“If you suffer from schizophrenia,
don’t worry, you’re not alone.” Sometimes it’s hard to tell on the Internet,
but chances are that little zinger someone made in an online discussion group
dedicated to mental health issues was typed with tongue very much in cheek. Even
if that’s not the case, though, it’s certainly the sort of wry matter-of-fact attitude
the lead character in the new drama, Words on Bathroom Walls, takes
towards his own troubled mind.
That character is teenager Adam
Petrazelli (Charlie Plummer), who as the film begins is being given one last
chance to graduate. Having been kicked out of his previous school following a
physical altercation, Adam has been conditionally enrolled into a private Catholic
academy. However, as the nun in charge makes abundantly clear, there are two
caveats to his acceptance. There can be no more incidents of violence, and Adam
must agree to religiously (so to speak) adhere to the new experimental medical
regiment prescribed for his schizophrenia. Renege on either of these conditions
and Adam is out.
This does not go over well with
the paranoid voices in Adam’s head, manifested in the movie by a trio of actors
who continuously follow Adam around and offer him unsolicited advice. After all,
should the new treatment work, Adam’s three imaginary guardians would cease to
exist. And if that were to happen, who would keep Adam safe from all those people
so obviously out to get him, especially his relatively new stepfather whom Adam
is convinced wants him out of the house forever.
Despite such a somber setup, the first
half of Words on Bathroom Walls is almost lighthearted. Chalk that up to
a decent script and Plummer’s excellent performance. His Adam has a rather
bemused acceptance of his schizophrenia and, when he’s not hallucinating, a
certain charm in his manner. And when he does have his bad moments, Adam finds
an unlikely non-violent outlet for his grievances. Though not a Catholic
himself, or really a believer at all, Adam finds some measure of comfort in griping
to the school’s resident priest, Father Patrick (Andy Garcia). Despite decades
of bad press, it seems the collar is still a beacon to those looking for soulful
advice.
Against all of Adam’s worst expectations,
the new treatment appears to be working, so much so that he even manages to form
a budding relationship with his new math tutor, Maya (Taylor Russell). Here the
film takes a brief detour into meet-cute rom-com territory as the two teens get
to know each other, though Adam hides his illness and Maya has secrets of her
own. Sadly, however, the movie’s main concern is an exploration of an actual illness,
and in real life some things don’t just go away or stay hidden.
As
Ronald Pies, MD writes at WebMD, schizophrenia “is not caused by bad
parenting, ‘cold’ or over-involved mothers, or any other known psychological
factor. Rather, schizophrenia probably stems from a combination of genetic
factors, biochemical abnormalities in the brain and perhaps very early damage
to the developing fetus.” For now, schizophrenia is something that just is, and
it brings with it a lifelong struggle which can take a toll on everyone it
touches. “Hope disappears,” notes Austin Mardon
at Catholic Online, “The dreams that every mother has for her child of
education, career, marriage, and children can seem to be at an end. Hope and
faith can be casualties.”
They don’t have to be, though, and this is where
Words on Bathroom Walls shines. While the film, like its main character,
strives for a happy ending, its wise enough to know such a moment can be fleeting.
But even as the movie accepts the inescapability of the illness it portrays, it
also understands that with the right support and love, be it from family,
friends, or even priests, its burdens can be borne. Hope and faith can survive.
