Film “Words On Bathroom Walls” Sheds Light On Mental Health Awareness: Set To Release Summer 2020

Diagnosed with a mental illness halfway through his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep his secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to open his heart and not be defined by his condition.

Starring: Charlie Plummer, Andy Garcia, Taylor Russell, Anna Sophia Robb, Beth Grant, Devon Bostick, Lobo Sebastian with Molly Parker and Walton Goggins 

WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS tells the story of witty and introspective Adam (Charlie Plummer), who appears to be your typical young adult –a little unkemptwithraging hormones and excited abouta futurepursuing his dream of becoming a chef.Expelled halfway through his senior year following an incident in chemistry class, Adam is diagnosed with a mental illness.Sent to a Catholic academy to finish out his term, Adam has little hope of fitting in and just wants to keep his illness secret until he can enroll in culinary school. But when he meets outspoken and fiercely intelligent Maya (Taylor Russell), there is an instant soulful and comforting connection.As their romance deepens, she inspires him to open his heart and not be defined by his condition. Now, with the love and support of his girlfriend and family, Adam is hopeful for the very first time that he can see the light and triumph over the challenges that lie ahead. 

In 2017, director Thor Freudenthal’s agent sent him advance copies of several upcoming books to read. One, Julia Walton’s YA novel Words on Bathroom Walls, written as a series of diary entries by a teenager coming to termswith his schizophrenia, made an instant impression on the filmmaker.

“I loved it because it was such a fresh way of talking about mental illness that was completely destigmatizing and nonjudgmental,” says Freudenthal, whose eclecticdirecting resume includes the family hit Diary of a Wimpy Kidand episodes of the critically hailed series “The Tick.”

Much of that comes from the voice of the protagonist. Adam is such a blatantly honest, funny, and winning personality. He often gets at the most painful issue s with a very self-deprecating humor thatisso disarming. It makes himand his condition very relatable.

Thor Freudenthal