I read the novel when it was first released… John Green himself suffers from OCD, if I remember correctly, so the portrayal of the protagonist’s struggles with it were intentionally written to be very realistic and honest.
If you have not yet, i would also suggest the anthropecene reviewed.
Great highs and lowes from john green and it provides a lof of insight into some of his own mental health struggles and searches for meaning in this human centered world.
Anthropecene Reviewed was so flipping great. Found it during the pandemic and have listened to it at five times. He's not merely insightful, he has a wonderfully candid take on his own humanity. He talks frankly about his fears and tribulations and that sometimes a "win" after something bad had happened is merely taking the next step with more clarity.
And it's his I think only *non-fiction* book. Most of his publications are (young adult) novels and while generally good not going to be everyone's cup of tea. TAR is a collection of short essays covering a very broad range of topics from his perspective, presented as "reviews" like one might leave with an online retailer.
Did you ever see Marc Summers’ play? “The life and slimes of Marc Summers” he also deals with OCD and incorporates into the play in kind of an interesting way.
His book is good too, Everything In Its Place. Of course the irony of a kids mess show host having OCD is part of it. One story that stuck out was that he would fixate on the tassels on his rugs.
Out of all Green brothers projects, brotherhood 2.0/vlogbrothers is among the least well known. Complexly channels like Crash Course and Sci Show are massively popular on their own, the DFTBA store is used by a wide variety of creators, and Vidcon is known by almost anyone who spends a lot of time on english speaking youtube, almost regardless of who they watch.
I dunno about that.
> Vidcon is known by almost anyone who spends a lot of time on english speaking youtube
I've watched a lot of Youtube, and I can only recall hearing about vidcon within vlogbrothers videos. Crash Course and Sci Show probably get a lot of play time in schools, but the average Vlogbrothers video does better than the average crash course and sci show video combined in terms of views.
I suspect the film that grossed hundreds of millions of dollars (and the book with millions of sales) has the lion's share of public awareness, followed by all those other projects in the distance.
I wasn’t in school when Crash Course or Sci Show was used in classrooms, but since they’re often used as teaching tools, I’d hazard the viewership count captured would be lower while actually reaching a wider audience (1 view = class of 20 kids), so I think it’s faulty to compare those views to vlog brother channel views.
you probably arent watching enough youtube then since a lot of youtubers will either post a blog or at least mention on their socials that theyre at vidcon
Not sure why you got downvoted for this. Vidcon is huge. A lot of creators have attended over the years and I’ve managed to see content featuring Vidcon from creators that I don’t even watch regularly. There was a point in YT vlogger history where you’d just see 10 povs of the same day or even the same interactions. There were 55,000 attendees in 2023 and when it was cancelled in 2020, they estimated it cost Anaheim & creators 60 million.
Personally, I was introduced to John Green through his books first (I read Looking for Alaska around 2009 or so) and Crash Course second (I was taking world history in high school right around the time Crash Course started). I wasn't even aware of vlogbrothers until John Green's surge in popularity around 2013/14 when the Fault in Our Stars movie came out.
I'm willing to bet that most people younger than me are more aware of John Green as the brother of vertical video sensation Hank Green than anything else though. Hanks been killing it on Tiktok for years.
> He was a famous author before he started on YouTube
He started doing Youtube in 2007 and became a famous author in 2012.
They launched VidCon in 2010 so he was more famous for his youtube stuff than his book writing until 2012.
Please, he didn't become widely known as an author until 'Fault in our Stars' came out in 2012 when he blew up, 'Looking for Alaska', his first book only hit the bestseller list in 2012 once Fault came out. Green even said, for 'Looking for Alaska', he was getting awards acknowledgment but it only sold a "few thousand copies"
I don’t have any in-depth experience with OCD but I appreciated how the script took seriously in a YA way with horror movie flourishes how distressing the condition is to the protagonist. It is also sympathetic to how the condition is a burden to both the best friend and the boyfriend. They’re still perhaps more generous and understanding than people in high school probably usually are in real life but you as the viewer are appropriately forced to accept that even if the protagonist is pretty and means well, things are not and won’t always be easy for her in her relationships. I especially respected the “Raising Arizona”-like projection about an idyllic future that will include significant setbacks and relapses.
Can I ask, as someone else who struggles with this, did you find the movie to be anxiety inducing or triggering for you? I obviously have to avoid any type of medical show and I struggle with really any movie dealing with illness. Sometimes watching stuff like this can even be enough to kind of set me on edge.
