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One of the best movies from Netflix in 2020 was All the Bright Places. This American teen movie is an adapted version of a novel of the same name written by Jennifer Niven. Directed by Brett Haley, the main cast includes Elle Fanning (Violet), Justice Smith (Finch), Alexandra Shipp, Kelli O'Hara, Lamar Johnson, Virginia Gardner, Felix Mallard, Sofia Hasmik, Keegan-Michael Key, and Luke Wilson.
Disclaimer: Mentions of mental illness and su*cide
What is All the Bright Places about?
All the Bright Places follows the story of two lonely teenagers who find comfort in each other. Violet and Finch fell in love while exploring Indiana for their school project. Violet came to know about Finch’s bipolar personality and he is seeking help, but there is no use in it. A fight broke out between the couple, and Finch suddenly disappears.
Violet looked in their favorite spot, the 'blue hole,' and found his phone and clothes. She realized he was no more and after a few days, the police found Finch’s body. Violet and everyone who knew Finch attended the funeral and bid their last goodbye. Violet wants to heal herself from the loss of Finch and starts to explore all the places they want to visit.
All the Bright Places ends with Violet visiting Travelers' Prayers Chapel, which is a place dedicated to mourning for lost people. There she saw Finch's name in the guest register realizing he had been there before. She finally addresses the love and care the couple shared as a completed assignment in school, and there the movie ends.
The official synopsis of All the Bright Places by Netflix states:
“The story of Violet Markey and Theodore Finch, who meet and change each other's lives forever. As they struggle with the emotional and physical scars of their past, they come together, discovering that even the smallest places and moments can mean something.”
Why did Finch paint his wall blue in All the Bright Places?
In All the Bright Places, Finch paints a part of his bedroom wall blue, which is already red. The red wall makes him feel like the walls are bleeding without end. He wanted to connect himself with water, particularly his favorite spot 'blue hole' which makes him feel calm. We can see Finch submerging himself into the bathtub, showing he was fighting the urge to commit su*cide.
He leaves the ceiling white because it reminds him of Violet, the brightest of all colors. Behind this scene, there is human behavioral color psychology hidden. Blue is one of the warmest colors, providing calmness and relaxation, but the color has a negative side. The color blue also symbolizes loneliness and sadness.
The color also acts as a non-appetizer color because, in our genes, we connect blue to the poison, and we unintentionally avoid such colored foods. Blue has both therapeutic and negative behavioral association, and Finch initially uses this blue color for therapy. However, the circumstances changed when his bipolar disorder started to take over his calm behavior and get on the blue’s negative side.
In his final days, he started to behave rashly, which stopped him from reading. All this made him feel the loneliness that pushed him to take his own life.
What mental illness did Finch have in All the Bright Places?
Finch had bipolar disorder in the movie All the Bright Places. Finch attended support groups to overcome this mental state, which went in vain and didn’t yield any positive results. Instead, he got bullied in school for his rash behavior and got lonelier. He had the habit of running to cope with his mental state.
Even though the film didn’t directly label his illness as bipolar disorder, one can conclude that Finch was bipolar. Bipolar disorder is a mental state where a person can have a sudden shift in their energy, making daily tasks more challenging for them.
Feeling extremely irritable, deprived of the sleep cycle, talking fast and having racing thoughts, feeling hopeless, and having thoughts of death are the symptoms we can associate with bipolar disorder. We can see these traits with Finch's character. Talking to the care provider about these symptoms to get diagnosed is the first step that is essential to get treatment.
Finch initially does this by finding a support group. As time passed, he got rid of the group as he felt that it didn't give him any desired results. A psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker may help in clinically diagnosing bipolar disorder.
There is also a study suggesting bipolar disorder may be the result of genetics. When Finch tries to find out if his father is bipolar, it goes in vain as his sister doesn’t support his query. If this plan succeeded, he may have found treatment for his illness resulting in a longer life.
At the end of All the Bright Places, the audience is aware that Finch may have had bipolar disorder, and that his untreated illness resulted in him taking his life.
If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or chat at 988lifeline.org. In life-threatening situations, call 911.
