One of the themes explored throughout the movie is the use of mind-altering prescription drugs, as well as psychiatric drugs and black market drugs. Throughout most of the movie, there's hardly a person who isn't on drugs at one time or another. In fact, the overmedication theme seems to be the foundation of reality for the characters in this film.
Speaking of reality, the film does a wonderful job exploring the nature of reality and the way our perception creates our own individual reality, as well as the realities of an entire community. The community in this film, for example, cannot believe the truth of what's happening around them, simply because they are living within their own filtered view of reality.
What are the possibilities of this set-up? How about a young teenage boy being kidnapped and not even being missed by his frantic mother for three days because she's so focused on her upcoming wedding that nothing else is a priority in her life. Or the teenage kidnapper, who wants to be an Air Force pilot someday, kidnapping a 13 year-old boy and holding him hostage in an effort to get his hands on drugs that were last seen in the hands of a friend who committed suicide?
As these events unfold in the film, none of the adults seem to recognize what's going on. In fact, the adults seem to be living in their own world, even while proclaiming statements to their children like, "We're here for you, and you can talk to us anytime."
I see the movie as a sadly accurate mirror of what's wrong with society today -- not only with parent-child communication, but also with mass overmedication and the fact that so many Americans have isolated themselves in their own busy lives without even taking the time to look at what's important or to express themselves in an authentic way.
Interestingly, one character in the film, the town mayor played by Ralph Fiennes, ultimately breaks through and expresses himself in an authentic way. He does this by waking up one morning and painting blue dolphins all over the inside of the house of his bride-to-be. She, of course, being an interior designer, promptly flips out. Rather than seeing the beauty of his expression, she works hard to cover up the dolphins before her guests arrive for the ceremonies.
The character played by Ralph Fiennes explains that his art is inspired by his desire to find "balance", which can be interpreted in many different ways. The term "balance" appears throughout the film, including in the dialogue of Dr. Bill Stifle, the father of the main character, who, throughout the movie, escalates the dosage of antidepressant drugs taken by his teenage son, describing them as something that will give him "balance" as well.
This father character, played by William Fichtner, is a portrait of a self-improvement guru psychiatrist-type with a fragile ego, who uses his own children to generate material for his best selling books. He even psychoanalyzes his son in his living room, taking notes for material to put in his next book. Of course, he's also dishing out medication to his children at every turn, stating that his colleagues at the hospital said all the medications were very effective and perfectly safe.
At the same time, the film demonstrates some of the negative side effects of taking these medications. It begins with a teenage suicide. Antidepressant drugs are now known to cause suicidal behavior and violent behavior, especially in teenage males. The movie "The Chumscrubber" accurately depicts how the side effects of these medications impact lives.
The suicide is not the only act of violence in the film, another teenage boy, as you'll recall, engages in kidnapping. One of his accomplices, near the end of the film, actually grabs a knife and tries to figure out how to stab the kidnapped 13-year-old boy in order to kill him quickly, so that they won't be found out as kidnappers. First he tries to strangle the boy, and after he finds out that strangulation will not kill him quickly, he proceeds to stab him in the torso, and then ask the boy he just stabbed, "Is it deep?" It's this kind of disconnection from reality that really characterizes "The Chumscrubber", which is being described by most reviewers as a dark, comedy.
I don't find it to be a comedy at all. Rather, I find it to be a smart exploration of the overmedicated society that now calls itself the United States of America. I think "The Chumscrubber" has great writing, outstanding photography, and authentic acting. It's certainly not an action-packed thriller, nor a mind-numbing entertainment film. Rather, it's a thoughtful film that is best viewed with a great degree of clarity. As you watch, remember that the self-absorbed lives portrayed in this film are not merely caricature; they reflect the realities of modern society.
Of course, actually understanding, "The Chumbscrubber" requires viewing it in a drug-free state of mind, which is all but impossible for half the American population. Many people won't get this film simply because they are literally living it out.
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