On the night of Oct. 2, 2005, Hart and Dana Perry's 15-year-old son Evan jumped to his death from his New York City bedroom window. This moving film is the story, told by his filmmaker parents and others who knew him, of Evan’s life and death, and his life-long struggle with bipolar disorder. It delves into the complexity of Evan's disease, sharing his family's journey through the maze of mental illness. In showing how one family deals with generations of loss and grief, the film defies the stigma related to mental illness and suicide and tells a human story that touches everyone.
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If you don't like this, we can't be friends.
Best movie ever!
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
If this was supposed to be an emotional documentary it missed the mark by at least a mile. I saw almost zero emotional reaction from the family that was supposed to love him; rather entirely acting. Which at least fathoms the question did something else really happen to this poor young man. I mean my goodness. Regarding the grandmother who somehow forgot what happened the night of the boys uncle's death, really? completely bullshit, she strikes me as a completely lying bitch. I have watched a lot of real personal grief on camera, and I didn't see a bit of it here. I watched painlessly until I became angry at the complete falsehood of this work. Worthless and completely questionable!!
I found this to be a very interesting movie on the different dynamics of families around us. Everyone is different, and I did not in any way, shape or form find anything disagreeable about the family. Grief takes on different meanings to everyone, and their method of grieving just happens to be doing what they do best- film making. While I didn't see this as a video that would stop any would-be suicides, I did see it as a video that enlightens people into the world of depression and suicide that aren't feeling depressed. More than informative, though, I found this to be entertaining in a deep way- deep in the way that you'd expect the parents of the teen to be. I now can say definitively that I will be better equipped to deal with depression if it ever pops up in the lives of my children or anyone around me, and I have this movie to thank. This story isn't one I'll soon forget.This is somewhat of a tangent, but I did find myself wondering how incredibly loaded the father's side of the family was. . .
I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Though I saw it last year, I still can't get it out of my mind. It shows the hardships of dealing with a child with a mental disorder, yet shows it in such a way that you are left going "Wow, that was absolutely beautiful" instead of rolling your eyes. I rarely cry during a film, but this did it for me. Like others said, it did provide more than just the parent's and the family's points of view, because when someone takes their own life, it does affect everyone around them and not just immediate family. I liked how the director, Evan's mother, went into detail with the possible cause of his obsession with suicide (his uncle's own self-inflicted fate), the whole documentary was very real and down to earth. It did leave you with many emotions. For me, the first was grief. Grief because I felt like I had gotten to know this boy over the 92 moments I had been watching his life, his childhood. Then I felt frustration. Frustration for how this boy was getting all of this medical and mental help without getting better. Lastly, there was anger. I immediately blamed his physicians for his death. Doctors and therapists who have dealt with depression victims before should know the signs of thoughts of suicide. When he asked to be taken off the Lithium, they should have been suspicious, not just give him the o.k. But those are my personal views, and this is about the film. I can say that I doubt I'll ever be so moved by a documentary again, this piece of work will make you hug whoever else may be in the room and tell them you love them.
Heart wrenching film very well done by parents who have lived through THE WORST thing that could happen From the surface this child could not have had a better life. Well off, attentive parents, and had all the advantages. Yet he could not get past the darkness inside him. So chilling that he manifested these behaviors at such an early age.To the commentator who was critical of the psychiatrist....you cant assume all bi-polar people have the same experience. Im glad you know some who have managed to lead normal lives and respond to medication and therapy. but I personally know of two bipolar people, early 30s, both highly educated, who are unable to function as independent adults because of bipolar disorder. They have both had solid access to medical attention. I think sometimes the disorder is just too heavy. I think also there are personality traits outside the bipolar disorder that are specific to some individuals which exaggerate or enhance the challenges.