An Alternative to Slitting Your Wrist

Make a stranger happy. Ride in a hot air balloon. Go squirrel fishing. Get shot with a tazer. Make someone's wish come true. From the simple to the spectacular, from the awesome to the absurd, these are just a few of the 52 things native Clevelander Owen Lowery plans to do in the next year. He compiled the list in the psychiatric ward of a hospital, shortly after attempting suicide. Regretting a youth plagued by the unending need to please others, he aims to please himself by accomplishing each of these 52 acts. In AN ALTERNATIVE TO SLITTING YOUR WRIST, Lowery documents his efforts to prove why life is worth living. Interspersed between Lowery's personal achievements and haunting reflections, family, friends, and professionals discuss the complexities of depression, alcoholism, and the so-called “quarter-life crisis.” Ultimately, in this honest, humorous, and touching film, Lowery offers 52 symbols of hope. What have you always wanted to do? – E.J.B.