I Swear(2026)

Plot Summary

• The film begins in 2019, a 46-year-old Scottish Tourette's campaigner, John Davidson has been invited to an investiture Holyrood Palace in Scotland to receive an MBE (medal as a Member of the British Empire - an esteemed royal honour) from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Davidson, panics at the thought of receiving this in front of a large congregation and the Queen herself, fearing that his tics will surface prompting him to say "something he'll regret". His friend, Dottie Achenbach, reassures him that while yes, he will be in front of the Queen, she is a "woman of the world" and will understand. Dottie affirms that he deserves his award and reassures him that he has nothing to fear. Reluctant, John re-enters the room, physically ticcing as he walks toward his seat. When the room becomes quiet, John without warning yells "F--- the Queen!" as a result of his tics. He promptly apologises bashfully as he takes his seat.Cut to 1983, a twelve-year-old John lives in Galashiels (a small town on the Scottish Borders); he is about to start his first term at the local secondary school and with strong encouragement from his father David, he has aspirations to become a football player as John shows promise as a goalkeeper. Some time after hearing that a scout will assess his skills as a goalie, as well as him plucking up the courage to take a girl out to the local cinema, John begins experiencing episodes of mild tics, manifesting as twitches of the neck and head. His uncontrollable coprolalia surfaces for the first time when John and his school date (awkwardly chaperoned by her mother) are in the cinema together. John, when watching a suggestive advert, blurts out, "suck my c---!" Despite John's apologies and attempts to explain, both his date and her accompanying mother leave John alone and scared in their wave of horror, disgust and fury.Matters become worse when John's head teacher sits with him and his friends during their lunch break to ask how things are going now they've started term. John becomes nervous and his tics causes him to involuntarily spit his food out in the teacher's face. He responds by whipping John's hand with a belt - being a method of corporal punishment in the UK at the time. This injury and his tics result in his performing poorly at football, when the scout mentioned earlier arrives to watch John's performance in goal. His tics are noricable to the point where is asks if he is disabled - bringing embarrassment and disappointment of his father. Tensions in the Davudson family home become more strained and volatile - John is banished by his mother from the dining table and forced to sit and eat meals in front of the fireplace after spitting and swearing uncontrollably at the dinner table John's father becomes absent until the point where he and his siblings are told that their father has left the house for good. John asks her if it was because of him, to which John's mother flatly responds "it is what it is" Heartbroken and distraught, John attempts suicide by walking into a river. Fortunately, he is rescued and wakes up in hospital, where he is comforted by his mother and told to rest himself.In 1996, John now 25 years old, is still living with his mother and has been officially diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder that has no cure. John is medicated with a drug called haloperidol, which is meant to reduce the severity of his symptoms but his tics remain an embarrassment to himself and his mother, especially when out in public together. Murray Achenbach, a former friend of John's from school, runs into him and his mother in the local supermarket and greet each other warmly. Murray explains to John while on a walk that he has returned from work in Australia to be closer to his mother Dottie; as he has been told she has terminal liver cancer which has given her six months to live. John turns down Murray's invitation to join the family for dinner but Dottie, who is later revealed to be a retired mental health nurse, greets him with kindness. After an awkward introduction, with thanks to John's tics ("You're gannae die of cancer! Ha-ha!") Dottie, in good humour, insists that he come in and have dinner with them. John tries to compose himself in the bathroom but is unable to calm himself down, accidentally smashing the bathroom mirror and sneaks out of the house. Dottie, senses John's discomfort and finds him outside and invites him back in. She watches curiously as he eats his meal in front of the fireplace in the lounge, alone and out of sight from the family. Dottie asks about his medication and the family agrees that John should stay with them for a while. John announces this to his mother who chastises him, stating that Dottie doesn't understand how hard it is to live with him. The matter is settled and he moves in with Dottie and the family - the atmosphere is noticeably different and John is more free to be himself. Additionally, John is gradually weaned off his medication and told by Dottie never to apologise for his tics when around people who know that his behaviour is uncontrollable.Murray brings John to a nightclub, where John has confidence to approach a girl and offers to buy her and her friends a drink. However, a ticcing episode starts a brawl with another male patron and John is remanded overnight and charged with assault - John is badly hurt too in the scuffle. Dottie, shocked at John's cuts and bruises, concludes that John