By Daniela Coe-McNamara
Staff Writer
A movement that swept the nation in the late 2000’s, “To Write Love On Her Arms” has now taken over theaters in the newest film adaptation of the story of Renee, the girl who inspired this supportive organization.
Telling the true story of the non-profit movement that started in Orlando, Florida, “To Write Love on Her Arms” is a thoughtful and heartbreaking film that utilizes animation and music to demonstrate a young girl’s imagination and struggle as she deals with addiction, depression, and bipolar disorder.
Originally released in 2012 at the Omaha Film Festival with its original title, “Day One,” “To Write Love On Her Arms” tells the story of Renee Yohe (Kat Dennings) and her battle against the addictions of self harm, drugs and alcohol. Receiving help from her friends, Renee begins a five-day detox prior to entering a rehabilitation center, and meets young Jamie (Chad Michael Murray), the man who wrote Renee’s story and released it virally with the organization To Write Love On Her Arms. Since the 2006 debut of Renee’s story, the To Write Love On Her Arms organization has raised money to pay for Renee’s rehabilitation, and now helps young people around the world with their depression and addictions.
“To Write Love On Her Arms” is told as a flashback as Renee listens to Jamie present his side of the story, starting the movie in the same scene it began with. Beginning in the first five minutes of the movie, time is represented with smoke as the film progresses through stages of Renee’s life without explicitly telling where the time went. This choppiness makes the film’s timeline a bit hard to follow, but this is limited to the first few minutes of the movie, as viewers are guided through the early stages of Renee’s depression and struggle.
The story begins as Renee reflects on the magic in the imagination of her childhood years, filled with doodles that reveal her inner thoughts and dreams. The animation of her drawings and the sprouting of her imagined garden utilizes such incredible detail, it feels as if you are directly in the child’s mind. This animation continues throughout the film, as walls come alive, expressing Renee’s inner thoughts with such vivid detail that it truly allows viewers to be inside of the depressed mind as she struggles with her addiction.
The soundtrack is utilized throughout the film, varying between scenes to demonstrate the rollercoaster of emotions Renee is experiencing. As Renee escapes with her headphones into her solitary world, the film is transported to scenes of dancing and music, displaying one of her many escapes from the awful reality she faces every day. The different song choices reflect Renee’s inner thoughts in the scene, such as when she is followed by a soft acoustic singer once she enters rehab. This musical representation of feelings gives another dimension of emotion to the film, as it allows viewers to relate to the popular soundtrack songs, with popular artists such as Travie McCoy.
“To Write Love On Her Arms” is an incredibly thought out, heartfelt story that chronicles the struggles that many young people face today, including the taboo addictions that many are afraid to speak out about. The film tells of the birth of this non-profit organization while allowing viewers to immerse themselves into Renee’s world with the help of detailed animation and music.
“To Write Love On Her Arms” is available for purchase and rent on iTunes and DVD stores in most areas.
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