MovieChat Forums > The Big White (2005) Discussion > Tourette's

Tourette's

posted 17 years ago by dragonfly_kama
20 replies | jump to latest

Writing as someone who actually has Tourette's Syndrome and is on disability because of it. I am so damn sick and tired of the way that we are portrayed in the film industry. We do not all suffer from coproalia (chronic swearing) in fact only 12% of us do. This overused misconception has been so ingrained into society that it makes it harder for us to gain acceptance from other people who think we are going to bust out swearing at school or in the workplace. I like Holly Hunter as an actress but come on...at least one character in the movie called her character on her Sh$t. I know people think that random swearing is funny as hell but it is embarrassing and painful to the people that do it. Imagine some moment in your life where you accidentally said something that you wished to god that you could take back and how bad that felt and now imagine if you experienced that feeling several times a day...If might be funny for a few minutes but is gets a lot less funny over the span of a lifetime. Many people who actually have this problem will pay to have their vocal cords chemically paralyzed and sometimes in extreme cases cut because they cannot live with the constant public embarrassment. I don't see how that is fodder for entertainment.

[–] Jsquarefoot 17 years ago

Thanks for your post - however you have not described to us then what the other 82% of Tourettes Syndrome sufferers experience. Misconception then yes about the swearing - but do you just say what is ion your mind or random stuff. Holly hunter in the film also barked and repeated things when she was stressed - she did not swear all the time?
Would like to know how it actually is then if this is not an acturate portrayal.

Thanks Drogonfly_Kama

[–] deathcube-1 17 years ago

i have a friend who has mild Tourrette's and you wouldnt even know.... he has a compulsive twitch where he sniffs his nose... and when something is funny he breaks out into a raucous laugh that is very loud but is very funny and actually makes the things hes laughing at more funny

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] dmcdknf 11 years ago

Most Tourettes Syndrome sufferers have some kind of tick or twitch. The symptom may be so small and inconspicuous that no one would notice, or so extreme that it is socially awkward and embarrassing. Sometimes the tick is verbal, but not swearing. It could manifest as yelps, clicks, or random sounds.

With all respect to the OP, 1)I read in an interview that Ms Hunter consulted a psychologist that specializes in Tourettes treatment and 2)Whether or not the character actually has Tourettes, it is clear that she suffers from some psychiatric disorder(s) and the HMO letter indicated that she had previously been diagnosed with OCD, ADHD, and "other" conditions.

[–] Roxannecvm 17 years ago

I understand your concern about the overly stereotypical display of someone suffering from Tourette's Syndrome in this movie - however I would like to point out (at least as I understood Holly Hunter's role in the Big White) that she only pretends to have Tourette's to absolve herself from any responsibility for her words and actions. Granted, she has mental issues, but I figured she didn't have Tourette's precisely because she acts it out in such an overtly, almost calculated manner (especially the echolalia). Moreover she only appears to suffer from echolalia when she wants to curse at someone... That is also why they call her out on her sh.. In this particular movie (I am not saying that Tourette's is not wrongly stereotyped in many, many other movies), I think the joke is on Hunter's character, for someone who pretends to have an illness that she only understands superficially. I may however be wrong, and simply overanalyzing things.

[–] frogca 17 years ago

I agree, Roxannecvm. I think if they had underlined her faking aspect a bit more, it would have taken a bit of the sting out of the cliche/misconception.

It would be interesting to see a movie where the real consequences and suffering of the actual problem is portrayed -- which could still be done with humour. But the cheap shot is easier for 99% or better of people, including filmmakers.

[–] sacrificial_harlot 17 years ago

I hate to be nitpicky, and 4 months late on the subject, but it's coprolalia that makes people with Tourette's swear. Echolalia is the urge to repeat things you've heard.

[–] Nosferatu6979 16 years ago

Man, what a pathetic plea for sympathy. You really need to get over yourself there. If you think this movie used your condition as "fodder for entertainment", I'd hate to see your reaction if you ever happen to watch "Not Another Teen Movie", with the cheerleader who has Tourette's. I'm an insulin dependent (Type 1) diabetic, and I see my condition misrepresented in movies quite often (ex. Con Air), but I really don't see the need to come on a message forum to try and garner a big pity party for myself. Gimme a break.

