Synopsis
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15-year old Amy is an honors student, a high achiever and an innocent “girl scout,” but her parents are aggressively adversarial towards her: there are blowout fights and screaming arguments on an unpredictable schedule, and often threats to kick Amy out of the house, put her in foster care, or commit her to a mental institution. One day, Amy’s parents make good on that last threat, and convince Amy’s therapist to lock her up in a “tough love”-style adolescent psych residence for six months. Amy is devastated to be ambushed and locked away in a place she doesn’t belong. When she finally gets a weekend home pass, the kindness of her friends reassures her that she still has radiance and worth.
Themes/Keywords: 1980’s, adolescence, dysfunctional family, emotional abuse, honors student, institution, Jewish, Live, Madison, mental health, Milwaukee, overachiever, parental abuse, psych ward, suicidal ideation, suicide, teenagers, thespian, tough love, treatment center