After Jimmy (1996 TV Movie) User Reviews

Brillantly acted though depressing TV-Movie

[liammurphy1 · 7/10 · 31 October 2003]

The film tells the story of a deeply troubled Teen Jimmy who is emotionally and mentally unstable, so much so that he Kills himself with a gun to the head while his family is in Church. the acting by Meredith Baxter and Bruce Davison is wonderful you really feel for them as well as the two younger children. JimmY's family were not aware of his problems which made it even worse for them when he died. The film portrays from the 'survivors' point of view who have to go on living without a precious loved one - The mother (Baxter) deals with her grief by bottling it up inside eventually alienating herself from her husband and younger children, The parents marrage suffers and so do the children as a result.

I believe this movie was shown in American High Schools to show the effects of suicide on the rest of the family

It's not laugh a minute as you can probably tell, but it is a wonderfully acted but sad tale of a family tearing itself apart following the death of a Teenage son.

7/10 (better than average TV Movie)

family mourn the death of their sons suicide

[whos_thedaddy · 6/10 · 21 January 2005]

This is a very hard hitting film, and as a result contains very little in terms of joy and happiness. The majority of the film is extremely depressing and it seems that the director/writer has tried their best to upset the audience and provoke emotion right from the start.

Due to the title of the film, as well as the small summary I read in the newspaper, its quite upsetting from the start, as you know whats coming next. For the first 5-10 minutes your just waiting for Jimmy to kill himself, its obvious he has some psychological problems and possibly suffering from depression, but it seems such a drastic way of dealing with it.

However, depression is such a powerful mind state that I can understand how much it can overwhelm someone so much to cause them to do such a thing. But I think it highlights the fact that even someone that seemingly has everything going for them can get become severely depressed, despite what other people see.

But more significantly I think it highlight's the way teenagers are, such as the feeling of life bearing down on you, as well as the difficulty of making life decisions, which can be very daunting, and that growing up at this age isn't as much fun as you might think. Parents, for example, find difficult to take in, as to them , you are young and have yourwhole life ahead of you because their life has become so straightforward. But for younger people things aren't always so simple.

The film is quite hard to watch, but it does make you aware of how different people come to terms with death, and especially in the extreme case of this film. Its very well acted and draws you in due to its shocking circumstances, but you might find yourself switching it off, as I almost did, because I couldn't bear to see any more sadness. Like I said, there isn't much joy in this film, but definitely worth a watch.

A very sad story about teen suicide

[mandyhorn26 · 7/10 · 27 June 2002]

I came across this movie on the lifetime network. I found the performance of Meredith Baxter as the mother dealing with her son's suicide very compelling. This movie showed what suicide does to a family...and the steps you have to take to rebuild your family when it has been so horribly torn apart.

I think overall this was a very good movie and would recommend this tv movie.

a very good tv movie that deals with the issues of suicide

[Sunshine14clr · 20 October 2002]

this movie is about the all american family with the perfect kids.jimmy is the all round athletic boy who seems to be really troubled. his parents don't ever seem to notice. from the beginning of the movie, it was very clear that this kid had some serious emotional problems. for example, stopping his car in the woods and crying. that was just really sad. some kids believe suicide is the only way out of their problems. ITS NOT!! the movie deals with the ther trials and tribulations a family has to deal with when suicide happens. i reccomend this for teens (like myself)to watch because teens are very vulnerable to to the "good idea" of suicide. this movie will make someone who is thinking about it change their mind. just rememember if you change your mind after it is done, ther is no turning back. all in all ******** out of **********

It's not that people commit suicide because they want to die! They just want to stop hurting!

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 20 November 2008]

***SPOILERS*** Sad but touching made for TV movie involving teenage suicide and it's effects on the person's-who killed himself-family and friends.

As both his parents Maggie & Sam Stapp, Meredith Baxter & Bruce Davison, thought their 18 year-old son Jimmy, Peter Facinelli, had everything going for him in school where he's a straight A student and on his high school soccer team where he's the star player. Both of Jimmy's parents didn't quite notice the sever depression that Jimmy was going through until it was too late. That's when Jimmy took his dad's licensed .38 caliber handgun loaded it with ammunition, that he bought at the local sporting good store, and quietly blew his brains out, This while his parents as well as little sister Rosie, Mea Withman, and brother Billy, Ryan Slater, were attending Sunday Church services!

