I’m Fine is a short film by Benjamin Erhart, which carries an important message about teen suicide in a uniquely educational and realistic manner. The main focus of the film is on a young teen who suffers from depression and low self-esteem – both issues prominent among contemporary youths. The main character named Harper uses a journal to express her emotions; she writes about how she hates life and wishes for it to end. The film utilizes the techniques of limited narration and parallels to highlight its central message, which is that it is a good thing for young people to speak up and ask for help when they are struggling.
The use of limited narration makes the audience wonder what is happening to Harper until the content of her journal is revealed. The girl’s diary acts as a reflection of her mind, and it allows people to look beyond her words. The girl drops it on the way out of the class, and her classmate James picks it up and begins to read it. From James’ viewpoint, the viewers understand that Harper’s family is going through a difficult period. In her journal, she writes phrases like “My parents don’t care about me” (“I’m Fine”). It becomes evident that Harper’s mother left her and her father, and instead of supporting Harper, her dad rejects her, saying, “This is all your fault” (“I’m Fine”). As James continues reading the journal, the audience gains more and more insight into Harper’s life. Having seen her true feelings and emotions, both James and the audience understand why she is acting detached and stressed during classes. Harper feels lost, hopeless, and abandoned, and these feelings are translated to the audience through James’ point of view.
James experiences each event with Harper, as if he was there, which helps to evoke empathy in the audience and makes viewers worry about her life. As the boy skips to the final part of the journal, he finds the words “I give up,” written in capital letters at the end (“I’m Fine”). James realizes that Harper is about to commit suicide and rushes to the window to see where she is headed. Seeing as Harper gets into her car, James follows her to a bridge and catches her before she jumps from it. He holds her close, and Harper resists for the moment before hugging him back. James’s motives become apparent when he tells Harper, “I’m not losing my sister again” (“I’m Fine”). Harper looks at him questioningly before a chain of flashbacks begins.
The flashbacks shown in the film are similar to Harper’s scenes, thus creating a parallel of the two stories. The flashbacks focus on the events leading up to James’s sister’s suicide. The audience sees her cutting herself, drinking, and being visibly stressed despite telling everyone that she is fine. From this parallel, it becomes evident that for every life saved, there is at least one life lost. James takes Harper to his sister’s grave, saying that his biggest regret was not talking to her, and Harper thanks him for saving her.
Despite the simplicity of the plot, the short film I’m Fine sends a powerful message to young people who are struggling through the use of limited narration and parallels. Harper’s story shows how important it is to speak up and ask for help when you need it. Furthermore, the film also highlights the importance of looking out for one another and paying attention to the signs that a person is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts. James is the hero of this film because he was the only one who paid attention to Harper’s struggle. The creators of the film suggest that if more people were as attentive and caring as James, more suicides could be prevented. After all, it cannot hurt to make some extra effort and ask a person how they are doing.
References
“I’m Fine – A Short Film.” YouTube, uploaded by John Grayson, 2019. Web.