When someone close to you is diagnosed with a mental health disorder, it doesn’t just affect them. A diagnosis often becomes a family affair, providing an opportunity to come together and support a loved one in need. This sentiment is the basis of filmmaker Alethea Root’s emotionally stirring family drama, Good Side of Bad. Making its World Premiere as the opening night screening at Dances with Films, Good Side of Bad aims to end the stigma around mental illness by showing how communication is the key to getting through hard times.

Reconnecting Amidst a Family Crisis

Florence (Lexi Simonsen) is a budding photographer who is in the middle of experiencing a dangerous mental breakdown. Believing that hooded men are chasing her, she jumps off the side of a bridge to escape her “captors.” Thankfully, she survives the fall, but this incident raises alarm bells for her siblings, Sara (Jules Bruff) and Peter (Alex Quijano). The three siblings have been somewhat estranged until this terrifying event brings them closer together. Sara and Peter recognize the important role they now play in Florence’s life after she is formally diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Putting aside their differences, the trio faces the future head-on and, more importantly, they’re doing so together.

Watch the trailer for Good Side of Bad here.

From Page to Screen

Good Side of Bad is based on the bestselling book by author Beverly Olevin. Director Alethea Root captures the novel’s humorous and moving journey and heightens the sense of vulnerability amidst a crisis. The lead actors do a phenomenal job balancing the darkness and light that comes from being forced to work through an unexpected diagnosis. Lexi Simonsen stands out as the youngest sibling suffering from Schizophrenia. Her performance is a mix of empathy and raw emotion, and is a wonder to watch on screen.

Takeaway

There are many reasons why families become fractured, but Good Side of Bad proves that the bonds between siblings are powerful, and nothing is too difficult to face with loved ones by your side. This raw family drama touches on potentially tragic results of disconnectedness, and how coming together to provide support and connection is ultimately the best way to help one another.