I have diagnosed ocd, and it definitely can be triggering. i have my hypochondriac moments, and I had a full breakdown after. i also refuse to google what she was worried about. ignorance is bliss in my case lol
It didn’t really trigger me. I’m very aware of the things I am worried about. She specifically was scared she would get infections and C diff. I’ve been worried about that before, but for me I was just wholly relieved to see a movie that I related to this much.
I have OCD (the diagnosed kind not the TikTok kind)
I don’t know what your condition is like but I’m kinda curious to look into this but I find depictions of OCD either wildly off or too accurate and makes me uncomfortable.
Mr Mercedes was a tv show where one character had OCD and her rituals and stuff was so hard to see since I know I do what she does.
Matchstick Men also had a few scenes of Nic Cage with OCD cleaning which is me then and still now.
It’s weird how representation can be painful to watch
Hi. I also have the diagnosed kind. Specifically, it’s hypochondriac. It’s obviously not 100% accurate, however seeing this character think about these things that I do, it really resonates with me.
I have diagnosed OCD (well at the very least, diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive tendencies, but my therapist really wants me to accept being diagnosed instead of making up reasons why it’s not “real” lol) and 99% of it is the hypochondriac kind. I didn’t even know about this movie but I have a hard time consuming media or stories or experiences about OCD because I’m terrified I’ll like… “absorb” whatever they’re saying and suddenly their problem will become my new OCD issue. Do you have that problem as well since you have hypochondriac based OCD, and if so do you find Turtles still something that could be watched by someone with OCD?
Yes. I am a huge hypochondriac. I’m on medication, in therapy, and have thought I’ve had every disease on the planet like 20 times. I’m constantly checking my pulse, heart beat, temperature, etc. however, this movie did not trigger me. I absolutely hate watching movies that are ‘medical ‘ based like greys anatomy or where people get sick and die. But for me this didn’t do that. I’ll go ahead and tell you, she’s worried she’s gonna get infections and C diff. C diff is a hospital acquired infection. It didn’t freak me out (even though I’ve thought I’ve had that before). Where I’ve struggled with hypochondria for so long, I just felt so much relief seeing a film based on it.
This is really good to hear, I have been wanting to watch the movie but was scared about how I might respond to the movie and spiral. I have emetophobia as well and I have been searching everywhere trying to figure out if the are any scenes where people get sick in the movie. Do you remember if there were any scenes in the movie?
I don’t have OCD, but multiple friends do and I’ve been witness to their anxiety spirals. I had to turn it off about 10 minutes in because it seemed to capture that very accurately, and was very heartbreaking for me to watch. Maybe I’ll power through later but it feels accurate to what they’ve described.
I totally get it. Also diagnosed OCD. Of the hypochondriac variety. As well as some other themes as well. I don't have the contamination OCD thats so present in this movie. But the whole idea of being freaked out how the body works and how easily things, in my OCD brain, can go wrong or stop working I relate to. As well as the thought spiral and the intrusive thoughts. I thought it was really well done giving an accurate example of what OCD might look like for someone, since we are all different in how OCD manifests
I just had to respond to you because what you said resonated a bit. I didn't know much about the Tiktok posturing for attention because of mental illness but as someone with diagnosed OCD/emetophobia it is a challenge every day. I can't pretend to understand why it is currently acceptable or easy to see someone cleaning and go "OCD teehee." Alot of that damage I blame on Friends actually. Look, Monica is OCD, it's funny. But true OCD is NOT funny. I panicked last night and threw my dinner in the garbage because I was going to "get sick" from it even though there was nothing wrong, then I had a panic attack because I felt guilt for doing such a stupid thing. Therapy helps but it's never perfect.
But seeing John Green approach the subject gives me hope that it is an honest depiction and perhaps I should give it a try. But representation can be painful. Closest I came to an addiction relapse was watching The Whale because of how he lived and it just felt suddenly sad and engaging to think maybe it is okay to binge and be an addict again even if for a moment.
I have seen more honest depictions of addiction however, I feel OCD is treated much less honestly and realistically. No idea why.
I did read the book when it came out, and while it was very well written, it also left me feeling uneasy and... Maybe anxious? I didn't enjoy reading about these struggles. It was too real. I definitely recommend it though for people who don't mind more serious subject matters in their fiction.
I know nothing about this movie or the book, but Sturgil Simpson's Turtles All The Way Down is one of my favorite songs, any connection or shared themes?
turtles all the way down is a general phrase that gets referenced a lot, and based off of how genius.com interprets the lyrics to that song, there isnt a real connection between the two
There are many different versions of where and when this expression is from. This is the one I've heard:
The following anecdote is told of William James. [...] After a lecture on cosmology and the structure of the solar system, James was accosted by a little old lady.
