WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF

UK/Denmark, 2002, 111 minutes. Colour.
Jamie Sives, Adrian Rawlins, Shirley Henderson, Lisa Mc Kinlay, Mads Mickelson, Julia Davis, Susan Vidler.
Directed by Lone Scherfig.

This is low-key film-making. Danish director, Lone Scherfig, had a hit with her Dogme comedy, Italian for Beginners, and won many festival awards (including the Berlin Ecumenical award). That was an entertaining bittersweet comedy of a fascinating group of people and their relationships. Wilbur is more modest in scope, is bittersweet and quite restrained in its presentation of its relationships.

Filming in English in Glasgow locations and Copenhagen sets, Lone Schefring focuses on four principal characters. There is Wilbur himself, a depressive who makes several suicide attempts and who contemplates death all the time. His brother Harbour is a nice man, devoted to Wilbur, caring for him and the bookshop left to them by their recently deceased father. He meets a single mother with a young daughter and soon marries her. The rest of the plot complications are best left to be seen on screen. However, it is no secret that they are about love and death, but with some surprises.

Jamie Sives makes a brooding but sympathetic Wilbur and Adrian Rawlins is even more sympathetic as Harbour. It is a strange but nice brotherly relationship. Shirley Henderson is Alice, the single mother, whose life is brightened by her marriage to Harbour. Not a lot happens in terms of plot, but the characters are interesting and there is a lot of feeling in the performances and the direction.

1. A Scots story? Danish director? Universal themes: life, goals in life, relationships, illness, death?

2. The city of Glasgow, the city itself, the shop, hospital, homes? The musical score?

3. The title and tone, expectations?

4. Suicide and depression? Wilbur’s attempts at suicide, gas, hanging, drowning, slitting his wrists? His wanting to live or not? Wilbur and his rescuing the drowning person? Meeting Alice, Mary? Always phoning for Harber? Harber’s response? The memories of his mother and father?

5. Wilbur and children, at the museum, as a guide, in the church, discussions with the fellow guide, with the children? With Mary, reading her stories, talking with Mary?

6. Harber as a good man? The shop, the memory of his mother and her illness, death? Memories of his father, his father’s partiality for Wilbur, mistaking Harber for Wilbur? The father’s death? Going to the cemetery and the grave? Seeing Wilbur as special? Always caring for him? The phone calls and his hurrying to save Wilbur? The help? Wilbur and his staying at the shop? Caring for him? At the hospital, the nurses? Discussions with the doctor? Harber’s illness, the diagnosis, bringing the book to the doctor, not telling the family, the revelation at the meal, Alice and her anger, the hospital sequences, growing weaker, discussions with the doctor, coming home for Christmas, the joy, with Alice, getting her to promise to help Wilbur? His taking the pills, his death, the funeral?

7. Wilbur in the group, his antagonism, the suicide group, the discussions, the various members speaking, the members and their anger at Wilbur? The nurse, her flirting? The doctor, detached? Wilbur’s return to the group?

8. Alice, her character, visits to the bookshop, selling the books? The encounters with Harber, the attraction? Her work at the hospital, cleaning up the blood, late for work, her getting the sack? Her love for Mary, the bond with her daughter, going to the shop, her love for Harber, the wedding breakfast? The affirmation for her? Her saving Wilbur from hanging? The attraction to Wilbur, but her constant love for Harber? The shop, the need for money, Mary and her endowment, the partnership? Tidying the shop? The meal, hearing the truth of Harber’s illness, her anger with Harber, going to the hospital, her promise to care for Wilbur?

9. The nurse at the hospital, at the wedding breakfast, her work, Wilbur and the leaking of his ear? Her work for the doctor?

10. Moira, her constantly talking about her expertise, with the group, facilitating, her diet, her continual talk about food and medicine? Flirting with Wilbur? Her being upset at no prospects for marriage? The tension at the table, ordering the desserts, the revelation of Harber’s illness and the smouldering anger?

11. Wilbur, changing, interest in life, saving the drowner, working in the shop, love for Alice, care for Mary?

12. The three at the cemetery – walking towards their future?