Post created by Reagan and Elizabeth
The movie “Everything, Everything” follows an eighteen year old girl named Maddy who suffers from SCID. SCID is also known as Severe Combined Immune Deficiency. For those of you who don’t know, SCID is caused by a genetic mutation that affects the function of T cells. Why are T cells important? Well, T cells have a major role in protecting the body from pathogens and cancer cells. T cells originate in the bone marrow and mature in the thymus. In cases where the function of T cells are affected, the human body can’t produce the proper immune response to pathogens. In other words, SCID is the difference between suffering a common cold and a life threatening cough.
The movie opens with Maddy in her favorite room looking outside. The first flag in this movie is shown in one of Maddy’s opening lines. “if I went outside, I’d die”.
Now, this statement isn’t entirely untrue for an individual that suffers from SCID. However, it portrays an inaccurate representation of the immune deficiency itself. Without treatment, most babies don’t live past 1-2 years old. The key to this however is “without treatment”. There IS a treatment plan for individuals who suffer from SCID and it doesn’t involve living in a bubble. Treatment before 3 ½ months with an early bone marrow transplant, follow up appointments and treating any infections leads to individuals having a 91% survival rate. Even after the 3 ½ month window, individuals who receive treatment still have a 76% survival rate. (primaryimmune.org). Since it is a Hollywood movie, slight exaggeration can be expected for theatrical purposes. Assuming Maddy never had a bone marrow transplant, her initial statement could prove to be more true than false.
The details executed throughout this movie deserve props however. The producers made sure to thoroughly explain how it is Maddy has managed to live this long, focusing attention on irradiators to sterilize her clothing and including the “airlock” in the introduction. The airlock is described as a sealed room that surrounds the front door. Anyone who enters the house has to go through this room first, killing any germs or bacteria found on said individual. Another barely noticeable plot hole is the irradiators for Maddy’s clothing. If Maddy’s clothes have to be sterilized, why not just walk through the airlock? Yet another, gross exaggeration only found in movies. Not only is Maddy’s house built to the nines to accommodate her deficiency, Maddy’s mom is also a doctor. Either this coincidence is too good to be true or it’s a scripted movie.
For seventeen years, Maddy has been confined to the inside of her house. Never being allowed to go outside or interact with people outside either. Maddy dreams about being able to live an ordinary life. She often relates herself to an astronaut (due to bulky suit and loneliness). Soon, a boy around the same age named Olly is introduced. Pretty early on, the two start texting, emailing and interacting with only glass walls to separate. Maddy’s mom refuses to let Maddy and Olly interact. Maddy’s mom’s stubborn resistance to let the pair interact definitely caused some eyebrows to raise. What could possibly be the harm in a casual hangout if Olly goes through the airlock? Either another plot hole is on the horizon or Maddy’s mom simply wants to maintain control.
Eventually, Maddy and Olly get their hangout session. Carla, a family friend and woman who cleans the house lets Olly come inside to visit. The visit only solidifies Maddy’s feelings for Olly. As the two continue to hangout, the feelings continue to develop. The earliest sign that something is awry is when Maddy and Olly kiss for the first time. If Maddy truly suffered from SCID, the germs in Olly’s mouth would infect Maddy. As I mentioned earlier, the average person’s immune system could probably fight off the pathogens and bacteria found in another person’s mouth. In Maddy’s case, her immune system doesn’t have enough T cells, if any at all (the movie doesn’t specify). If Maddy really had SCID, a sickness or infection wouldn’t be far off after a kiss. This is a good indicator that something is off.
The movie shows some home problems for Olly, suggesting a negligent if not abusive father. This marks the introduction of the film’s peak. Through time spent together, notes passed in secret, and kisses exchanged, Maddy and Olly fall in love. It reaches the point where Maddy decides to leave, justifying it by saying she’s not resigning herself to death, but if she doesn’t leave, she will never experience how to live. Fair point, a decision that had to have been influenced by Maddy’s love for Olly. The anticlimactic experience into the outside world was as surprising for Maddy as it was for me. After ten minutes of convincing, Olly and Maddy embark on a trip to Hawaii. Here, another sign points viewers to an obvious clue as to what Maddie is really suffering from (overprotective mother disorder).
Several days pass as the two enjoy the island and each other. By now it should be very apparent Maddy doesn’t have SCID. The chances of Maddy not coming into contact with a virus or bacteria on her trip are practically nonexistent when you take into account the plane ride and the interaction with others. The plot thickens when Maddy starts to have a fever and faint. Maddy is rushed to the hospital from where her mom picks her up and takes her home. Upon returning home, Maddy receives a follow up call from the doctor who treated her. To Maddy’s surprise, she doesn’t have SCID. Her symptoms were caused from a viral infection or myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle). All of this leads to a big blowout fight between Maddy and her mom where Maddy’s mom admits Maddy doesn’t have SCID.
Although the movie ends with Maddy being with Olly and Maddy’s relationship with her mom healed, there’s a bigger picture. Overall the movie is entertaining and easy to follow but when watching it, keep in mind the movie does very little to accurately show what SCID really is. SCID impacts real people and takes real lives. “Everything, Everything” is only fake. In conclusion, I would say this is a great movie to watch for personal enjoyment. However it is not a realistic depiction of Severe Combined Immune Deficiency.
Thanks for reading!
Works Cited Page
Everything, everything (Unabridged.). New York: Listening Library. Yoon, Nicola., Robbie Daymond, Bahni Turpin, and OverDrive Inc. ... New York: Listening Library, 2015.
Questions about Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease. Primaryimmune.org. https://primaryimmune.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/questions-about-SCID.pdf