I was looking for an interesting documentary to fill the afternoon hours here on New Year’s Eve before I started by Avengers binge, and I found a fil on Hulu (by way of HBO Max) that I started to watch. I immediately realized that this was not the kind of doc that was in the celebratory range.

Boy Interrupted was the story of 15-year old Evan Perry, who had a short life suffering from depression and bipolar disorder and ended up committing suicide by jumping out of his window. The doc recounted the story of his life through his family members and close friends.

It was desperately sad watching his mom and dad telling the details that led to the eventual suicide as a 15-year old. It was clear that the wounds were not healed by any stretch and you could see the pain etched on their faces when talking about everything.

I can’t imagine the pain that goes along with a child who you love taking his own life. I know that the few students that I have had who have committed suicide was always painful, but I have no idea what it is like for a parent. I can only imagine it is the worst nightmare someone could live through.

It stirred up a lot of memories in myself watching this developing tragedy. Everyone can relate to this in some manner even if you can not fully grasp the anguish facing and guilt the parents and family members.

It is a tough doc to watch, but it is important to understand the signs that are being shown by kids, signs that you do not want to ignore.