In trying to cope with his great loss Jimmy's father Sam Stapp just went into a shell in him not as much as going outside to buy the groceries or newspaper. That had Jimmy's mother Maggie become not only the breadwinner for the Stapp family but psychiatrist, in looking after her almost helpless husband Sam, as well. It was Maggie's reluctance to face the truth about her dead son Jimmy in that he in fact killed himself not that he died due to an accidentally shooting, as Maggie always insisted, kept both her and Sam, as well as little Rosie and Billy, from excepting the reality of Jimmy's emotional problems that lead to his suicide.

The truth about what made Jimmy kill himself came out in Maggie trying to blame the very people, at school, who tried to help Jimmy while he was still alive: His teacher Susan Johnson, Tina Lifford and school principle Mr. Davies, Raye Birk, as well as his school appointed psychiatrist Dr. Walters, Zeljko Ivanek. It turned out that Jimmy was just giving up on his schoolwork and his training for the school soccer team and going into a deep depression. It's never explained in the film what made Jimmy act this way only that he seemed to have suffered from burn out in trying to please his parents and make them proud of him. Even the letters that his teacher and principle sent to his parents were intercepted by Jimmy who forged his mom's signature making it look like she, and Sam, got word about her very troubled son.

It took a lot for Maggie to accept her son's Jimmy's suicide which almost wrecked her family with Sam and the kids, Rosie & Billy, at one point in the movie leaving Maggie in order to get away from her constant quarrels with them over Jimmy. With Sam's insistence Maggie was finally persuaded, after at first refusing, to get help by attending a support group of persons who lost a loved one because of them killing themselves that had her overcome Jimmy's tragic death.

The death of someone close to you is tragic enough but when that person took his, or her, own life makes it that much worse. Maggie in her effort to convince herself that her son's death was somehow an accident didn't help her in the fact, suicide or not, that he was no longer with her. It also made her husband Sam an emotional cripple in, by her constantly hinting at it, that it was his gun that caused Jimmy's, either suicide or accidental shooting, death. It was with the help of Sam and the people in the support group that Maggie finally accepted Jimmy's killing himself and thus was able to put it behind her and go out and face what the future held for her.

'After Jimmy".. the family was left

[Joyceva-1 · 7/10 · 23 June 2009]

As a mother, grandmother, I sat enthralled, crying, cringing in my heart knowing Jimmy was going to kill himself. I grieved with Maggie, my God, Merdith did an outstanding performance. What bothered me most was Maggie kept the funeral private. Along that, she never nor did her husband seek any spiritual help from her pastor. Where were the families of that church? Yes, I got the gist of Maggie keeping it all within the family, denial, the seeking.... but here it showed a family who loved, who went to worship, yet the family in their grief never turned to God, or the church. Depression, mental illness lurks in every family, no matter the level, no matter the status quo. I may get a lot of flack for what I am about to say, but suicide is turning our backs on God. "The world" has it all packaged up in words that are easier to swallow. The raw truth is "doing oneself in" is the most selfish thing anyone can do to those who love that person. the misunderstanding of Jimmy, the fears, the torments which were really never spelled out seem to overtake that person's soul.

Sad little drama plays fair with audience expectations

[Libretio · 5/10 · 25 January 2005]

AFTER JIMMY

Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

Sound format: Mono

A middle-class family is devastated when the eldest son (Peter Facinelli) commits suicide for no apparent reason.

Sad little TV drama, an acting showcase for Meredith Baxter as the hard-working mom whose life is turned upside down by her son's unexpected death. Struggling to keep her family together in the midst of tragedy (husband Bruce Davison is a basket case, and the remaining children - Ryan Slater and Mae Whitman - are too young to grasp the enormity of the situation), she fails to grieve properly, leading to all manner of emotional complications. Director Glenn Jordan - an old hand at this sort of thing - makes the most of Judith Fein's routine script (co-written with Cynthia Saunders), which provides no conclusive explanation for the inexplicable sadness that drives Facinelli to desperate measures; the suicide sequence itself is a heartbreaker. See also Piers Haggard's SURVIVING (1985), which explores similar territory with greater dramatic success.

One of the better movies on the subject.

[aqx99 · 10/10 · 7 April 2001]

This movie is one of many that have been made on the subject of suicide as seen from the survivors' point of view. I think that this one portrays it more realistically than a lot of the other ones. We see the family fighting about what they could have done and who's to blame. It is not another one of those movies where the family just suddenly becomes closer to each other, no matter what was going on before. I think that Meredith Baxter did an excellent job portraying the distraught mother. The rest of the cast was as well.