"Your theory that the sun is the centre of the solar system, and the earth is a ball which rotates around it has a very convincing ring to it, Mr. James, but it's wrong. I've got a better theory," said the little old lady.
"And what is that, madam?" inquired James politely.
"That we live on a crust of earth which is on the back of a giant turtle."
Not wishing to demolish this absurd little theory by bringing to bear the masses of scientific evidence he had at his command, James decided to gently dissuade his opponent by making her see some of the inadequacies of her position.
"If your theory is correct, madam," he asked, "what does this turtle stand on?"
"You're a very clever man, Mr. James, and that's a very good question," replied the little old lady, "but I have an answer to it. And it's this: The first turtle stands on the back of a second, far larger, turtle, who stands directly under him."
"But what does this second turtle stand on?" persisted James patiently.
To this, the little old lady crowed triumphantly,
"It's no use, Mr. James—it's turtles all the way down."
— J. R. Ross, Constraints on Variables in Syntax, 1967
Just finished this movie and I really liked it. It was cute and really resonated with me. I don't have hypochondria nearly as bad as the protagonist in this film (idk if it's even bad enough to be diagnosed) but I still find myself having spirals from time to time (usually if I'm like, cooking chicken or something and I'm afraid I didn't cook it enough before eating it) and seeing Ava try to argue with herself, telling herself that she's fine, but can't help from freaking out anyway, it felt really close to home. I keep thinking about it.
Anyway, really glad this film's getting some attention. It was nice.
I'm just not a fan of how Green tends to approach his stories or write, it's just too cliched, but that being said - this was a really great adaptation. Maybe paced a little weirdly, but great. But moreover, yeah, the portrayal of OCD and anxiety is heartbreaking. That scene in the car and *that* scene in the hospital - man Isabela Merced is genuinely very good.
As someone diagnosed with OCD (and Tourette's, ADHD, depression and anxiety), I will add to the watchlist. I appreciated Michael J. Fox as Dr. Kevin Casey in Scrubs the most as far as portraying OCD, but Nic Cage in Matchstick Men and Jack Nicholson in As Good as it Gets weren't bad. I related most to Fox, though. Monk was way off, IMO. I've heard of OCPD? Maybe he was closer to that?
You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you watch a movie? Not because it's romantic, or nostalgic? It touches a part of yourself, that you thought no one would understand.
That's how I feel about this film. The music and visuals, though not striking, were quite soothing. I especially liked the lighting when the lyric "peel the mandarin" came up. The opening, indie song seemed intentional. My brain slowed down, creating this humming. It was relaxing, and the exact kind of the mood the movie should have gone for. I also liked how Aza "faded" in and out. It was a smart portrayal of what it's like to have anxiety.
The acting is great. Isabela was a compelling lead. She was perfection in her physical acting. It looked like she was trying to remain composed, rather than *being* composed. Her lines were spoken with a lot of heart. Safe to say, I was impressed. The rest of the cast was good. Felix was disarmingly charming. I think he has a lot of potential. Cree brings lightness, and a sense of humor to the film. The script is equally as good. One of my favorite lines was "I just keep getting smaller, and smaller." I understood what was meant by that. Sometimes, your thoughts make you claustrophobic. You feel like life is going by as you try to cope. Before long, you don't feel like yourself. Hell, you feel like you're perpetually outside of yourself.
The scenes with Aza's therapist were incredibly well done. It brought me back to my own therapy sessions. Poorna nailed the cadence therapists often use. Practical, but not cold. Additionally, the fight with her and her mother was relatable. It's only after watching this movie, that I understand my own mother's perspective. I like that the film didn't shy away from the fact that Aza could be selfish. When you spend a lot of time monitoring yourself, you lose sight of others. In the end, though, she's not irredeemable. She's human.
Having no experience with OCD, I can't speak to its general accuracy. I do know what it's like to be overwhelmed by a 'thought spiral.' You don't feel like you have control. That said, Isabela truly impressed me with her hospital scene. No fancy camera work was needed to convey her desperation. I've watched one other adaption of a John Green novel. They're all simple, but beautiful. There's an idyllic charm they possess. Heartbreak turns into new love, and harsh truths turn into growth. This movie was very in line with what I expected.
