CRITIQUE PAPER IN EAPP

GROUP #1

All the Bright Places

Formalist Criticism

Leader: Adrian Moreno

Member
Hanna B. Apondar
Charmaine Obregon
Charles Francis Zapanta
Introduction
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is a heartbreaking film about mental illness and its
powerful effects on the person suffering from it, and the people around them. Two teens facing
personal struggles form a powerful bond as they embark on a cathartic journey chronicling the
wonders of Indiana. This film is dedicated to those who have been impacted by mental health
concerns, suicide, or grief.

Summary or Overview of the Literary Works

All the Bright Places is a wonderfully well film that focuses on the importance of mental health.
All the Bright Places takes place in modern day Indiana and follows two teenagers named Violet
and Finch. Finch is a boy with a harsh past who struggles with mental illness, even though his
family and friends won’t admit it. He is known as a “freak” at school and gets bullied frequently.
Finch found Violet Markey standing on the ledge where her sister got into a car accident. The
reason Violet Markey is standing on the ledge is because of depression. Her sister passed away
in a car accident that led her into depression; she also has traumas like riding in a car. Theodore
Finch and Violet Markey are two teenagers who badly want to escape from their small Indiana
town of Bartlett. Violet is a popular girl who is secretly dealing with survivor's remorse and
Finch is a boy obsessed with death, labeled freak by his peers. Finch's suicide by drowning, and
Violet's struggle to rebuild her life after. Violet reported the project to the school by herself after
Finch committed suicide on the river that they used to go to. Don't commit suicide, even after all
the depression you've encountered all your life.

Evaluation of the Text/Critique Paper

The movie "All the Bright Places" is a wonderfully well-made film that focuses on the
importance of mental health. It's not just about being in a relationship; it also shows that empathy
is still alive because we don't know what other people have been going through. All the Bright
Places takes place in modern day Indiana and follows two teenagers named Violet and Finch.
Finch is a boy with a harsh past who struggles with mental illness, even though his family and
friends won’t admit it. He is known as a “freak” at school and gets bullied frequently. In the first
scene, Finch found Violet Markey standing on the ledge where her sister got into a car accident.
The reason Violet Markey is standing on the ledge is because of depression. Her sister passed
away in a car accident that led her into depression; she also has traumas like riding in a car.

The whole trip is meant to teach Violet the importance of the small, bright things in life and how
everything has meaning. Theodore tells her to document every experience in a journal along the
trip, in order for her to realize that it is important to want to continue living and not lose hope of
being happy again.
This movie is not typical like other romantic dramas. Don’t expect to see a happy ending where
two teens have their conflicts, but end up together and live happily ever after. That is not the case
in this movie.

Conclusion

They both have depression, Finch would write notes on sticky paper what was on his mind,
because he inherited dark moods from his father that's why he was bullied and called a “freak” at
school, While Violet had depression due to her sister's car accident. Finch helped Violet with her
depression and trauma like riding in a car, while Finch didn't want anyone to help him, He
preferred to be alone in her room and write whatever was on her mind,

The day came when violet got better from her depression and trauma while finch's mental
problems got worse, Violet wanted to help him as he continued to do with her but Finch didn't
want to and he even sent her out of the room until he killed himself in the river where he and
Violet came from.
 ELEMENTS OF THE STORY

CHARACTERS:
 Theodore Finch (“Finch”)
A senior at Bartlett High School in Indiana and one of the book’s two protagonists.
 Violet Markey
A senior at Bartlett and the book’s other protagonist. Violet runs in different
 Ryan Cross
A stereotypically handsome, athletic, and popular boy who was Violet’s boyfriend before
Eleanor’s accident.
 Amanda Monk
Roamer’s girlfriend.
 Charlie Donahue
One of Finch’s best friends.
 Brenda Shank-Kravitz
Finch’s other best friend.
 Gabe Romero (“Roamer”)
Finch’s former friend from middle school and now his nemesis.
 Mr. Embry (“Embryo”)
Finch’s guidance counselor.
 Mrs. Marion Kresney
Violet’s guidance counselor.
 Ted Finch
Finch’s father and a former professional hockey player.
 Finch’s Mother
Finch, Kate, and Decca’s mother.
 Kate Finch
Finch’s older sister
  Decca Finch
The youngest Finch sister
 James Markey
Violet’s father, seldom referred to by name.
 Mrs. Markey
Violet’s unnamed mother.
 Mr. Black
The U.S. geography teacher who assigns his students the Wander Indiana project.
 Mrs. Mahone
Violet’s Russian Literature teacher, who allows her to opt out of assignments.

SETTING:
All the Bright Places takes place in modern day Indiana and follows two teenagers named Violet
and Finch.

CONFLICT:
The internal conflict occurs between Theodore Finch and himself and Violet Markey and
herself. The external conflict occurs Theodore Finch and other people, such as Violet
Markey, his mother, his father, Roamer, the teacher, friends, and his enemies.

DIALOGUE:
“The thing I realize is, that it's not what you take, it's what you leave.”

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”

“The great thing about this life of ours is that you can be someone different to everybody.”

“The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count.”
THEME:
The main themes are suicide, death, grief and the mood varies throughout the Film.

PLOT:
Theodore Finch and Violet Markey are two teenagers who badly want to escape from their
small Indiana town of Bartlett. Violet is a popular girl who is secretly dealing with survivor's
remorse, and Finch is a boy obsessed with death, labeled a freak by his peers.

CLIMAX:
The climax starts with a bottle of sleeping pills, one night, as Finch is in a terrible, desperate
state of mind, he takes too many, realizing what he has done, he literally runs to an
emergency room. After he is alright, he goes to a support group for suicidal teenagers called
'life is life'.