[–] pentalarc 16 years ago

I also thought that, though there was something wrong with her, it wasn't tourettes. Both my mother and I have had friends with moderate tourettes. (in a strange coincidence, we both met them in catholic high schools, at 16, and blew the friendship to bits in college over stupid arguments, and later reconciled, but only after the person had moved out of state. Different schools, 23 years apart, of course, and the odd thing is, I went to college right out of high school, my mother went to college about 15 years after highschool, and met up with her friend who had gone back to college at the same time. Weird, but that's neither here, nor there). My friend's case I would say is fairly moderate (no coprolalia, though he said it happened to him a couple of times, but he didn't see it any different from any of his other verbal tics, which, in my, experience, seemed more like him just repeating a syllable or two in a voice higher than his own. Other than that, he used to grimace as a tic, that was most common. My mother's friend had it much more severe, and did experience corprolalia, and more severe tics. (Granted, I only met her once or twice.)

The reason I say all this, is that while I do not have it myself, I do have some experience with it, I don't think that Holly Hunter's character had it. In fact one of the things I didn't like about the movie, was that they never say what she does have. She obviously has something, and my guesses were:

1) Schizophrenia. In one scene it seems like she might be having audio hallucinations, and her age is about right for late-onsiet schizophrenia.

2) Huntington's Disease. With a slightly unusual presentation. Again, the age could be right, but it seemed like the mental effects were overshadowing the physical effects. (not much tremor)

3) A frontal lobe tumor. If you interpret her actions as problem with impulse control and lack of fear. The more I think about it this seems like the most logical, even if she is just really brave.

Too bad, actually, all of these are much more severe than Tourettes.

[–] Chrysanthepop 16 years ago

She does not have tourettes nor any of the disorders you mentioned. She thinks she has it but Tim blake Nelson's character clearly points out that's not the case. She is mentally unstable and as part of this condition she thinks she has it. Perhaps it's a form of Munchausen's syndrome.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 16 years ago

A Massive fear of missing a number in zipcodes.

Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.

[–] filmbuff87 15 years ago

dragonfly... it seems like you watched the movie so next time pay attention to it. they brought up exactly what you are talking about and like you said one character thought she was faking. i dont see why you hating on this movie they actually discussed the facts of tourette's.

[–] dragonfly_kama 15 years ago

If you read my post carefully you would see that I do refer to one of the character's saying that she was getting the symptoms wrong "at least one character in the movie called her character on her Sh$t" was what I had written in the first post. I have seen "Not another teen movie" in fact I own a copy, however in this movie it is quite clear that it is a spoof and in spoofs things are greatly exaggerated and never meant to be taken as reality so that did not bother me. In my rant I should have been more clear about the fact that what really bothers me is the way Tourette's is portrayed in all movies not just this one. Two movies that get it right and are quite good although not often seen are "The tic code" and "niagara, niagara" also I never once said I hated this movie, it fact other than the Tourette's part I thought it was pretty good.

[–] Howlin Wolf 15 years ago

Doesn't one of the hitmen actually touch on this subject, in the film?!

I like Holly Hunter as an actress but come on...at least one character in the movie called her character on her Sh$t.

Exactly! You said it yourself. So then how can you blame the film, when it does bother to offer a counterpoint to your objections?!

I don't see how that is fodder for entertainment.

Welcome to black comedy.

Do you like having sex? Then DON'T buy a Nintendo!

[–] retrofooze 14 years ago

Yeah, one of the hitmen says that most people with tourettes don't swear.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] mohican321 14 years ago

wow OP... you didn't swear even once in your post...

[–] olliemankz 10 years ago

I am right now reading a book in which the heroine presumably suffers from Tourette's (The Savant of Chelsea, by Suzanne Jenkins), although I have to say that, though I am only a few chapters into the book and I don't know a lot about various mental conditions, she strikes me more as having autism. Can the two ever be related? Please don't take offense ... many autistic persons of whom I have known are highly functioning, contributing members of society, as is the case with the heroine in the book.

Also, as I said, I haven't read very far into the book yet, although it seems fascinating, but it seems the heroine's condition may have come from childhood abuse. I had thought Tourette's was genetic. Can it be induced by one's environment?

At any rate, it is good that you stepped up to give us some insight into the truth about Tourette's.