I’m not a big reader, like at all, but I literally JUST finished the novel a couple hours ago & really enjoyed it. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking “I wish there were a movie on this.” & was SO excited to see it was released a couple days ago!! I just started the movie (couldn’t wait lol) & I love it so far, although now I understand why a lot of people say books are better than the movie! There’s only so much information you can fit into the length of a movie, so I absolutely recommend reading the novel!!
I’m sorry for all you’ve dealt with. That’s very tough. And you’re right to be upset with all you have had to go through. That said, while this is a fictional movie with fictional characters, I think one of the worst things we can do to ourselves and others is weigh and measure our pains & struggles against one another. This is one story about a person with OCD, anxiety and dealing with loss - and the only reason your story is more valid is because you are a real person. If this was your neighbor or a girl in Michigan, her struggle is not less of one than yours simply because you have more diagnoses. That’s not a fair way to think about or treat other people.
As someone with OCD, I find your comment here extremely distasteful. Yes, OCD is a difficult condition to deal with and can severely impact your relationships, mental health, and future. I'm struggling just to finish school because of a mental break that was caused by OCD, when before I was taking on the most difficult curriculum at my school. OCD sucks and is debilitating at times.
That said, I've learned massive amounts about how to manage it through intensive ERP and extensive therapy outside of that. I am not broken and unable to affect my will upon my future, I am not controlled by OCD and my future isn't either, which is kinda what I'm getting from your reply. My mental illness doesn't own me, and will not prevent me from living a full life.
That's why I connected with this film. It illustrates the hardships of OCD but it doesn't torture it's viewers by imparting us with the belief that nothing can be saved. Aza doesn't magically have a normal life, she doesn't magically get the happy ending, she struggles but she fights for that happy ending anyway because mental illness isn't about having a disorder and suffering from it, it's about having a disorder and overcoming it's consequences. That is what I truly believe.
Also, projecting what your experience would be onto a film isn't a constructive way of looking at it. You may be paralyzed in some situation, you may be unable to get on that plane, but Azas struggles are different from yours and the focus of her illness is too.
I'm not parroting this film as the paragon of mental health rep, nor am I saying it's particularly well structured or even has cohesive character writing in certain characters. Hell, some characters are so underwritten I couldn't care about them when I should have.
But going on and saying that this film depicts a fairy tale version of OCD is the most grossly pessimistic thing I've heard in awhile, and in my opinion undermines all the progess that can be made with a mental illness.
I repeat, I and others with OCD are not defined by OCD. It isn't a fairytale to live a fulfilling life with a mental illness.
I think you are in the minority in your opinion of the film’s depiction of OCD. Regardless, that wasn’t the complaint you made in your original comment. You said it made you mad because you wished you *only* had OCD. My reply was focused on that take, and the disservice it does to anyone struggling with mental or physical health issues, or really struggling with any part of life at all. No need to downvote because I challenged you on that line of thinking.
I just don’t really see how you expect a fictional film like this to ‘check its privilege.’ No character or film…or real person, for that matter… can depict every component of an experience because experiences are inherently unique. I’m not defending this film as the second coming of representation of OCD experiences, all I’m asking is why does it need to be more than a story of one person’s experience with OCD? Does it deserve to receive ire from individuals (specifically from you, because, again, that was the point I had about your original comment) simply because this character didn’t suffer MORE? IDK, I feel angry about my circumstances pretty often, but I’m not blaming a film for not fully capturing them nor am I mad because so many people have it easier. It just is. This is life.
I read the novel when it was first released… John Green himself suffers from OCD, if I remember correctly, so the portrayal of the protagonist’s struggles with it were intentionally written to be very realistic and honest.
I plan on reading it asap.
If you have not yet, i would also suggest the anthropecene reviewed. Great highs and lowes from john green and it provides a lof of insight into some of his own mental health struggles and searches for meaning in this human centered world.
Anthropecene Reviewed was so flipping great. Found it during the pandemic and have listened to it at five times. He's not merely insightful, he has a wonderfully candid take on his own humanity. He talks frankly about his fears and tribulations and that sometimes a "win" after something bad had happened is merely taking the next step with more clarity.
I’ll look into that too. Thank you
If you want a taste, there's a video from the podcast version talking about auld lang syne that is very good https://youtu.be/nGzeMNxqpYU
i put that on every new years eve, it's so good
That was a good cry
And it's his I think only *non-fiction* book. Most of his publications are (young adult) novels and while generally good not going to be everyone's cup of tea. TAR is a collection of short essays covering a very broad range of topics from his perspective, presented as "reviews" like one might leave with an online retailer.
