What Is David and Lisa About?
The premise of David and Lisa in 341 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a stark, almost reverent residential center for disturbed youths, David Clemens lives under the constant shadow of a singular terror: any physical contact could be his undoing. His world is measured in the steady tick of clocks, a rhythm that steadies his nerves but also heightens his obsession with time’s inexorable march. The facility itself is a quiet, clinical maze of muted corridors and hushed conversations, where the usual noises of adolescence are replaced by the soft hum of a metronome and the rustle of paperwork. Here, Mrs. Clemens—his overbearing mother—has placed him in hopes of professional guidance, yet the very act of being touched remains an unspoken, looming threat.
Within these walls, Dr. Alan Swinford serves as the resident psychiatrist, a figure of measured patience who attempts to coax David out of his self‑imposed isolation. Their sessions are marked by a delicate balance between clinical analysis and the fragile trust that David is only beginning to extend. The atmosphere is one of careful observation, where each small gesture carries weight, and the unspoken looms as large as the spoken.
Into this measured world arrives Lisa, a fifteen‑year‑old whose presence is split between two distinct facets: one voice that flows only in rhyme, and another that remains mute, communicating through written words. Her duality creates a strange, poetic mirror for David’s own inner turmoil, prompting him to respond in verse and offering a tentative bridge between their isolated existences. Their interaction is a quiet rebellion against the sterile surroundings, hinting at a fragile companionship that could reshape both of their perceptions of touch and connection.
The film hovers between stark realism and lyrical melancholy, painting a portrait of adolescence caught in the grip of psychological fragility. It invites the audience to linger over the subtle sounds of ticking clocks, the soft cadence of rhyme, and the unvoiced yearning for contact in a place where even the gentlest gesture feels like a precipice. The mood is one of introspective tension, promising a journey where the characters’ inner clocks may yet synchronize.
What Happens in David and Lisa?
The complete story of David and Lisa, from the first scene to the last, in 410 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 5 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
David Clemens is brought to a residential psychiatric treatment center by his apparently caring mother. He grows visibly upset at even a light touch from another resident, convinced that being touched can kill him. Inside this quiet, clinical world, he throws himself into his studies, with a singular fixation on clocks that borders on obsession. A chilling thread runs beneath the surface: he keeps having a recurring dream in which he murders people using a massive, inexorable clock.
He meets Lisa Brandt, a girl who lives with two facets of herself. One persona, Lisa, can speak only in rhymes, while the other, Muriel, is mute and writes instead of speaking. David forges a tentative connection with her by replying in verse, and this odd friendship draws him out just enough to start opening up to his psychiatrist, Dr. Alan Swinford. He also grows closer to another resident, Simon, a development that stirs Lisa’s jealousy and adds emotional tension to the center’s delicate social fabric. When his mother visits and their conversation escalates into an argument, Mrs. Clemens and the rest of David’s family decide that he should leave the program. He returns home, only to flee back to the center soon after, where staff reluctantly agree to let him stay again.
A breakthrough arrives when Lisa realizes that she is essentially two personalities occupying one body—Lisa and Muriel are the same person. This discovery deepens her longing to connect with David. She seeks him out, but he is distracted by Simon playing a Bach piece on the piano. In a moment of friction, Lisa activates the metronome, interrupting the music and provoking David’s anger. Lisa then slips away from the center and takes a train into Center City, Philadelphia, unseen by the staff. A desperate search ensues, but the morning light reveals a lead: she may have returned to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a place where she had once embraced a statue of a mother and child.
David and Dr. Swinford hurry to the museum and find Lisa on the museum steps. Seeing David triggers a sense that she has found some measure of healing. In a pivotal, hopeful moment, she speaks to him in prose, and for the first time, David overcomes his fear of touch enough to let her hold his hand. Together, they descend the museum steps and begin their return journey, stepping toward a future that feels newly possible despite the shadows of the past.
David and Lisa Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Arrival at the treatment center” to “Hand in hand”. 12 events name a place, across 6 locations.
- 1
Arrival at the treatment center
David Clemens is brought to a residential psychiatric treatment center by his mother. He is cold and distant and fixates on clocks, at the same time fearing that any touch could kill him. The staff, including Dr. Swinford, begin to orient him to the new environment.
