental illness. But Words on Bathroom Walls, adapted from the novel by Julia Walton, works to break the stigma of the struggle for mental health.
Words on Bathroom Walls stars Charlie Plummer as Adam, a teenager with dreams of graduating and going on to culinary school. But then everything falls apart. He hears voices. He sees things that aren’t there. And he has a psychotic break that ends up hurting his best friend. After he’s diagnosed with schizophrenia, his mother (Molly Parker) tries everything to cure his illness. He starts taking experimental medication and is accepted into a new school, where his smart and pretty classmate, Maya (Taylor Russell), makes him want to live a normal life.
In a lot of ways, Words on Bathroom Walls is a lot like the typical sick-teen movie. Adam’s story will often break your heart. You’ll see the pain that he experiences and the struggles he endures, and you’ll hope that his doctors are able to find the right treatment for him. You’ll celebrate those moments when things seem to be looking up, and you’ll be crushed by the moments when everything falls apart. And as you follow his journey, you’ll care for this troubled kid who fights to hide his illness behind a big, goofy grin.
Adam’s story definitely has its quirks. While his illness sometimes manifests itself in threatening voices and dark, ominous clouds, it also manifests itself in three characters who follow him around, giving him advice and protecting him from pain. And, at times, these characters offer a little bit of comic relief from Adam’s doubts and fears and battles.
Through all of the ups and downs of Adam’s story, though, what really stands out is its honesty. Mental illness just isn’t something that we talk about—in movies or in real life—and, without awareness and understanding, kids like Adam are often forced to suffer in silence, afraid of how people will react to knowing the truth. And in learning about this one fictional kid’s battle, audiences might gain new understanding and compassion for those struggling with an often invisible illness.
Like other sick-kid dramas you’ve seen, Words on Bathroom Walls will make you laugh, and it’ll warm your heart. But don’t watch this one without tissues handy—because the story of this tortured teen is guaranteed to make you shed some tears, too.
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