should get a job to keep busy and out of trouble. John is skeptical as to what job would have him with his condition. Dottie suggests applying to the vacancy at the local community centre. The elderly caretaker, Tommy Trotter, shows John around and doesn't react to his tics until John smacks Tommy's dog. John excuses himself from the interview, assuming that he has ruined his chances at getting the post. On his way home from the community centre, a young woman dressed in tight, revealing clothing passes him in the street. John's tics cause him to call her a 'slut' and despite any efforts to explain and apologise for the outburst, the woman walks off in disgust. Murray's family surprise John at home, saying that not only did he get the caretaker assistant's job but that the growth on Dottie's liver is benign, a haemangioma - meaning she is no longer 'dying'. The family is ecstatic at this joint news and Dottie sends John to the local Chinese restaurant to buy a takeout to celebrate. John walks into the restaurant as the same woman from earlier recognises him immediately and runs off. As John is returning home with the takeaway, he is confronted by two thugs (one of whom has a crowbar) and brutally beaten to within an inch of his life. As the thugs leave him for dead, they are followed by the same woman John insulted. He is taken to hospital and Dottie stays at his bedside, assuring him the job will be waiting for him for when he recovers. John is upset and says he is tired.John starts work with Tommy and becomes a familiar face in the community. Tommy, shares his view with John that his Tourette's doesn't cause his problems but rather, a lack of awareness by others does. He advises John to use his job at the centre to start educating people on the condition. On Dottie's advice, John moves out into a small bedsit so that he can live independently. Shortly after moving in, a local drugs gang coerces him to act as a potential smuggler - this fails spectacularly when John, unable to control his tics, starts shouting that he is hiding drugs on his person - arousing suspicion from the police. The gang had given him a taped bag of sugar to test him and John is acquitted without further investigation.At the trial for the earlier brawl in the nightclub, John is unable to finish the oath without swearing at the judge, who removes him from the stand in contempt. Tommy is called forward as character witness where he defends John's behaviour as uncontrollable, saying that if a blind man had spilt the drink at the club then matters would not have escalated. The case is therefore dismissed from court. Soon afterwards, John visits Tommy at home and finds his body on the floor which shocks him, even his tics become uncontrollable when the police are called as John begins to shout that he murdered him. Again, after learning Tommy died of a heart attack, John is acquitted. He assumes that he will then have to leave his job, but learns to his surprise and delight that he has been promoted - the position grants him Tommy's former home as accommodation.Meanwhile, a family from a local hospital is referred to John to meet their daughter, who is also struggling with Tourette's and has never met anyone with the disorder before. She finds it easy to talk to him and comments that most doctors and specialists she has met with, rarely treat her with his level of patience and empathy. As a result, John starts hosting Tourette's workshops at the community centre and even progresses to giving talks at schools and police stations to raise awareness. These combined efforts culminate in his eventually being named MBE by the Queen in 2019 (where the film begins). After receiving the award at Holyrood Palace, John shows the medal to his mother and explains why he didn't invite her to the investiture (Dottie and her husband Chris being his support network and his sister Caroline living near where the event was taking place). His mother apologises for being short-tempered with him while he was growing up - John forgives her stating that he wouldn't have known how he'd have reacted if in the same position. They tearfully reconcile.In 2023, John works with researchers at Nottingham University to test a treatment device, a thalamic deep brain stimulator, that calms his tics sufficiently to allow him to remain quiet during an entire visit to the library. He asks to keep it but is told to hand it back after a few days as further tests need to be ran. However, its success rate is promising (59% of people tested with the device show same response as John - the memoir explains potential circulation of the device in early 2026). On the train home, he strikes up a conversation with a woman wearing the device, demonstrating his growing confidence.A post-script explains how John Davidson continues to dedicate his life as an advocate for Tourette's in his hometown of Galashiels and devotes time to help researchers develop new technologies and methods to dealing with Tourette's. However, the most effective help available to those with the condition is society's "support, education and understanding".The film ends with footage of the real John Davidson, who was the subject of several BBC documentaries, incl. John's Not Mad (a film he appeared in as a teen) and I Swear I Can't Help It.

Storyline

• John Davidson: diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome at a young age which alienated him from his peers, he struggled with a condition few people had witnessed.