When:arrival day Where:Residential psychiatric treatment center
- 2
Obsession with clocks and a nightmare
In the center, David throws himself into his studies of clocks and spends little time with others. He reveals a recurring dream in which he murders people using a giant clock, a nightmarish premonition of his internal struggles. The dream foreshadows the violence he fears.
When:early days Where:Residential psychiatric treatment center
- 3
Meeting Lisa Brandt
David meets Lisa Brandt, a girl with two personalities—Lisa who speaks in rhymes and Muriel who cannot speak and can only write. He forges a friendship by replying to her in rhymes. Their bond challenges the clinic's routines and introduces a fragile hope.
When:early days Where:Residential psychiatric treatment center
- 4
Opening up to the psychiatrist and befriending Simon
David begins opening up to his psychiatrist, Dr. Alan Swinford, and becomes friendly with another resident, Simon. Lisa grows jealous of the growing closeness, creating tension between her and David. The dynamics at the center become more complicated as trust develops.
When:mid stage Where:Residential psychiatric treatment center
- 5
Mother's visit and the plan to leave
A visit from David's mother triggers an argument that unsettles him. His parents decide that he should leave the treatment center, seeking a different approach for his care. David resists the idea but faces departure as an option.
When:visitation day Where:Residential psychiatric treatment center
- 6
Return home and second escape
After returning to his parents' house, David's stay is brief and he runs away back to the treatment center. He seeks the structure and familiarity of the clinic, illustrating his struggle to reintegrate into normal life. The cycle highlights the fragility of his progress.
When:shortly after visit Where:Parents' house; returns to treatment center
- 7
Lisa's self-realization
One day Lisa realizes she embodies both Lisa and Muriel. This breakthrough intensifies her desire to connect with David. She seeks him out, hoping to bridge the gap created by their respective disorders. The moment marks a turning point in their relationship.
When:one day Where:Residential psychiatric treatment center
- 8
The metronome incident
Lisa learns she is both personalities and tries to reach David through the music by interrupting Simon's Bach performance with the metronome. David's temper flares in response to the disruption. Lisa then runs away from the center, initiating her escape toward Philadelphia.
When:afternoon Where:Residential psychiatric treatment center
- 9
Flight to Center City
Lisa slips away unnoticed and boards a train toward Center City, Philadelphia. David and the staff search frantically but fail to locate her that night. The city becomes a backdrop for her escape and orbit of worry around the center's staff.
When:overnight Where:Center City, Philadelphia
- 10
Museum cue
The next morning, David suspects that Lisa may have returned to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He and Dr. Swinford rush to the museum to search for her. The museum's grandeur contrasts with the tense pursuit, setting the stage for a resolution.
When:next morning Where:Philadelphia Museum of Art
- 11
Reunion on the museum steps
David finds Lisa on the museum steps and she appears cured, speaking in prose. This moment signals a breakthrough in her condition and in David's own fears. The two share a meaningful exchange that hints at a new trust.
When:upon finding her Where:Philadelphia Museum of Art steps
- 12
Hand in hand
For the first time, David overcomes his fear of touch and allows Lisa to hold his hand. They walk down the museum stairs together, sharing a connection that closes the film on a note of hopeful healing. The ending suggests a new path forward for both of them.
When:ending Where:Philadelphia Museum of Art stairs
Who Are the Main Characters in David and Lisa?
5 characters, among them David Clemens (Keir Dullea), Lisa Brandt (Janet Margolin) and Dr. Alan Swinford (Howard Da Silva): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
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David Clemens (Keir Dullea)
Played by Keir Dullea
David is a reserved, clock-obsessed resident who fears touch, believing it could kill him. He channels his distress into meticulous study and internal worlds, including a recurring nightmare of murder by a giant clock. As he opens up to Dr. Swinford and grows acquainted with Lisa, he transitions from isolation toward tentative connection.