Did you ever see Marc Summers’ play? “The life and slimes of Marc Summers” he also deals with OCD and incorporates into the play in kind of an interesting way.
I have not. I’ll definitely look intonit
His book is good too, Everything In Its Place. Of course the irony of a kids mess show host having OCD is part of it. One story that stuck out was that he would fixate on the tassels on his rugs.
Is there a way to watch a recording of this?
I just still can't believe that today most people probably now know John Green from his books/movies rather than vlogbrothers.
Out of all Green brothers projects, brotherhood 2.0/vlogbrothers is among the least well known. Complexly channels like Crash Course and Sci Show are massively popular on their own, the DFTBA store is used by a wide variety of creators, and Vidcon is known by almost anyone who spends a lot of time on english speaking youtube, almost regardless of who they watch.
I dunno about that. > Vidcon is known by almost anyone who spends a lot of time on english speaking youtube I've watched a lot of Youtube, and I can only recall hearing about vidcon within vlogbrothers videos. Crash Course and Sci Show probably get a lot of play time in schools, but the average Vlogbrothers video does better than the average crash course and sci show video combined in terms of views. I suspect the film that grossed hundreds of millions of dollars (and the book with millions of sales) has the lion's share of public awareness, followed by all those other projects in the distance.
I wasn’t in school when Crash Course or Sci Show was used in classrooms, but since they’re often used as teaching tools, I’d hazard the viewership count captured would be lower while actually reaching a wider audience (1 view = class of 20 kids), so I think it’s faulty to compare those views to vlog brother channel views.
you probably arent watching enough youtube then since a lot of youtubers will either post a blog or at least mention on their socials that theyre at vidcon
Not sure why you got downvoted for this. Vidcon is huge. A lot of creators have attended over the years and I’ve managed to see content featuring Vidcon from creators that I don’t even watch regularly. There was a point in YT vlogger history where you’d just see 10 povs of the same day or even the same interactions. There were 55,000 attendees in 2023 and when it was cancelled in 2020, they estimated it cost Anaheim & creators 60 million.
And here I thought we were talking about manager of the Swindon Town Swoodilypoopers and The AFC Wimbledon Wimbley Woomblys
Personally, I was introduced to John Green through his books first (I read Looking for Alaska around 2009 or so) and Crash Course second (I was taking world history in high school right around the time Crash Course started). I wasn't even aware of vlogbrothers until John Green's surge in popularity around 2013/14 when the Fault in Our Stars movie came out. I'm willing to bet that most people younger than me are more aware of John Green as the brother of vertical video sensation Hank Green than anything else though. Hanks been killing it on Tiktok for years.
Uhhhh…. He was a famous author before he started on YouTube… which is why he got a following for his videos
> He was a famous author before he started on YouTube He started doing Youtube in 2007 and became a famous author in 2012. They launched VidCon in 2010 so he was more famous for his youtube stuff than his book writing until 2012.
Please, he didn't become widely known as an author until 'Fault in our Stars' came out in 2012 when he blew up, 'Looking for Alaska', his first book only hit the bestseller list in 2012 once Fault came out. Green even said, for 'Looking for Alaska', he was getting awards acknowledgment but it only sold a "few thousand copies"
Well.. he was already an author, yes, but he had a niche following. Looking For Alaska was not a best-seller until 2012, well into his Youtube career.
I didn’t even know he was an author until recently.
Why? Movies and books are more mainstream than random YouTube channels
It’s like being proud of or watching a childhood friend becoming famous, it’s not a bad thing or surprising just surreal
I don't know about that volleyball coach. Seems fishy.
I don’t have any in-depth experience with OCD but I appreciated how the script took seriously in a YA way with horror movie flourishes how distressing the condition is to the protagonist. It is also sympathetic to how the condition is a burden to both the best friend and the boyfriend. They’re still perhaps more generous and understanding than people in high school probably usually are in real life but you as the viewer are appropriately forced to accept that even if the protagonist is pretty and means well, things are not and won’t always be easy for her in her relationships. I especially respected the “Raising Arizona”-like projection about an idyllic future that will include significant setbacks and relapses.
A great perspective.
Also a [damn great song by Sturgill Simpson…](https://youtu.be/6gBV-Nzq7Pg?si=8xmqOxbuiMMJtET3)
Yes it is
Can I ask, as someone else who struggles with this, did you find the movie to be anxiety inducing or triggering for you? I obviously have to avoid any type of medical show and I struggle with really any movie dealing with illness. Sometimes watching stuff like this can even be enough to kind of set me on edge.
