Phoebe in Wonderland

As I was walking down the aisle in the video store, the cover of a DVD caught my eye. It was the movie "Phoebe in Wonderland" and it had a picture of a huge sunflower and a girl peeking through the petals. I'm not sure why it caught my eye, but I picked it up and read the back cover. It didn't offer much clarity on what the movie was about, so I decided to leave it on the shelf. After perusing the plethora of movies, something brought me back to "Phoebe in Wonderland." Because I've learned to act on my intuition, I rented the movie and took it home.


Once home, I sat down with my husband to watch it. About fifteen minutes into the movie, my husband and I looked at each other in disbelief. It became very clear to us early on that this movie was about OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and Tourettes Syndrome. Both of us are intimately aware of these disorders because we have two children that have them. Normally, I don't share this with just anyone, because it involves my children and I prefer to keep it private. However, this movie touched me so much that I feel I need to share it because it may touch and help others going through the same thing.


Daniel Barnz is the writer and director of this brilliantly executed movie. It chronicles a young girl with OCD/Tourettes and her quiet, yet painful struggles, which are all too often misunderstood. The fluent depiction of the overwhelming affect that OCD/Tourettes has on Phoebe and her family is stunningly accurate.

What I loved the most about this movie is that while it shows Phoebe's battles, it also allows the viewer to recognize and value her unique talents. With the compassionate guidance of her Theater teacher, who has the ability to see and focus on Phoebe's gifts, Phoebe gains acceptance of herself and is allowed to shine.