ON THE LEVEL

ABOUT the film:  On the Level is an animated film about cute character trying to hang a picture on the wall in his house. All he wants is for the picture to hang straight. This short is not about OCD as a serious disorder, but it does show an experience that someone with "just right" OCD might have. Excessive dedication to getting it "just right" can cause someone to lose sight of "the bigger picture".

WATCH the film (2:25 min) on YouTube.

DISCUSS the film:  After you watch the film, return here to join in the discussion at the bottom of this page.

REVIEW by Julie:  I like this story because it helps us see what happens when we take our obsessions and compulsions to the farthest possible conclusions. Bean started with one picture that wasn't level and ended up with a house in the sky and an airplane flying into it. When doing Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) therapy we are asked to make "scene sequences" and take our obsessions to the farthest possible point and this is what Bean and his behaviors remind me of. It helps to give us a chuckle at how far our OCD can actually take us when we don't even mean for it to.

DISCUSS the film (in comments section below):

• What is the difference between perhaps a bit of unreasonable fussiness and Obsessive=Compulsive Disorder? Where do you draw the line -- exactly?
• If you have OCD, what are some tiny obsessive concerns you have experienced that OCD took hold of and spun completely out of control?
• OCD can be so time-consuming and so frustrating. Does this film capture it?
• How do we feel about making fun of someone with "just right" OCD?
• How can we get people to take OCD seriously? Can humor help or should we avoid it?