It would have been very easy for Words on Bathroom Walls to take a simplistic approach to the story that it’s telling. Young Adult novels that get turned into movies tend to lean on heavy themes, but don’t always tackle them in particularly mature ways. This one, however, is willing to go that route, allowing themes of mental illness to get the gravitas that it deserves. Much like The Fault in Our Stars managed to overcome its YA routes to become something more, this one is able to as well. It’s not on the level of that YA tearjerker, but it’s a quality new release well worth your time this week. The film is a teen drama, following Adam (Charlie Plummer), who seems to be your garden variety high schooler. Everything on the outside makes him appear to be a young adult like any other, even if he’s determined to become a chef, as opposed to a more common career. However, when he had an incident in his chemistry class halfway through senior year, he’s not only expelled, but also diagnosed with a mental illness. His mother opts to send Adam to a Catholic academy to finish out his term, which is a place he figures he’ll never fit into, so it’s just a matter of getting by. If he can just keep his illness a secret long enough, he’ll graduate and be able to enroll in culinary school, putting this all in the past. Then, he comes across the outspoken and intelligent classmate Maya (Taylor Russell), who sees something special in him. Quickly, there is a connection between the two of them, one that leads to romance. As progresses, she gives him the courage to tackle his condition in a more forthright way. Of course, the disease is always in the background, waiting to appear and ruin his day, or worse, potentially his life. Thor Freudenthal directs a screenplay by Nick Naveda, with cinematography by Michael Goi, as well as a score from Andrew Hollander. Rounding out the cast, in addition to Plummer and Taylor, are Andy Garcia, Walton Goggins, Molly Parker, and AnnaSophia Robb, among others. In addition to some notable visual choices, which depict Adam’s mental illness in the form of colorful characters, as well as voices off in the shadows, the acting by Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell helps to set this one apart. Plummer leans […]