Secret Cutting

This was an excellent movie for a family to watch together. I was happy that it wasn't a movie that starts off with a troubled teen, then halfway thorough the movie, they get help, and in the end, they're perfectly fine. It shows was actually goes on with self-mutilation. Cutting isn't a very known thing but this movie brings it to light. It also shows how these problems don't just fix themselves in a matter of weeks; it takes time and understanding from everyone involved in the said person's life.

Television movie-makers do lots of movies that dramatize an issue to draw attention to it -- diseases and other problems. While well-intentioned, most such movies are crummy "disease of the week" melodramas. "Secret Cutting" stands out as an issue drama that's actually a pretty good movie.

The movie centers on Dawn, an ordinary unpopular high school girl who deals with the stresses of life by cutting herself. Her cutting isn't suicidal; instead she tries to overcome psychological pain by inflicting self-controlled physical pain on herself.

Her mother is not at all understanding -- she talks down to her, and tries to help by taking Dawn shopping, rather than listening to Dawn's problems. Her father is quite understanding, but is rarely there for her, because he's usually at work. Her little brother is a typical rude young boy, and even if he were were supportive he wouldn't have the wisdom to help her much. At school, the "popular" girls just mock her for being an art geek. Her boyfriend has one thing on his mind, and it's not her psychological well being. In short, no one is there for her.

Eventually, people start discovering Dawn's self-injury, when a teacher notices her bleeding. He sends her to the school nurse, who in turn notifies her parents. Her mother reacts by demanding that she stop cutting herself, and when that fails, she hides every sharp object in the house. Her father's efforts to help are undermined by her mother, who reacts to his efforts to help by asking him, "are you saying she's doing this because I'm a bad mother?"

When Dawn cuts herself again at school, Lorraine, an outcast, sees her doing the cutting. Rather than being cruel or indifferent like most kids in school, she becomes concerned. She manages to show her concerns in a way that makes them friends, rather than scaring Dawn into withdrawal. Lorraine even tries to introduce Dawn to her "shrink". But even though Dawn starts to find a support group, her self-injury problem worsens.

The dramatic tension builds through most of the movie, leading to a climax near the end, and finally an incomplete resolution that feels dramatically right. Dawn is particularly convincing. Her experiences as a somewhat-geeky are no worse than a typical high school experience, but we can see how she turns high school misfortunes inward on herself, where others might release their tensions with rage, escapism, or talking them out with a support group. She's well-written, acted, and directed. Her mother initially seems unhelpful just to explain Dawn's pain, but the story eventually reveals why she so often reacts the wrong way. The cruel "popular" girls at school are very convincing -- such kids aren't always mean, but the movie portrays the mean ones just right.

In addition to being a work of drama, the movie is also presenting the issue of self-injury. The incomplete resolution in particular seems to be an important point. While a documentary about the subject could have presented as much information about the problem in a half hour, the movie did that and still worked as entertainment. As an issue drama, it's one of the best. Even as a general movie it's above average.

I began self-injuring at the age of about 5 or 6 and still struggle with it today at age 34. (Although it is mostly under control, the urges are still there and cuts occur maybe once a year now.) For the most part I think the movie did a pretty good job-- but her reactions as she was cutting at times were unrealistic... almost euphoric or even orgasmic.... and the spreading the blood all over the hallway just doesn't happen. I always kept it as contained as possible and was able to keep it a secret for a long time. I did agree with the frantics going on as she was searching for a razor, anything sharp-- I've been there, rushed to the drawer only to find there isn't anything in there to use. You'll find anything you can to make into a tool that'll do the trick.

I guess I don't know about others, but the night when she went to that guy's house and let him and all his friends have his way with her.... just also didn't fit. But maybe it did-- just maybe to emphasize the fact that she would inflict pain on herself anyway she could.

Another scene that comes to mind-- in the car, with the cigarette lighter. When her parents found her out there doing that, she looked stoned and happy... again, to me was unrealistic. It did bring a great deal of relief when emotional pain was building up, but didn't bring a euphoria to me.... just made me stop my mind-racing and just calm down. But it got to the point where even crazy HAPPY feelings made me want to cut too. Really anytime I had strong emotions I would turn to that instead of trying to express anything.

Anyhoooo.... overall a good movie, but as usual a few things seem to have been over-dramatized for effect.

I first watched this film on the Lifetime channel because my favorite actor, Kett Turton, was in it. I was hesitant to watch it at first, being a self injurer myself, I was worried it might be triggering for me. The first time I watched it, I had though it was done with an outstanding accuracy and had applauded it openly.

I saw it again recently and realized, judging from my own personal experiences, that it isn't as accurate as I had once thought, but not too far off. A prime example of it's inaccuracy would be how excited Dawn seemed to get while cutting. It might be that way for some, but for me it seemed odd and a very unrealistic reaction unless she happened to be masochistic. But it's inaccuracy there is outnumbered by the accuracy I did find. The franticness in which she cut was precise and realistic. I also found the way she was so ashamed of her cuts and always hiding them is extremely characteristic of a self-injurer. It shows that contrary to popular belief, us self-injurers aren't all "attention whores", parading our scars and cuts, flaunting our pain.

I believe that the first time I watched it when I was 13, I think I got what I wanted to from the film, and now being 16, I realize it's still the same: self-injury is slowly but surely making itself more main-stream and something needs to be done about it.

I am an avid cutter myself, but luckily go through bouts of time where I won't even look at a sharp object. Self injury is a condition people should recognize more and this movie shows how serious it can get without the cutter realizing that it only takes one cut too deep and it could all be over. I will admit, I am a total hypocrite towards this issue: I say don't do it and I do it myself. I suggest this movie to anyone who is a self-injurer or have a friend or family member who injures themselves.

If you hurt yourself or know someone who does, you should go to this site, it has a lot of good information whether you cut or not. http://www.self-injury.net/

I'm positive some people identified with this movie, therefore it deserves defending. The things people complained about or said were unrealistic, well maybe to some yes, but to others it is a shocking view of their world.

I thought certain things, the flaws as others have called them, were the most realistic parts. The "angst-ridden" teen, the stand offish parents, the drama of her loneliness, these are real.

Life really can be like that for people, especially teenagers. No, not all, probably not even most. But I have seen them. It is not difficult for someone so young to fall into a world of self loathing and self destructive behavior, whether it be drugs, sex, or a more complex issue like bulimia or cutting.

High school can be wicked, and not everyone has the ability to "develop a thick skin." Kids that have few or no real friends can feel very isolated, even with "normal" supportive parents.

As for the clueless parents, they just seem human to me. People do get confused, hide their emotions and do all the wrong things. Often, parents have unresolved issues that are hidden even to themselves. These issues often effect how they handle situations such as these.

Yes, you do have to read a lot into this movie. But a movie that spells it all out for you is a documentary, not a drama. Thought provoking films have much hidden depth, as this one did. A valiant effort for a TV movie I should think.

Oh, one more thing I'd like to offer my viewpoint on. I didn't think she looked orgasmic after her cutting. I thought she looked numb, like her pain was quiet. I have to agree with whomever called it an addiction. One can have many ways of masquerading control over life. This is just one on a list of thousands.