A trite, depressing, by-the-numbers depiction of teen suicide with no ray of hope to justify its existence

[pyx · 2/10 · 20 January 2005]

There are films that thoughtfully examine issues and there are films that exploit the emotive nature of those issues. This falls into the latter category.

Teen suicide is an agonising reality and last year over 10,000 Americans under the age of 18 killed themselves. Any film that takes on that issue has an easy job to tug on the heart-strings - show a shocking discovery scene, grieving parents, confused siblings, play sad music, do a tearful grave scene, and even the hardest viewer has a lump in his throat.

But this superficial treatment neither attempted to examine causes for the boy's sense of isolation, nor did it offer any hope for parents who may fear that their children's' mental state may be deteriorating. It didn't even offer any mental health or helpline links at the end.

It was a completely sensationalistic attempt to manipulate the viewer's emotions without providing any insight or sense of hope.

It was a depressing, infuriating piece of rubbish, and it was beneath actors of this quality to appear in it.

If there was one small saving grace, it was the accurate depiction of the way that the mental state of the victim actually improved in the 24 hours after making the decision to kill himself, and before he did it. Parents, beware. Smiles don't mean happy. Honest, unjudgemental communication is the key to helping your families!

Well acted movie on a serious subject

[lyndaful · 10/10 · 27 June 1999]

After Jimmy was a movie that all parents should watch. There are so many teenage suicides, and this movie shows a family who didn't have a clue as to WHY Jimmy decided to end his life. It shows the aftermath of a family, and how each family member is affected. Meredith Baxter and Bruce Davison were superb as the parents. The children were also excellent in their parts. A movie worth watching, and a movie about a subject parents should definitely be aware of.

One of the worst films I've seen

[Judy-17 · 1/10 · 18 November 1998]

My health class is currently watching the film and even though we haven't watched the whole thing yet, I suspect that there isn't a whole lot more. Personally I hated the film. It's not that I'm uncomfortable with the topic that's being portrayed. It's the entire portrayal. The script sucks. The acting sucks(Especially whoever was cast as Maggie.). Just about everything sucks except for that psychiatrist guy only on the basis that I found him pretty cute. It all just seems to much like an after school special which it probably is. I guess another reason might be is that I don't like Aaron Spelling's work. I think that most people that aren't ditzy teenage girls(I'm fifteen, but I definitely don't fall into the category that likes all that trash would probably hate this movie just as much also. It's too bad that almost all of my peers actually do.) or have even the slightest sense of good taste. All of that is the reason why I gave this movie a rating of 1. I would've given it a slightly higher score(2 or 3) since I guess it's not the worst movie that has ever existed, but the power trip I'm getting from knowing that there has only been seven other votes, and no one else is probably going to rate this movie, allowing my rating to be able to do some serious damage, was overwhelming me.

If anyone ever reads this comment(which I seriously doubt), I'd like to hear any replies, Judy Nguyen

do people read these?

[littopic · 8 April 2001]

Well, I must say that this movie made me realize that going to church (for me) will never be quite the same... Ahem. OK, so ORDINARILY, I wouldn't be moved by Peter Facinelli due to his role in CANT.. however, I cried like a freaking baby during this movie. The two scenes that did it for me, was when he ditched school to cry in the woods, and when his family was singing HOW GREAT THOU ART as he shot himself. He actually depicted a nice guy I could feel sorry for. Call me a sap for a cliche lifetime movie. It's 24 hours later, and I'm still sad. I want to know why he did it, if it was only school/friend stuff that depressed him. SOmeone tell me. love to jimmy.

A Terrible Study Of An Important Issue

[Theo Robertson · 2/10 · 23 January 2005]

As far as serious issues go they don't come much more serious than a suicide in the family . Teenager Jimmy Stapp takes his father's gun and blows his brains out so you've got the bones of what could have been a very heart wrenching story . It's a TVM of course but that's not enough to condemn it - What condemns it is the way everything plays out on screen