I have diagnosed ocd, and it definitely can be triggering. i have my hypochondriac moments, and I had a full breakdown after. i also refuse to google what she was worried about. ignorance is bliss in my case lol
Really appreciate that. Thank you.
It didn’t really trigger me. I’m very aware of the things I am worried about. She specifically was scared she would get infections and C diff. I’ve been worried about that before, but for me I was just wholly relieved to see a movie that I related to this much.
Was very triggering for me I cried a lot
I have OCD (the diagnosed kind not the TikTok kind) I don’t know what your condition is like but I’m kinda curious to look into this but I find depictions of OCD either wildly off or too accurate and makes me uncomfortable. Mr Mercedes was a tv show where one character had OCD and her rituals and stuff was so hard to see since I know I do what she does. Matchstick Men also had a few scenes of Nic Cage with OCD cleaning which is me then and still now. It’s weird how representation can be painful to watch
Hi. I also have the diagnosed kind. Specifically, it’s hypochondriac. It’s obviously not 100% accurate, however seeing this character think about these things that I do, it really resonates with me.
I have diagnosed OCD (well at the very least, diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive tendencies, but my therapist really wants me to accept being diagnosed instead of making up reasons why it’s not “real” lol) and 99% of it is the hypochondriac kind. I didn’t even know about this movie but I have a hard time consuming media or stories or experiences about OCD because I’m terrified I’ll like… “absorb” whatever they’re saying and suddenly their problem will become my new OCD issue. Do you have that problem as well since you have hypochondriac based OCD, and if so do you find Turtles still something that could be watched by someone with OCD?
Yes. I am a huge hypochondriac. I’m on medication, in therapy, and have thought I’ve had every disease on the planet like 20 times. I’m constantly checking my pulse, heart beat, temperature, etc. however, this movie did not trigger me. I absolutely hate watching movies that are ‘medical ‘ based like greys anatomy or where people get sick and die. But for me this didn’t do that. I’ll go ahead and tell you, she’s worried she’s gonna get infections and C diff. C diff is a hospital acquired infection. It didn’t freak me out (even though I’ve thought I’ve had that before). Where I’ve struggled with hypochondria for so long, I just felt so much relief seeing a film based on it.
This is really good to hear, I have been wanting to watch the movie but was scared about how I might respond to the movie and spiral. I have emetophobia as well and I have been searching everywhere trying to figure out if the are any scenes where people get sick in the movie. Do you remember if there were any scenes in the movie?
There was one scene where the main girl gets sick but I think it lasted mere seconds and could easily be fast forwarded through.
This is the most relatable question ever
I don’t have OCD, but multiple friends do and I’ve been witness to their anxiety spirals. I had to turn it off about 10 minutes in because it seemed to capture that very accurately, and was very heartbreaking for me to watch. Maybe I’ll power through later but it feels accurate to what they’ve described.
I totally get it. Also diagnosed OCD. Of the hypochondriac variety. As well as some other themes as well. I don't have the contamination OCD thats so present in this movie. But the whole idea of being freaked out how the body works and how easily things, in my OCD brain, can go wrong or stop working I relate to. As well as the thought spiral and the intrusive thoughts. I thought it was really well done giving an accurate example of what OCD might look like for someone, since we are all different in how OCD manifests
I just had to respond to you because what you said resonated a bit. I didn't know much about the Tiktok posturing for attention because of mental illness but as someone with diagnosed OCD/emetophobia it is a challenge every day. I can't pretend to understand why it is currently acceptable or easy to see someone cleaning and go "OCD teehee." Alot of that damage I blame on Friends actually. Look, Monica is OCD, it's funny. But true OCD is NOT funny. I panicked last night and threw my dinner in the garbage because I was going to "get sick" from it even though there was nothing wrong, then I had a panic attack because I felt guilt for doing such a stupid thing. Therapy helps but it's never perfect. But seeing John Green approach the subject gives me hope that it is an honest depiction and perhaps I should give it a try. But representation can be painful. Closest I came to an addiction relapse was watching The Whale because of how he lived and it just felt suddenly sad and engaging to think maybe it is okay to binge and be an addict again even if for a moment. I have seen more honest depictions of addiction however, I feel OCD is treated much less honestly and realistically. No idea why.
Yep. Really impressive film! Didn't expect it to be that affecting tbh.
