From sexual abuse in religious organizations to workplace exploitations and violence at schools, Hollywood has faithfully highlighted the menace of institutionalized trauma through productions like Cruel Instruction. The 2022 television movie directed by Stanley M. Brooks is a passion project for most of the people involved. This has much to do with the several pertinent social issues the film addressed. Apart from its central theme of institutional trauma and abuse, the movie written by Adrienne Rush also explored subplots propped against matters ranging from learning disability to sexual identity, mental health, and suicide.
The Lifetime movie was released on March 12, 2022, to positive reviews, with an 83 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.4/10 IMDb rating. Cruel Instruction was nominated for five Leo Awards, of which it won three for Best Lead Performance, Best Supporting Performance, and Best Picture Editing in a Television Movie. It stars Zimbabwean-Canadian actress Kelcey Mawema alongside Morgan Taylor Campbell, Camryn Manheim, and Sydney Scotia.
What’s The Premise Of Cruel Instruction?
The television movie revolves around two young women enrolled in a residential treatment program where they were isolated from the rest of the world and subjected to untold trauma. It follows Kelcey Mawema’s Kayla Adams, a 16-year-old girl struggling to cope at school. Following her expulsion, the school’s counselor suggested a youth residential treatment center that offered all the help she needed to grow into a responsible adult. Karen Adams (Cynthia Bailey) obliged and had her daughter shipped off to the residential treatment program.
At the school, Kayla meets and befriends Amanda Scheff (Morgan Taylor Campbell), who’s aware of the inhumane treatment awaiting them at the Utah facility. Under the leadership of Camryn Manheim’s Miss Connie, the school’s staff subject the girls to sexual, psychological, and physical abuse of varying sorts. To survive the wicked ways of the facility, Kayla and Amanda cement their friendship with a quest to expose the abusers while looking out for each other. For their performance, they won the 2023 Leo Award for Best Lead Performance By a Female in a Television Movie and Best Supporting Performance By a Female in a Television Movie, respectively.
The Movie Is Based On A Real Life Story
Cruel Instruction is based on the real-life experience of two women, Courtney Konopasek and Ashley J DeBoer, at an American residential treatment center. Konopasek and DeBoer have been outspoken about the nightmarish realities imposed on them at the facility. The former was part of a 2020 demonstration that agitated for the closure of the residential program. And, weeks before the movie’s release, DeBoer recounted her brush with death at the treatment facility in a lengthy Instagram post.
“…I developed pneumonia to the point my oxygen levels had dropped dangerously low. …My lungs ended up collapsing, I ended up on life support and had to be revived. But I made it and I am alive because my mother fought for me. Some parents don’t,” she wrote. DeBoer confirmed that the movie was about her shared experience with Konopasek while nudging parents to take action against the darkness hidden behind the promises of a better child. “Courtney and I hope you all will take the time to watch this movie and help us end how the current teen treatment industry treats our children,” she implored.
Which School Is Cruel Instruction Based On?
The movie is based on Provo Canyon School (PCS) in North Central Utah, with campuses in Provo and Springville and programs for middle and high school students. PCS claims it provides “compassionate, skills-based care that is personalized to meet each student’s specific needs.” As culled from the school’s website, they offer “evidence-based treatment and services to children and adolescents who struggle from complex emotional and mental health conditions.” But almost for all of its history, PCS has been plagued with allegations of abuse.
American socialite Paris Hilton generated renewed public attention regarding the activities of the psychiatric youth facility in 2020. In her documentary This Is Paris, Hilton divulged that she still has nightmares about the treatment center for troubled teens. She was a student of the school in the late 90s and has been leading the campaign for the school to be shut down. In response to the concerns about its operations, PCS specified that ownership of the school has changed since Hilton’s time.
In a statement, the facility expressed concerns that the negative media coverage of the school would increase the stigma around seeking help for behavioral health problems. “We do not condone or promote any form of abuse. Any and all alleged/suspected abuse is reported immediately to our state regulatory authorities, law enforcement, and Child Protective Services, as required. We are committed to providing high-quality care to youth with special, and often complex, emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric needs.” stated the facility.
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