The Last Stop

As someone who was sent away to a similar program I think everyone should watch this to educated in an attempt to put an end to the "troubled teen" industry.

The Last Stop highlights some of the inadequacies and lack of appropriate resources for troubled teens with a primary focus on what was Elan' in Poland Springs, Maine. Elan', was a controversial residential behavioral modification program for teens which was eventually closed, largely through the outcries from alumni carried over the internet. I lived in Elan' from 1983-1986, I was 13 ½ when I entered the program and this was the first time I've seen the facility since then.

I really appreciated the way The Last Stop was shot with aerial views of the wooded area around the Elan' campus in Poland Springs and the long road which lead onto the property and views of the lake. I remember walking down that road to go to school etc. The pictures of the students working, video shot of rooms from inside the houses, signs/LE's and audio footage truly helped to capture the way it felt to be there, especially when the experience of being there was new and overwhelming. The colorful drawings were also very relate-able, eerie and emotional.

I remembered hearing "ghost stories," about Parsonfield and it was exciting to see the actual place the stories came from and to hear first-hand accounts from people who lived there. I didn't actually know it was a real place, 100%. Also, the way TJ captured what I would call sensory overload was from my perspective wonderfully accurate, validating, and an important tool to paint the picture for others of what it could feel like there day to day. It's easy to understand how for some, the anxiety from that level of confrontation and negativity may have contributed to PTSD.

I've watched the film several times over the past few days, once with my (adult) child and my boyfriend. The opening scene of someone "getting their feelings off," allowed me to point out to my daughter that what she was watching was what I had to do to her Grandparents, after not seeing them for over a year, to ensure I would be able to spend time with them. I've told her this story before but in experiencing it through the film, she was shocked and after a couple questions she was also speechless.

My boyfriend commented that the movie solidified the stories I have told him in a way that was more understandable for him and he appreciated the way Joe Ricci's history was elaborated on. He'd had no idea who he was. For me, it was my first opportunity to share my experience with people I care about, (or really anyone,) in a tangible way they could identify with. What a gift to be able to share it! I didn't know I would ever be able to do that.

I especially appreciated the authenticity in the way living at Elan' and the program was portrayed throughout the movie and the fact that it wasn't exaggerated nor understated, (based on my personal experiences) and focused on the experiences and stories of the people who were interviewed, along with history, which I found interesting.

The Last Stop seemed to fairly share multiple points of view. There are always many sides which make up a story. The first time I watched The Last Stop I noticed that I was very distracted by the hope that it would be a balanced and authentic take on the program so that I could respect it, and for me it was.

The film introduces us to a handful of people who were failed by their experience at Elan' in that the individual experiences they described seemingly did not propel most of them onto a more positive path, offer them peace of mind, clarity, a stronger more positive sense of self, or increased self-love. One way a successful psychotherapy practice could be described is patients come (in need) and leave (improved). The therapist becomes obsolete as the patient accomplishes what they need to and the environment as well as the one to one exchange is safe. I walk away from the film with a sense of sadness and compassion in this regard.

At one point while watching the film my daughter commented, "most of the pictures show kids smiling and it looks like they are happy and then I'm listening to what the people they are interviewing say and I'm wondering why they are smiling?"

I told her that living there WAS often scary and it was scary in multiple ways and at the same time, it wasn't only bad. Just like any other situation in life, it was what you made it moment by moment. I told her that for each thing I can think of which may have contributed to my life negatively I could also see how the same thing also created a positive take away, just like flipping a coin.

Thank you TJ Nilssen and each person who was a part of making and contributing to this film !! I deeply appreciate your dedication to completing this project.

Both shocking and enlightening, TJ Nilssen gives viewers both sides of the Élan story. Making the best of the desperate situation. Some students managed to gain valuable life lessons, friendship bonds and discipline despite the horrific experiences. Other's tried desperately and failed to escape the secluded rural school and were severely punished. Other's still capitulated and perpetuated abuse in order to survive.

The Last Stop is the most thorough visual documentation of the Élan School and the multi generational turmoil and mental scars saddled on the students left in it's wake. Witness shocking interviews, footage and first hand experiences of students and staff detailing the day to day, highly controversial "therapy" and rehabilitation techniques employed by both staff and students alike. Élan used systematic forms of divide & conquer, peer pressure, social engineering, public humiliation and forced indoctrination in order to create a self policing social environment were just another part of the 'curriculum' at Élan.

While the bad and worst aspects of human nature are shown to have been on full display at Élan. The Last Stop shows that the oppressive system couldn't completely squash the inherent good and positive aspects of humanity even at it's peak. From start to finish The Last Stop is a riveting experience that provides the viewer with closure where previous documentary attempts, and the actual shutdown of Élan, failed.

As a former resident of 'The Elan School' (1998-2000) I cant say that I didn't go into this Documentary without a certain element of bias. We all remember past events differently; and when they were tragic events, the lines blur even more. Enter 'The Last Stop'- A roller coaster of emotions, from the beginning scene, all the way to the ending. Capturing the fear, degradation, Stockholm syndrome, and psychological torture was no easy task for Todd(director). Each student involved in the story telling; had come from different backgrounds, with a different set of issues. The story was one of criminal enterprise, cult, and a sprinkle of playing God. At certain points throughout the Documentary, you find yourself asking, "maybe they truly thought they were helping kids". The power to tear someone down emotionally, and then "build" them back up, would make anyone think they are righteous. But, as with any business, money makes people do horrific things. What started out as a rehab for drug addicts,quickly turned into a money grab for the owner of the Elan School. There were many events in the Documentary that I wished were acted out. I think budget constraints ultimately hurt the potential impact this documentary could have made. However, Todd did an amazing job with what little budget he had to work with. Todd has put an exorbitant amount of effort into all the details of this documentary. I hope this is just the beginning, for there is more story to tell.

From start to finish this film takes you on an honest ride of horrific psychological, verbal and physical abuses that took place for decades in these teen houses of hell, in Maine run by Joe Ricci. I could not sleep the night I saw this film. It was screened in Atlanta at The Drug Policy Alliance Conference. The Director Todd Neilsson himself spent a stint here, but in its final years. Neilsson really captured the true atmosphere as he had access to the location. Elan still stands as it was like some sort of haunted asylum! Excellent film that deserves full distribution and should be shown on TV as well so parents know what these places are really like.