As I have gotten older, it is rare that a movie makes me cry more than a few tears. Just Say Goodbye had me bawling for the last half hour. What is it about this film that caused me to be overly emotional? The story, the writing with the proper amount of buildup and the acting that helps you get attached to the characters so quickly.
Just Say Goodbye is the story of Jesse Peterson (Max MacKenzie). He is a 17-year-old boy whose mother committed suicide when he was a kid, his dad (William Galatis) is an alcoholic who blames his son for his wife’s death, he is constantly being bullied at school and he only has one friend. Therefore, he has decided he is going to commit suicide after his 18th birthday.
He tells his only friend Sarah (Katerina Eichenberger) about his plans and now she has two weeks to convince him to live. At first, she does not believe that he will actually do it. However, the more she talks to him, the more she realizes he is going to do it. Especially after he shows her his gun and tells her why that is the method he chooses to use.
She will try to get the bully to lay off of him, but he refuses to do it. She will try to get him to call the suicide hotline, but he does not do it. She will go as far as trying to convince him to sleep with her. Just when she is at wit’s ends, something happens and he decides to call off his plans.
It seems like everything will be OK, and she leaves her friend to spend some time with her dad. Jesse is ready to celebrate his 18th birthday, but his dad does something that makes him want to end it all again.
When Sarah calls him and realizes he is going to go through with it in a few hours, she rushes home to stop him. She cannot do it by herself, so she calls his dad at the bar to save his son. If that is not enough help, she dials 9-1-1 for their help. Will it be enough?
This a raw look at how life can seem to be too much to handle and a person thinks that their only option is to kill themselves. If they share their decision with their loved ones, then it becomes a burden on them to make that person want to live. Imagine being a teenager with no life experience trying to convince someone to live. You do not really know what to do, who to turn to and where to go. It is as much their story as the person’s whose life they are trying to save.
Just Say Goodbye does not sugarcoat things. It shows you all the emotions that go on for everyone involved and that causes you to get emotionally involved with the characters. It also is a wakeup call this Mental Health Awareness month to look at the people around you and see if they need help. There are not always signs, but sometimes there are. If you think you know someone who is contemplating suicide, then call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Just Say Goodbye is written and produced by (Layla O’Shea) and directed by Matt Walting. I highly suggest that parents and teachers watch this film that is currently playing in theaters and available on home video to own.
