‘I Swear’ Gives a New Cinematic Perspective on Mental Health
There are some stories that need to be told and some lives that need to be examined in great detail. While everyone’s personal journey is important, some have an impact for various reasons and should be shared with as many people as possible. It’s why biographical films are so important and poignant. Sure, we could make a film about someone’s typical Tuesday at work, but these films typically have a message they’re delivering. Something they are asking people to think about, perhaps even to sway public opinion on something that is often misunderstood. Kirk Johnson poises this with his recent film, I Swear, which is based on the life of John Davidson.
Now, some of you might be asking yourself who John Davidson is, and honestly, I was one of those people a few months ago. In fact, in a moment of coming clean with you, readers, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you who Johnson was at all if not for the incident at the BAFTAS. In a moment of additional honesty, there was a piqued interest in I Swear because of what happened at the award show. I wanted, no, needed to know more about the man on whom I Swear was based to gain a better understanding. As a psychologist, I knew about Tourette Syndrome from an educational and professional standpoint, but the viewpoint of the personal impact it has on one’s life is lacking.
What I was not expecting was the impactful story at the core of I Swear, which blended humor with humility throughout. There are scenes that will make you belly laugh harder than you’ve ever done before, and then the film will quickly pivot to deliver an emotional gut punch that will leave tears streaming down your face and you gasping for breath.
[Warning: spoilers from I Swear are below!]
Life throws a curveball in I Swear
When John (Scott Ellis Watson) was 12, life was pretty easy. Living in Scotland and born into a working middle-class family, there weren’t many hurdles in his life. He dreamed of being a football player and was something of a star athlete during his early years at Galashiels Academy. He’s the king of the castle in so many ways; however, it isn’t long until it all comes crashing down. What begins as a gradual rollout of symptoms, such as episodes of tics and occasional uncontrollable searing, eventually turns into a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome and a life that is turned completely upside down.
Where he was once outgoing, John (played by Robert Aramayo as time progresses) has become someone of a recluse. He’s been pushed from family and community because of the tics, such as being forced to eat in the living room away from the family, and made to feel like a freak. His father, unable to handle the condition, eventually abandons the family, adding more stress and guilt to John’s shoulders. So he continues a half-life well into his twenties, with a mother who is beyond cold to him and a world that almost refuses to understand what he’s going through.
That is, until he reconnects with one of his school friends, Murray (Francesco Piacentini-Smith), who brings him back home for dinner and opens the door for a whole new perspective. Dottie (Maxine Peake) is Murray’s mother and a mental health nurse. There’s an understanding she has for John and his condition, which translates into a softness the young man has never experienced before.
With Dottie’s help, John learns how to live with his condition without shame. After years of feeling bad for things out of his control, he’s finally learning how to exist without stigma. With new opportunities, it’s time for John to reclaim his life; however, is there a way to share this newfound freedom with the world?
The emotional impact of John Davidson’s story
I Swear does something that few films I’ve seen have managed to do. When it pertains to many types of disorders, be it mental or physical, it feels like most projects treat it as a negative or something that needs to be overcome. Often, we see killers in horror films with some form of mental health crisis, or the “difficult” one in the family that has to battle their illness in one drama or another. However, I Swear takes the time to normalize Tourette Syndrome, which is a big step in the right direction.
Too many times, as a psychologist, I’ve sat across from people who have been villainized for things beyond their control, by both those in their lives and also the broader world. They are made to believe they have to change themselves to meet some ridiculous social norms, rather than the world learning to accept and adapt. This is something we see even in John’s story, when his mother pressures him to take haloperidol and expresses anger and embarrassment at his tics and outbursts.
John is made to believe that there is something deeply wrong with him, that his Tourette’s is shameful. His mother’s actions become internalized into him, forcing him to be a recluse, hiding away from the world. However, the hope comes from his relationship with Dottie, who becomes a surrogate mother to him. She sees the kind soul behind the tics and pushes him to his full potential. She helps him realize that he doesn’t need to hide away, but instead can (and should) live a full and healthy life.
Dottie shows him not only unconditional love but also unconditional acceptance. She doesn’t want him to apologize for what he says or does; she understands that what we need to apologize for is what we intentionally do that hurts others. John doesn’t intentionally set out to hurt others; therefore, he doesn’t have to apologize for who he is. What Dottie does is give him grace, which is the first time in his life that John has experienced it. He also learns through her that he’s allowed to give himself grace, which ultimately leads him to teach others living with Tourette’s and their loved ones to do the same.
It’s a message that more people need to hear. Regardless of which side of the coin you are on, we need to learn a bit of grace. Grace to forgive ourselves for what we deem as a shortcoming, and grace from others pushing societal norms on a situation they don’t fully understand.
Final thoughts on I Swear
I Swear is brilliant in delivering hope for those not only living with Tourette Syndrome, but also those who are living with anything that is deemed abnormal. Whether they’re living with a mental illness or some physical ailment, this film reminds us that we don’t have to change ourselves to fit what the world has made the norm. Being ourselves and living a full life should always be the goal, and the journey that John Davidson goes through, both in I Swear and in real life, is living proof of that.
I Swear is currently playing in theaters! Are you excited to see this film? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to continue the conversation!
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