The most controversial moment of this year's movie awards season may have done more to create awareness about Tourette syndrome than anything in recent memory.
Now the movie about the man behind that moment is opening in Bay Area theaters.
"I Swear" is the story of John Davidson, a Scottish activist who has Tourette's, a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes tics and can, in some cases, include uncontrolled outbursts of profanity, a condition known as coprolalia.
Celebrities who have the condition include singer Billie Eilish, actor Seth Rogen, soccer great David Beckham and San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman.
Davidson's tics were on full display during the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards in London in February. At one point he called host Alan Cumming a "pedophile." Then, when "Sinners" co-stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, who are both Black, came onstage to announce an award, Davidson uttered a racial epithet.
Soon after, Davidson removed himself from the audience. He later issued a statement of both explanation and apology.
More Information
"I Swear" (R) is in Bay Area theaters on Friday, April 24. For more information about Tourette syndrome, go to tourette.org.
"The irony is, one of the reasons why we made the film was that there would be a greater understanding of how complex the condition is - how tiring it is, how it's impossible for people who tic to have any control to stop themselves, how what they tic has nothing to do with what they feel or what they're thinking. Usually it's the complete opposite," director Kirk Jones told the Chronicle. "I know it's not unusual for a writer and director or an actor to say, ‘Please watch the film,' but we really are saying that on this occasion.
"You're not only going to come out having laughed a lot, cried a lot and feel inspired, but I think you will subtly have a level of education which will answer any question you could possibly have, not just about that night but about the condition in general."
"I Swear" is funny and touching, featuring an impressive performance by Robert Aramayo as Davidson, whose work led to him being appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.
Aramayo, who sat next to Jones during a video interview with the Chronicle, was the surprise winner of the BAFTA for best actor over Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Ethan Hawke and Jesse Plemons. An actor known for his roles in "Game of Thrones" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," he also won the rising star award.
"I honestly couldn't believe it," Aramayo said of his win. "But beyond the elation and joy, what I feel most proud of is the fact that I've got to be a part of this film that is really trying to say something. If it means more people watch the film, then I think we all feel that's the biggest accolade for the movie."
Caron Gaydon agrees. The San Ramon resident is an education liaison for the Tourette Association of America and was formerly a board member and chairperson for the Northern California and Hawaii chapter.
Gaydon, who has a son with Tourette's, is enthusiastic that there's a new movie that can help raise awareness of the condition, and she carefully followed the BAFTA controversy.
"I felt like there was more that they could have done to be preventive," Gaydon said of BAFTA leaders. "If someone with Tourette syndrome is put into a high-stress situation, they are much more likely to tic. It's a disability of disinhibition. So they're probably, ‘Oh, this is important. I'm going to be on television. I can't say this.' Then they say it. It's almost like the harder they try not to do it, the more they do it and so high stress situations put them at a higher risk.
"I think the important thing is when something like this happens, we have to use this as a moment to educate."
BAFTA did identify systemic failures and the need for improvement after an internal review following the broadcast. But Jones, whose films include the comedies "Waking Ned" (1998), "Nanny McPhee" (2005) and "My Big Fat Wedding 2" (2016), emphasized that potentially volatile situations can be funny as well as long as there is understanding.
For example, when Davidson was appointed as an MBE, he swore at the monarch.
"F- the Queen," he said, which Her Majesty took in stride.
It became a comic moment to open "I Swear."
"I decided to put it at the beginning of the film because I wanted people to know that you can laugh," Jones said. "When John introduced the film in the U.K. he starts by saying, ‘Please laugh. It's fine.' There are some very funny things that come about because of Tourette's, even as there are also some very upsetting and emotionally engaging things as well."
The key, Gaydon said, is empathy. She hopes Tourette's can become as recognized as autism, which has become a largely accepted condition.
"We need as a society to learn about Tourette syndrome," she said. "We need to create a friendly environment that helps to reduce those tics (and) doesn't keep that person from getting an education or their ability to have a job. That takes knowledge and acceptance."
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