I Swear (15)

Biographical drama about John Davidson, who is diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at an early age and struggles to cope with the condition at a time when few people understood his behaviour. Feeling alienated from his own family, John finds sanctuary with good friend James and his parents. James's mother Dottie encourages John to begin work as a caretaker at Langlee Community Centre under kindly supervisor Tommy Trotter, who grows accustomed to the tics and explosive expletives.

LondonNet Film Review

I Swear (15) Film Review from LondonNet

In 2019, Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson travelled to Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh to accept an MBE from the late Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his tireless efforts to raise awareness and deepen understanding of the neurological condition. During the ceremony, he famously blurted out “F*** the Queen” in front of other worthy recipients of the New Year Honours list. That colourful episode is recreated with a flourish as the delightfully potty-mouthed opening scene of writer-director Kirk Jones’ heartwarming biopic, which is the dictionary definition of a crowd-pleasing underdog story…

As a teenager, Davidson featured in an episode of the BBC documentary series Q.E.D. titled John’s Not Mad, which dispelled myths about Tourette’s by allowing cameras to follow the 16-year-old and his family through daily life in Galashiels. I Swear lands with similar emotional force, anchored by compelling performances from Scott Ellis Watson and Robert Aramayo as adolescent and adult incarnations of John over more than 35 years of bullying and alienation. Jones’ script laces the soul-searching with wry humour and an unabashed affection for its unlikely hero, who is misunderstood by his parents and finds unconditional love and support with a chosen family that accepts and cherishes him, just as he is.

In the early 1980s, John (Watson) is a popular kid at school with a bright academic future and the same footballing dreams as his proud father (Steven Cree). His body begins to experience occasional jerks and spasms and he becomes prone to uncontrollable verbal outbursts that incur the wrath of the headmaster and his embarrassed mother Heather (Shirley Henderson). As symptoms become more acute, John is an easy target for cruel classmates. When his father leaves home, Heather blames her son for the breakdown of the marriage.

Alienated from his peers, John (now played by Aramayo) finds a passionate advocate in Dottie Achenbach (Maxine Peake), mother of classmate and friend James (Chris Dixon). She invites John to stay and lavishes him with the affection he needs to flourish. Dottie encourages John to begin work as a caretaker at Langlee Community Centre under kindly supervisor Tommy Trotter (Peter Mullan), who grows accustomed to the tics and explosive expletives. John is empowered to share his experiences with local police and businesses to draw attention to Tourette’s and his passionate activism inspires a new generation to view the condition through caring eyes.

I Swear does not sugarcoat John’s experiences (a suicide attempt is tastefully depicted on screen) but a river of hopefulness runs through Jones’ deeply moving and inspirational picture. Peake’s maternal warmth is a pleasing contrast to Henderson’s icy intolerance in difficult circumstances. Aramayo and newcomer Watson both melt hearts, deftly navigating the physical and emotional demands of a role that politely requests compassion but never pleads for pity.

– Jo Planter