#johnathan brewster

Brewster Brothers fanart :D

Thinking about how Johnathan Brewster was sent away to the indiana state institution at a VERY young age, back in the 1930s for being a "bad kid". Like obviously, yes, Johnathan's a one-dimensional villain we're not supposed to feel sympathy for, and was supposedly a super evil kid, too, but I can't help but feel for this guy. Deemed evil and incurable at a young age, sent to an insane asylum as a child in the days where ice baths, forced standing, heavy medication, and electroshock therapy were the norm.

some doodles bc I'm so normal about them...

One of my few bones to pick with the movie adaptation of Arsenic and Old Lace is its oversimplification of Johnathan's character. As someone who has consumed the stage play, radio play, and movie versions of this story, there are really fascinating lines of dialogue, or even whole scenes featuring Johnathan, that were cut from the final movie. You have these fascinating moments where Johnathan shows some form of genuine care or kindness for other characters, most notably Einstein. Scenes where he talks to the aunts on how meeting him changed his life, how he wants the doctor to consider the Brewster home his home too, he speaks of settling down *with* the doctor. He's also noticeably kinder to the doctor in the theatrical versions, though of course still remains a cold and calculating villain. He also speaks positively of Teddy, telling the doctor wryly that he had hopes of him going into politics.