Diagnosed with a mental illness halfway through his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to not be defined by his condition.
As a young teen, Adam’s (Charlie Plummer) biggest concern shouldn’t be that he is suffering from an illness that keeps him from seeing things clearly, but it is. With the help of his mom, who has become a research addict with regard to his illness, Adam is found to be suffering from a mental disorder that causes him to lose focus and behave frantically. His mother, who believes there is some program or some medicine somewhere in the world that can cure him, has almost become a nuisance to Adam because he is so over trying things that don’t work and getting into programs or medicine that alter his entire state of being. Teased by his classmates, Adams does whatever possible to avoid them and all the attention brought on by his mental state of affairs. When he gets into a huge fight and gets expelled from school, his best coach (His mother) starts to feel very apprehensive. Adam, who is becoming less confident about his ability to control his behavior, turns to cooking as a way to alleviate some of the mental strain and actually has become very good at it. Nevertheless, his mother always reminds him that he will never make it to Chef School if he is not disciplined enough to get his basic education first.
When Adam gets another opportunity to redeem himself at a new school, he tries his best not to make friends as that is one less thing he will have to focus on. When he meets Maya (Taylor Russell), a female science geek and the school’s proposed Valedictorian, who has an under-the-table business of selling test scores to other students, he realizes that he could use some of her dedication to excel as a stepping stone. Although they don’t hit it off at first, Adam starts to realize that he is attracted to her because she seems to understand what he is going through, more than anyone else. In the midst of their time together, both are trying their best to keep their heads above water, and a local priest’s confession room becomes Adam’s newest place to share some of his innermost secrets. Maya, who has become Adam’s personal tutor, gets into trouble when one of the nuns discovers her undercover business. When she has to ditch Adam in order to take on another job, he ends up at her home unannounced and finds that she is supporting her father and brothers who live on TV dinners. As a surprise gesture, he fixes a homemade meal and wins the heart of her family while losing Maya’s trust because she thinks he is making fun of her situation. In the midst of the fallout, Adam’s mother has fallen for a new man and Adam feels threatened when he is told they are taking their relationship to a new level. With all Adam is faced with, he stops taking his medicine and is told he will not be able to graduate because he hasn’t followed the rules. Adam ends up having another episode and all looks grim until he finally decides to admit he needs help and all of his supporters step in to help just in time for him to receive his diploma.
The issues that are bought to surface in this film show the real-life struggles of a young person who is caught up in a system that doesn’t totally recognize how to deal with mental illness and the impact it has on an entire community. It also shows the impact on family and friends who try to offer assistance even when they don’t know what is the best route to healing. Director Thor Freudenthal does a brilliant job of showing raw footage of the dark side of mental illness as well as the promising attributes of those who are able to manage it and not be totally consumed by the medicine or the treatment. It is a real eye-opener for those who decide that they won’t be defined by their condition and that there is light in the midst of darkness. “Words on Bathroom Walls” gives written confirmation that there is life after mental illness and there are several coping mechanisms that those affected by the illness use in order to have a meaningful life with meaningful relationships.
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