A couple of weeks ago in bed I watched an HBO documentary called “Boy Interrupted” which tells the account of Evan Perry, an adolescent fifteen-year-old boy who committed suicide. This film initially interested me because it was produced and directed by his parents after his death. The film tells the story of Evan’s life and the reactions of his friends, family, and relatives. I found it to be extremely interesting specifically because Evan was so young and throughout the film, it is evident that some psychological problems were present. I watch this during our “suicide/assisted suicide” unit and thought that this documentary can apply very well. One can see truly how one boy can be shaped so much by his surroundings that he would want to end his own life. In the end, Evan killed himself by jumping out his window of his bedroom on the sixth floor of an apartment building down an airs haft onto the concrete below. I greatly advise that you take a look at this film, even if you don’t watch the whole thing. It is very interesting to see first hand the psychological and mental implications that could result in suicide.
Jared Siegel
The website for this film can be found here: