Gren Wells succeeds in her directorial debut The Road Within not just because of her amazing script but because she put her heart into the film. When she introduced the film at the LA Film Festival, she showed everyone just that. 

First, she asked if anyone in the audience ever swore. The audience roared. Then she asked if anyone swore every day. The cheers continued but to a slightly lesser degree. Then she asked what it would be like if you had bursts of swearing at inappropriate times that you could not control. This grounded the audience to the realities of what they were about to see.

The Road Within is not only a film about a road trip, it is a journey through Tourette syndrome.

Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that affects as many as 3 in 1000 Americans according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Depending on the study, international estimates range between 0.4% and 3.8% of the population. The condition is characterized by tics — involuntary movements and vocalizations — that start to develop in childhood, often between 5 and 10 years old.

The variant of Tourette syndrome known as coprolalia, known for its profanity and obscenities, has garnered the most public attention though it represents less than 10% of all cases. Tics tend to decrease in severity during adulthood. While medications are often used in an attempt to help manage (not definitively stop) the tics, their effects are rarely long-lasting.

Thankfully, The Road Within did not rely on society’s preconceptions. The film reached out to the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) to learn more about the condition. Jaxon Kramer, Tourette syndrome speaker and advocate, met with director Gren Wells at Café Gratitude. Wells described their meeting to me as follows:

He (Jaxon) is amazing. I met him at a restaurant and he was so open and honest … He was ticking along with his face and some physical tics. At one point, I really looked in and said, “I am sorry that is so rude”. He said, “no, no, no, that’s why we’re here, for you to learn about this. The more you stare at me, the more the tics will come”. At one point he sat on his hands and I said “what is that for?” and he said so he doesn’t flip the table. Meanwhile, I am thinking, flip the table. I want to see what happens. It was fascinating to me.

Gren Wells, Director of THE ROAD WITHIN

Kramer corroborates the story when I interviewed him at a later date. “Anxiety is the number one offender.” The tics, always involuntary, may be more pronounced in stressful situations. Thankfully, Kramer describes The Road Within set as “close” and “intimate”. His relationship with Robbie Sheehan who plays Vincent in the film, began on Skype. They went on to become roommates in preparation for filming. “We shadowed each other’s daily lives. It was natural. Robbie is such a close friend of mine now.”

At the world premiere of The Road Within, Sheehan asked Kramer to stand in the audience. The honest depiction in the film could not have been possible without him. Kramer described watching the final film as “surreal” even though he “was more critical behind the scenes”.

For example, a scene that discussed coprolalia had been cut from the film despite his request it be included. Wells states it will be included in the DVD. Also, the doctor used language asking Vincent how he would best like to control his tics, an unrealistic expectation according to Kramer. “There is no control. At best, you can manage.” His favorite scene occurred “on the boulder, when he climbed up to the top looking out onto that expansive view and appreciating it. He ticked but was okay with it.”

That moment in the film says it all. Vincent accepts his situation and himself for who he is. Tourette syndrome, while debilitating at times, does not have to be the end-all-be-all for those who have the diagnosis. People with Tourette syndrome can lead very functional and productive lives. Kramer is the perfect example. His aim is to educate people about the condition. I only hope, as a physician, I can help to expand his reach to another audience.