I Want to Jump

The Paulsen family appear to have it all- a beautiful home in Florida - spiritually full lives and a love for each other that can withstand anything until older son Justin (Ellijah Passmore) begins to exhibit disturbing behaviour which quickly spirals out of control leading to a suicide attempt hospitalisation and a diagnosis of suicidal obsessive compulsive disorder.

I Want To Jump is an ensemble piece and each actor in the Paulsen family brings so much to the table its almost like their individual arcs are a dense nuanced story within itself.

Justin shows a complex and empathetic performance of a young person on the edge trying to hold on when everything else is screaming at him to give up.

Deborah played Jana Lee Hamblin is the well meaning mother who finds herself suffering a crisis of faith engulfed in a mixture of grief rage and paranoia.

Eddie Mclintock Shines as father Randy the charismatic Florida man obsessive over achiever fighting to keep his family together who seems to be able to accomplish anything he sets his mind on except for understanding his sons illness.

Youngest son Brandon (Brody Hull) barely says a word through out the film but his silent expressions contains multitudes. His restrained performance reminded me of Robert De Niros daughter in "The Irishman". They say nothing but they understand everything.

The film highlights the challenges and frustrations navigating the complexities of the healthcare system and the complete inadequacy of organized religion in the form of the families church who believe they should treat Justin's condition as a spiritual problem rather then a health issue with disastrous results.

I Want To Jump is not an easy film to watch but nor should it be. Its emotional authenticity and lived experience of the filmmakers make it a compelling story about grief and recovery.

I found this film very moving, and deeply personal. It resonated with my personal experience of grief and the complexities of dealing profound loss. The movie addresses mental health issues, especially among teens, and the impact they have on families and friends in an unflinching and heartfelt manner.

This movie is a must watch for anyone who has friends and family dealing with mental health challenges (and who doesn't?) It brings about a genuine appreciation and highlights the importance of suicide prevention. The movie sheds light on a narrative that is as much about those left behind as it is about the one who leaves.

For viewers like myself, who has experienced a similar path of loss, the film is deeply relatable. It's an important film. Although this is a faith based film and I am not a religious person, and yet I had no problems relating to the parents or others in the faith community depicted. In one scene towards the end, when different parties come together to reconcile their differences and humble themselves in the presence of god, I actually found it deeply moving.

The characters are so human, the story so important, I would recommend this movie to everyone. I'm very glad I saw this film, and am grateful for the filmmakers for channeling their pain into something inspiring, which I hope will help many others.