"Return to Zero"- A Movie Review

Having recently gone through a pregnancy, I debated about watching “Return to Zero”. My little boy was born in January 2014. He was 8 weeks premature and spent a month in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. While he is happy and healthy now, there were some scary moments before and after his arrival. I was worried that the movie would be a little too stressful, too soon. But I am incredibly glad that I decided to watch. It premiered on Lifetime TV on May 17, 2014.

The movie begins with Maggie and Aaron Royal in the home stretch of their first pregnancy. Then a few weeks before their due date, they find out that their baby boy is stillborn. A stillbirth is a fetal death occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy. I assume most viewers were like me- crying along with the Royals as they had to make quick decisions about how the baby would be delivered, if they would like to take pictures, and if the baby would be buried or cremated. The movie then follows the Royals in the months that follow as they grieve, try to hold onto their marriage, re-enter the work force, and (unexpectedly) begin a second pregnancy.

While the movie focuses on an individual family (based on the true story lived by the director Sean Hanish), there are many public health implications we should be talking about:

• Public Knowledge and Language: Several times in the film Maggie makes the distinction that a stillbirth is not the same as a miscarriage. Does the public know the difference? From Maggie’s reaction, it is clear that the comparison can be quite offensive to the parents of stillborn children. These deaths happen much later when the babies are often viable. They are (in many cases) full-term. The mothers have felt the babies moving and are visibly “showing” in their pregnancy. They do not have the option of dealing with their loss privately.
• However, I will note that many who have suffered a miscarriage will relate to the emotions that Maggie and Aaron experience. In revealing her own miscarriage Maggie’s mother tells her, “It’s still a loss Maggie. And it still hurts. It’s not just the loss of a baby, it’s the loss of a possibility of what might have been- and that is exactly the same.” Perhaps there is a way for the stillbirth and miscarriage communities to support each other while still making this important distinction in language and definition?

• Stigma: Wow! Did I cringe watching some of Maggie’s friends and family members interact with her after the loss of her baby! Some people just walked away to avoid her, others pushed their religious views on her (“this was God’s will, etc). She made people uncomfortable because they did not know what to say or how to help her. This is fascinating considering the prevalence statistics on stillbirth (various sources showing it occurs between 1 in 160 and 1 in 200 pregnancies)- it is not that uncommon! I think that the movie does a great job of pointing this out. This happens to people. We need to learn how to talk about it and support our friends and family.

• Training for Providers: After learning their son has died, Maggie and Aaron have a conversation with their doctor and a social worker about their plans for their son. They are clearly in shock. As the social worker asks if they have thought about burial or cremation for their son, Aaron asks in frustration and disbelief, “Should we have thought about it?” How do medical, nursing, and social work programs/training prepare providers to have this conversation? Do providers know how to have it in a way that respects the family without further traumatizing them (or the providers themselves)?

• Support for Providers: In probably the most incredible scene of the movie, we see Maggie deliver her stillborn son. And one thing I kept thinking was- what kind of support is in place to help the medical providers in this situation? Maggie and Aaron had a labor and delivery nurse and doctor with them- how much does this weigh on those providers? They deal with not just stillbirth, but other difficult situations (preterm births, maternal complications, etc.)- I hope that they are given coping skills and the option of speaking with a social worker or other support at the hospital if needed. I would imagine that dealing with this type of case would be incredibly mentally and physically taxing for a provider.

While the subject matter is incredibly difficult, the film is exquisite. Minnie Driver is amazing. And although you are grieving with the characters, you also leave hopeful.

What did others think? Leave me a comment- I would love to hear your thoughts!

"Call Me Crazy": Lifetime's New Movie That Champions Hope and Resilience Around Mental Illness

*Warning: it was difficult to write this post without including a few small spoilers, but I hope you'll watch the whole film anyway.

On Saturday April 20th, Lifetime debuted "Call Me Crazy: A Five Film".  The film (which boasts a star-studded cast and director list) includes five short stories that examine the impact of mental illness from various perspectives.  Each story is named after the main character: "Lucy", "Grace", "Allison", "Eddie", and "Maggie".

In the first story, we are introduced to Lucy (played by Brittany Snow).  Lucy, a law student, has recently been admitted to a psychiatric institution after experiencing a schizophrenic episode.  She is struggling to see how she can live a "normal" life that includes relationships and a career.  Her clinician encourages her to finish law school because she has insight into something very few people understand (mental illness)- so who knows how many people she could help?

In "Grace", we meet a daughter who has been living with a bipolar mother for her entire life.  Grace is played beautifully by Sarah Hyland from "Modern Family"- I loved seeing her in a dramatic role.  We see the "highs" and "lows" of her mother's condition.  We also see the devastating impact that it has on Grace's life when it is not treated.  Grace often plays the role of caretaker- making sure her mother is safe.  We see her struggle to have her own life aside from her mother's illness.

"Allison" offers the viewers a twist.  She plays Lucy's younger sister.  So we step back from Lucy's view and we see how mental illness has affected her entire family.  Allison's childhood, her sense of safety, her relationship with her parents- were all changed as a result of her sister's illness.  She has bottled up a lot of anger and finds it difficult to support her sister through her recovery.

"Eddie" introduces the only male main character.  He is suffering from severe depression.  He has withdrawn from his wife and his friends.  He has stopped receiving help from his therapist.  We watch his wife intervene after discovering that he may be thinking about suicide.

Finally, "Maggie" introduces topics that (unfortunately) are all too common these days- post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and military sexual trauma among our returning veterans.  Maggie (played by Jennifer Hudson) was victimized during her time in the Army and its lasting impacts are threatening her ability to have a healthy relationship with her family.  Here we get another update on Lucy- she is now a lawyer and is representing Maggie in court.

While each story stands on its own, Lucy's story is woven throughout "Allison" and "Maggie" as well.  I really liked this strategy.  Not only because I became invested in her character during the first story...but also because seeing her evolve over time helped to demonstrate some key themes from this film- hope and resilience.

As Lucy says to Maggie: "I am living proof". [Of what?] "That there is hope".  In court, Lucy reminds Maggie's judge that having mental illness does not mean that you are a bad person or a bad mother.  She also reminds him about the importance of social support, "it is nearly impossible to get well alone".  Even though we see all of these characters at their lowest point- there is still hope that they can feel better, have strong relationships, and contribute positively to the world.

It seems fitting that Brittany Snow's character delivers these messages about hope and resilience, as she is a strong advocate for them in real life.  Together with the Jed Foundation and MTV, she founded Love is Louder.  Love is Louder is an inclusive movement that amplifies messages of love and support to combat negative messages resulting from bullying, loneliness, and stigma.  She has also publicly shared her own battles with anorexia, depression, and self harm.

As a health educator, I highly recommend this film as a resource for discussing mental illness, suicide, stigma, social support, and help-seeking.  Since each story is approximately 20 minutes, they can be broken down into segments or watched all together.  This film is a great example of Entertainment Education, which is an area of public health that acknowledges the strong impact that television and movies play in educating the public about health issues.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental illness, please reach out:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)