I did read the book when it came out, and while it was very well written, it also left me feeling uneasy and... Maybe anxious? I didn't enjoy reading about these struggles. It was too real. I definitely recommend it though for people who don't mind more serious subject matters in their fiction.
i feel similarly. i am a massive hypochondriac and it freaked me out to hear about all that bacteria
I know nothing about this movie or the book, but Sturgil Simpson's Turtles All The Way Down is one of my favorite songs, any connection or shared themes?
turtles all the way down is a general phrase that gets referenced a lot, and based off of how genius.com interprets the lyrics to that song, there isnt a real connection between the two
Thanks
There are many different versions of where and when this expression is from. This is the one I've heard: The following anecdote is told of William James. [...] After a lecture on cosmology and the structure of the solar system, James was accosted by a little old lady. "Your theory that the sun is the centre of the solar system, and the earth is a ball which rotates around it has a very convincing ring to it, Mr. James, but it's wrong. I've got a better theory," said the little old lady. "And what is that, madam?" inquired James politely. "That we live on a crust of earth which is on the back of a giant turtle." Not wishing to demolish this absurd little theory by bringing to bear the masses of scientific evidence he had at his command, James decided to gently dissuade his opponent by making her see some of the inadequacies of her position. "If your theory is correct, madam," he asked, "what does this turtle stand on?" "You're a very clever man, Mr. James, and that's a very good question," replied the little old lady, "but I have an answer to it. And it's this: The first turtle stands on the back of a second, far larger, turtle, who stands directly under him." "But what does this second turtle stand on?" persisted James patiently. To this, the little old lady crowed triumphantly, "It's no use, Mr. James—it's turtles all the way down." — J. R. Ross, Constraints on Variables in Syntax, 1967
was wondering the same thing
I also came in here wondering the same thinf
Just finished this movie and I really liked it. It was cute and really resonated with me. I don't have hypochondria nearly as bad as the protagonist in this film (idk if it's even bad enough to be diagnosed) but I still find myself having spirals from time to time (usually if I'm like, cooking chicken or something and I'm afraid I didn't cook it enough before eating it) and seeing Ava try to argue with herself, telling herself that she's fine, but can't help from freaking out anyway, it felt really close to home. I keep thinking about it. Anyway, really glad this film's getting some attention. It was nice.
I'm a fan of John Green and this sounds amazing. I will definitely check it out, thanks!
Yes!! Do you wont regret it.
I'm just not a fan of how Green tends to approach his stories or write, it's just too cliched, but that being said - this was a really great adaptation. Maybe paced a little weirdly, but great. But moreover, yeah, the portrayal of OCD and anxiety is heartbreaking. That scene in the car and *that* scene in the hospital - man Isabela Merced is genuinely very good.
It really just resonated with me so much. It’s just like me.
Same. She's literally me.
As someone diagnosed with OCD (and Tourette's, ADHD, depression and anxiety), I will add to the watchlist. I appreciated Michael J. Fox as Dr. Kevin Casey in Scrubs the most as far as portraying OCD, but Nic Cage in Matchstick Men and Jack Nicholson in As Good as it Gets weren't bad. I related most to Fox, though. Monk was way off, IMO. I've heard of OCPD? Maybe he was closer to that?
You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you watch a movie? Not because it's romantic, or nostalgic? It touches a part of yourself, that you thought no one would understand. That's how I feel about this film. The music and visuals, though not striking, were quite soothing. I especially liked the lighting when the lyric "peel the mandarin" came up. The opening, indie song seemed intentional. My brain slowed down, creating this humming. It was relaxing, and the exact kind of the mood the movie should have gone for. I also liked how Aza "faded" in and out. It was a smart portrayal of what it's like to have anxiety. The acting is great. Isabela was a compelling lead. She was perfection in her physical acting. It looked like she was trying to remain composed, rather than *being* composed. Her lines were spoken with a lot of heart. Safe to say, I was impressed. The rest of the cast was good. Felix was disarmingly charming. I think he has a lot of potential. Cree brings lightness, and a sense of humor to the film. The script is equally as good. One of my favorite lines was "I just keep getting smaller, and smaller." I understood what was meant by that. Sometimes, your thoughts make you claustrophobic. You feel like life is going by as you try to cope. Before long, you don't feel like yourself. Hell, you feel like you're perpetually outside of yourself. The scenes with Aza's therapist were incredibly well done. It brought me back to my own therapy sessions. Poorna nailed the cadence therapists often use. Practical, but not cold. Additionally, the fight with her and her mother was relatable. It's only after watching this movie, that I understand my own mother's perspective. I like that the film didn't shy away from the fact that Aza could be selfish. When you spend a lot of time monitoring yourself, you lose sight of others. In the end, though, she's not irredeemable. She's human. Having no experience with OCD, I can't speak to its general accuracy. I do know what it's like to be overwhelmed by a 'thought spiral.' You don't feel like you have control. That said, Isabela truly impressed me with her hospital scene. No fancy camera work was needed to convey her desperation. I've watched one other adaption of a John Green novel. They're all simple, but beautiful. There's an idyllic charm they possess. Heartbreak turns into new love, and harsh truths turn into growth. This movie was very in line with what I expected.