- ❄️ reserved
- 🧠 intelligent
- 😨 touch-averse
-
Lisa Brandt (Janet Margolin)
Played by Janet Margolin
Lisa is a girl with two personalities: Lisa, who speaks in rhymes, and Muriel, who can only write. She forms a fragile bond with David, and her jealousy grows as he befriends another resident. Her breakthrough comes when she recognizes that both identities are one person, enabling a form of emotional healing.
- 🎭 dual-personality
- 📝 rhymes
- 🤫 guarded
- DA
Dr. Alan Swinford (Howard Da Silva)
Played by Howard Da Silva
Dr. Swinford is the psychiatrist guiding David’s treatment, fostering gradual openness and trust. His approach centers on patient observation, dialogue, and creating a safe space for David to confront his fears. He plays a pivotal role in bridging David’s internal world and external relationships.
- 🧠 psychologist
- 🩺 clinical
- 🤝 trust
- S(
Simon (Mathew Anden)
Played by Mathew Anden
Simon is another resident whose friendship with David and his piano playing (Bach) provide a counterpoint to the film’s tension. His presence and music spark jealousy in Lisa, highlighting social dynamics within the center. He acts as a catalyst for David’s emotional growth and risk-taking.
- 🎹 musician
- 🧠 sensitive
- 🤝 supportive
- MC
Mrs. Clemens (Neva Patterson)
Played by Neva Patterson
Mrs. Clemens is David’s mother, whose involvement with the treatment center reflects parental concerns, care, and the tension between bringing a child to care and letting him go. Her actions—initially visiting, then deciding on leaving, and eventually allowing a return—underscore family dynamics in rehabilitation.
- 👩👦 motherly
- 🫶 anxious
- 🏠 protective
Where and When Is David and Lisa Set?
David and Lisa is set in Residential psychiatric treatment center, Center City Philadelphia and…. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Residential psychiatric treatment center, Center City Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art
The story unfolds largely within a residential psychiatric treatment center, establishing a clinical environment that shapes the characters’ interactions. The action also touches the surrounding city, specifically Center City Philadelphia, grounding the drama in an urban landscape. A pivotal sequence occurs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where personal breakthroughs and symbols of healing culminate in a public, cultural space.
- 🏥 Psychiatric setting
- 🏙️ Urban Philadelphia
- 🖼️ Cultural landmarks
What Are the Themes of David and Lisa?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Mental Health, Communication and Touch and Connection.
-
01
Mental Health
The film centers on fear, trauma, and the fragility of mental health, using David’s clock obsession and Lisa’s split personality to explore how inner turmoil manifests outwardly. It presents the clinic as both a constraint and a catalyst for gradual self-discovery. The recurring dream of murder by a giant clock serves as a tangible symbol of unresolved fears inhabiting the psyche. Healing emerges slowly through trust, routine, and patient examination of one’s own mind.
-
02
Communication
Lisa’s two forms of expression—rhyming speech and writing—highlight how language shapes identity and connection. David’s dialogue with his psychiatrist and his evolving rapport with Lisa emphasize the role of listening and dialogue in breaking isolation. The film also uses music and nonverbal cues to convey meaning where words fail. Miscommunication and reconciliation drive much of the emotional arc.
-
03
Touch and Connection
A central turning point is David’s breakthrough in accepting physical contact, symbolized by Lisa holding his hand. The museum meeting scene frames touch as a bridge between fear and trust, transforming confinement into shared humanity. The narrative treats touch not as simple affection but as a pathway to emotional healing. Ultimately, connection replaces isolation as the path to wholeness.
What Kind of Film Is David and Lisa?
Hopeful in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Hopeful
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Happy
A slow, poignant drama set within a quiet psychiatric facility, following two troubled teenagers as they form a fragile bond that slowly breaks through their profound fears, culminating in a tender and hopeful resolution.
- clinical
- anxious
- tender
- introspective
- hopeful
- melancholic
- mental illness
- psychiatric treatment
- coming of age
- fear of touch
Content notes: mental illness, psychological trauma, institutionalization.
Quiz
How well do you remember David and Lisa? Test yourself on the story.
Where to Watch David and Lisa
Stream it on Artiflix and Cineverse, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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Artiflix 
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Cineverse Amazon Channel 
Fandor 
Fandor Amazon Channel 
Kanopy 
Philo 
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