Parents' Guide to

Touched with Fire

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Well-acted but heavy and confused bipolar-disorder drama.

Movie R 2016 110 minutes
Touched with Fire Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

Published poet Carla (Katie Holmes) finds it difficult to cope with her wild mood swings, so she goes to the psychiatric hospital to read a report on her condition and winds up checking herself in. Meanwhile, performance artist Marco (Luke Kirby) also lands in the hospital after a manic episode concerning his father (Griffin Dunne). The pair connect instantly and bring each other to new manic highs, but they're eventually separated and crash into depression. After checking out, they want to see each other again -- over the protests of Carla's mother (Christine Lahti). Things change when Carla becomes pregnant and the young couple agrees to moderate their moods with medication. But Marco's belief in the artistic purity of his condition makes him unpredictable.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1):

This drama attempts to open an earnest discussion of bipolar disorder, and it can be informative, but its message is muddled and indecisive. Plus, everything hinges on a deeply unsympathetic character (Marco). The movie draws inspiration from Kay Redfield Jamison's nonfiction book, which argues that the greatest artists were bipolar and that their manic highs caused extraordinary creativity. Writer/director Paul Dalio seems in awe of this idea (the closing credits pay tribute to several artists), but at the same time, he seems to feel that he must show the disorder's downside, too -- the crippling depression -- and to insert a message about taking medication.

Dalio has a wonderful eye for intuitive, emotional compositions, and the lovely, tinkly music score helps. The actors are terrific: Holmes anchors the movie with her sympathetic character, but Marco projects anger and hatred at anyone who doesn't see eye-to-eye with him, which eventually wears thin.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Touched with Fire's intense scenes. How did they make you feel? How does the filmmaker achieve this effect? Do you consider these moments violent? Why, or why not? How do they compare with other forms of media violence?

  • Why do you think the characters drink in this movie? Are they enjoying it? Numbing themselves? Does it look appealing? How does the way alcohol is depicted compare to the way the movie depicts the use of prescription medication?

  • What is bipolar disorder? Do you know anyone who has this? If so, how accurate do you think the film's portrayal is?

  • Do you think there's a right answer to the question the movie addresses about whether it's better to take medication prescribed for bipoloar disorder or to ride out the highs and lows?

Movie Details

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