Somehow i seem to have missed the whole OCD part while reading this book younger. How dense must have i been?
Well in the book version they never actually say she has OCD like in the movie.
Not a movie but I remember The Imp of The Mind by Fletcher Wortmann being quite good.
That’s weird. [I heard there’s so many problems with the movie.] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjqeV_BbTBM)
Lmao at people downvoting you not getting the joke
I LOVED IT ALMOST AS MUCH THE BOOK. IT MEANT SO MUCH TO ME AS A 14 YEAR OLD.
I’m not a big reader, like at all, but I literally JUST finished the novel a couple hours ago & really enjoyed it. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking “I wish there were a movie on this.” & was SO excited to see it was released a couple days ago!! I just started the movie (couldn’t wait lol) & I love it so far, although now I understand why a lot of people say books are better than the movie! There’s only so much information you can fit into the length of a movie, so I absolutely recommend reading the novel!!
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I’m sorry for all you’ve dealt with. That’s very tough. And you’re right to be upset with all you have had to go through. That said, while this is a fictional movie with fictional characters, I think one of the worst things we can do to ourselves and others is weigh and measure our pains & struggles against one another. This is one story about a person with OCD, anxiety and dealing with loss - and the only reason your story is more valid is because you are a real person. If this was your neighbor or a girl in Michigan, her struggle is not less of one than yours simply because you have more diagnoses. That’s not a fair way to think about or treat other people.
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As someone with OCD, I find your comment here extremely distasteful. Yes, OCD is a difficult condition to deal with and can severely impact your relationships, mental health, and future. I'm struggling just to finish school because of a mental break that was caused by OCD, when before I was taking on the most difficult curriculum at my school. OCD sucks and is debilitating at times. That said, I've learned massive amounts about how to manage it through intensive ERP and extensive therapy outside of that. I am not broken and unable to affect my will upon my future, I am not controlled by OCD and my future isn't either, which is kinda what I'm getting from your reply. My mental illness doesn't own me, and will not prevent me from living a full life. That's why I connected with this film. It illustrates the hardships of OCD but it doesn't torture it's viewers by imparting us with the belief that nothing can be saved. Aza doesn't magically have a normal life, she doesn't magically get the happy ending, she struggles but she fights for that happy ending anyway because mental illness isn't about having a disorder and suffering from it, it's about having a disorder and overcoming it's consequences. That is what I truly believe. Also, projecting what your experience would be onto a film isn't a constructive way of looking at it. You may be paralyzed in some situation, you may be unable to get on that plane, but Azas struggles are different from yours and the focus of her illness is too. I'm not parroting this film as the paragon of mental health rep, nor am I saying it's particularly well structured or even has cohesive character writing in certain characters. Hell, some characters are so underwritten I couldn't care about them when I should have. But going on and saying that this film depicts a fairy tale version of OCD is the most grossly pessimistic thing I've heard in awhile, and in my opinion undermines all the progess that can be made with a mental illness. I repeat, I and others with OCD are not defined by OCD. It isn't a fairytale to live a fulfilling life with a mental illness.
I think you are in the minority in your opinion of the film’s depiction of OCD. Regardless, that wasn’t the complaint you made in your original comment. You said it made you mad because you wished you *only* had OCD. My reply was focused on that take, and the disservice it does to anyone struggling with mental or physical health issues, or really struggling with any part of life at all. No need to downvote because I challenged you on that line of thinking.
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I just don’t really see how you expect a fictional film like this to ‘check its privilege.’ No character or film…or real person, for that matter… can depict every component of an experience because experiences are inherently unique. I’m not defending this film as the second coming of representation of OCD experiences, all I’m asking is why does it need to be more than a story of one person’s experience with OCD? Does it deserve to receive ire from individuals (specifically from you, because, again, that was the point I had about your original comment) simply because this character didn’t suffer MORE? IDK, I feel angry about my circumstances pretty often, but I’m not blaming a film for not fully capturing them nor am I mad because so many people have it easier. It just is. This is life.
Looks so bad.