Breathe (2017 film)

Breathe had its world premiere at the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2017, and was released in the United States by Bleecker Street on 13 October 2017 and in the United Kingdom by STXinternational on 27 October 2017. The film received mixed reviews from critics who praised Serkis's direction and Garfield and Foy's performances but felt that the film was glossed over with romance rather than focusing on Cavendish's disability and the lives of him and his family.

Plot[edit]

In 1958 in Kenya, Robin Cavendish falls ill from polio at age 28, not long after meeting and marrying his wife Diana. Paralysed from the neck down and unable to breathe without the assistance of a respirator, he is given only three months to live. He is repatriated to Britain. Initially he is depressed, refusing to see his wife or newborn son, Jonathan, and wishing to be removed from life support. However, Diana is persistent and slowly his spirits improve. When Diana realises she can provide for his daily care and suggests they move Robin and the respirator home, Robin brightens considerably. Over the strenuous objections of the hospital's administrator Dr. Entwistle (who tells Diana that he will die if without the ventilator for two minutes) and with the help of some of the other doctors and nurses, Robin is brought home and meets his son.


While Jonathan is playing with his dog, the dog knocks out the plug of the ventilator. Robin realises, but unable to move or speak, he cannot get Diana's attention, so instead makes clicking noises with his tongue. Eventually, Diana finds him unresponsive and plugs the ventilator back in.


Seeing his son push a pram gives Robin the idea for a mobile chair with a built-in respirator, so he enlists the help of his friend Teddy Hall to build one. Using the chair, and with the help of Diana and her two brothers, Robin is able to travel away from home for the first time, and with a specially constructed van, the family begins to venture out further, even flying the van on a cargo plane to Spain.


Teddy makes various improvements to his design over time and eventually Robin teams up with Dr Clement Aitken to produce more of the chairs. Robin returns to his original hospital with more of Teddy's chairs and the rest of the patients in the ward leave with him.


After observing a German hospital's prison-like confinement of their severely disabled patients, Robin then appears at a conference and appeals to doctors to treat their patients more humanely, drawing a standing ovation.


Years later, Robin begins to experience severe bleeding due to his extended time on the respirator and decides it is time to stop prolonging his life indefinitely. He discusses his decision with Dr. Aitken who advises that Diana and Jonathan cannot be involved. He holds a farewell party with his many friends. Sometime later, he instructs his family to leave and return to the house at precise times. Jonathan, now in his thirties, and Diana see Aitken driving away and return to the house. Fading, Robin expresses his love for both of them and dies, having transformed the lives of many others like him.^[3]

Release[edit]

In September 2016, Bleecker Street and Participant Media acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.^[13] In February 2017, STXinternational acquired British distribution rights to the film.^[14]


The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2017.^[15][16] It was also screened at the Opening Night Gala at the BFI London Film Festival.^[17] It was released in the United States on October 13, 2017,^[18] and the United Kingdom on October 27, 2017.^[19]