First of all is the script . It's difficult to take the Stapp family seriously when the mother Maggie Stapp knocks on her son's Jimmy door to tell him he has clean socks in the laundry basket . Is America a five star hotel or something where truculent teenagers are waited on hand and foot ? This apple pie portrayal of suburban America is something that destroys the credibility of the story , it's so over powering it soon becomes ridiculous . I guess that the script is pointing out you don't need violent friction at home in order for a teenager to top them self but this point becomes somewhat muddled as we never discover the reason's for Jimmy's death . There's also a scene where Maggie is in church which is intercut with Jimmy sticking a gun to his head , I can't help thinking that this to emphasize that Maggie and her family are respected popular members of the community then when the funeral takes place it's only attended by the Stapp family . One can't help think that because Christians are against suicide the church going community have self righteously boycotted the funeral , but this potentially dramatic point isn't really brought up again and perhaps budget rather than subtext stopped more people attending the funeral

I'm afraid I have to criticise some very poor performances here . Meredith Baxter seems to have appeared in nothing but TVMs over a long career so I guess she's unable to play anything over than a sugary sweet mom in an over sentimental drama . Bruce Davison has no such excuse since he's appeared in hard hitting cinema releases like ULZANA'S RAID and still appears in blockbusters like THE X-MEN movies , he's capable of giving a convincing performance not something I can say he gives here . I couldn't help noticing that Peter Facinelli looks exactly like Eric Bana but that's were the similarities end since Bana will be a global superstar . The problem with the cast is that they're unable to show gut wrenching grief that will have the audience weeping along with them . Jimmy lies in a lonely woods and is supposed to be crying I think but watching him on screen I though he was having an asthma attack ( Perhaps the script should have ignored scenes of his depression with the audience seeing the story through the parents eyes ) and we have several occasions where Mr and Mrs Stapp break down , though the acting is so bad I thought their characters were sneezing !

I could have written a very cynical review of this TVM along with much sarcasm and bad taste , and to be honest this made for television movie deserved it . Pyx summed up with what's wrong with this movie and I got fed up long ago with American TV networks ruining subjects of discussion ( Anyone seen THE DAY AFTER ) by making potentially intelligent and hard hitting TVMs that end up drowning their audience in sentimentality

Important story....well-acted...

[MarieGabrielle · 9/10 · 1 June 2009]

Bruce Davison is always good in his many diverse roles, but I was also surprised by the performance of Peter Facinelli, who is very believable and effective as Jimmy Stapp, a teen who feels he is disappointing his parents, sloughing off in his senior year off schoolwork, and suffering from private torments and depression.

Meredith Baxter is very good as the mother, at first in denial....she yells at her husband ..."why would Jiimmy want to die....he's OUR child"... . The scene is very moving, as then she gradually learns of problems he was having, which she had been previously unaware of.

The point is, not who is to blame, but how to help. People feel they have nowhere to turn, isolate, and feel helpless. This is something not to be ashamed of,but to be addressed, and which everyone (parents, friends, teachers) should be more pro-active in recognizing.

How sad it is to know that suicide in America is still viewed as a stigma, and with aversion. Teens have many emotional issues and changes they are dealing with, if they need counseling it may very well save their lives. Highly recommended. 9/10.

It was a great film

[additive · 10 March 2001]

I saw this film in health class. And I have to disagree with the previous comment. I'm not some ditzy teenager. I happen to be one of the best students in my school for the past 2 years I've got nothing but A's. I thought that the movie portrayed the life and death of a depressed teen very well. They also showed how it affects the people around the person. Many times with problems like these that our society faces, not everything is put out there and students as well as adults don't see the big picture. I think more movies like this could help us.

Very realistic and heartfelt portrayal

[Lotus-5 · 5 August 2001]

I don't have any qualms either with admitting that I cried like a baby during this film. Everything about it was so "real" that it seemed like the family had actually lost their son to that suicide. The part of the denying mother Maggie, and the family's suffering and healing was very genuine also. This was an excellent film on the subject. I've seen the '80s film "Silence of the Heart" about a teenaged boy's suicide, but it doesn't compare with this one. I liked it very much, but I don't think my eyes could handle a second viewing.

A must-see

[raisleygordon · 6 April 2011]

"After Jimmy" tells the story about a couple who have trouble coming to terms with their son's death, least of all Maggie Stapp (played by Family Ties' Baxter). Like most (or maybe even all) TV-movies, it has its predictable moments. Like the death itself, Mom won't accept the fact that it was a suicide. And she cries a lot. Fortunately, the crying (and the movie itself) is never sentimental. This is what a movie about grief/loss should be. It's very effective and entertaining. If you look carefully, the little girl is played by Mae Whitman (Parenthood), in case you're wondering.

Grade: B