So here are 10 movies about mental illness that have helped me in one way or another along the way. Hollywood loves mental disorders, which provide plenty of material for intriguing or outlandish character traits. Not all of them have happy endings, but there is still something to learn from each of them. Depictions of living with mental illness in movies are a mixed bag.
Top 10 most accurate depictions of mental illness in. Some movies about mental illness do more harm than good because they misrepresent mental illnesses or romanticize them. Mar 21, 2016 15 great movies that realistically portray mental illness posted on march 21, 2016 march 21, 2016 by michele bellantuono i am tired of hiding, tired of misspent and knotted energies, tired of the hypocrisy, and tired of acting as though i have something to hide. On the other hand, frank is put under lock and key, as he is forced to live with his sisters family, and stay in a room with his nephew so that he is not alone. Jun 29, 2018 without knowing the context, frank in medical lingo typically means readily apparent, andor obvious. The best movies about mental illness treat the issue with respect heres our top picks this world. The wire talked with ronson about the portrayal of mental illness in the film and the parallels between fiction and reality. When the media we consume seems to always depict people with mental illness as dangerous or scary, it can be easy. The following post contains spoilers for the movies mentioned.
Sometime later, jon has attempted to track down frank, but all his attempts have failed. Keep moving down the list of movies based on the lives of musicians. Does filthy frank have some sort of mental illness. Aug 15, 2014 frank asks hard questions about mental illnessindeed, their implicit presence gives that middle act its urgencybut the conclusions it allows itself seem curiously muffled, as if emerging. Frank asks hard questions about mental illnessindeed, their. A number of the groups members met in a mental ward, and we see the impact this life of a musician can have on an unstable mind. Most are about bipolar disorder because thats what i can relate to, but there are some other disorders mentioned too. In the movie, the main character, frankie, has three distinct personality states. The 20 best movies about mental illness that get it right. We are on set of the movie frank, an eccentric comedy about an eccentric rock band led by a man who has wandered off the spectrum of eccentricity and into mental illness. Jon desperately wants to be like frank and his gang of musicians, but what he doesnt realize is that not only is he not as talented as them, but he completely misunderstands everything about them. Feb 26, 2017 the movie frankie and alice provides a relatively realistic portrayal of dissociative identity disorder. The 1999 adaptation of a memoir by susanna kaysen about her 18month stint in a us mental hospital in the 1960s, the film dealt with, in particular, womens mental health. Apr 24, 2014 we are on set of the movie frank, an eccentric comedy about an eccentric rock band led by a man who has wandered off the spectrum of eccentricity and into mental illness.
Oct 08, 2019 this was an uncomfortable masterpiece, a beautiful tragedy. Rather than childhood trauma or incurable mental illness, societys conformist strictures limit these individuals to unfulfilling lives. It was released theatrically in ireland and britain on 9 may 2014 and on dvd. November 3, 2014 frank schaeffer patheos explore the worlds faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality. Kambam of broadcast thought, a group that provides mental health. David and lisa is a 1962 american drama film directed by frank perry. Glen gabbard wrote a book called psychiatry and the cinema, about hollywoods regularly inaccurate portrayals of mental illness in the movies. I hope that the two articles work in tandem to provide readers with a more thorough understanding of donnie. For every portrait of depression thats nuanced and realistic, theres glenn close boiling a bunny in fatal attraction. Second of all, the character of frank in the film has severe mental illnesses that cause him to want to wear this fake head and do other sad. How frank ocean encouraged me to fight for my mental. The movie s central road trip allows the two to bond with their family and open up about their problems, leading to a truly cathartic. The following list is in chronological order and contains films that take on a variety of mental illnesses invoking comedy, dramedy, or tragicomedy.
Legendary crooner frank sinatra took a shocking secret to his grave. Lets be frank about mental illness and music the japan times. The damage that solitary confinement inflicts on the mental health of prison. Frank bruno talks about his battle with mental health. One possible conclusion of the difference in the two characters mental illness could be their age. Oct 17, 2016 coming back to donnie darko after two years away has given me new insight. Unfortunately, hollywood doesnt love depicting mental disorders accurately, since that seldom makes for an interesting or uplifting movie. Jul 14, 2000 legendary crooner frank sinatra took a shocking secret to his grave. Since 1949, may has been observed as mental health awareness month in the united states.
These are 10 of the best movies about mental health. Movie portrayal of mental illness mental health stigma. There are hundreds of extremely worthy films that have been made over the years that deal with the issue of mental illness, but these ones are fantastic and in most cases very educational. Mar 23, 2018 but it is encouraging that mental illness in films now goes deeper than patrick batemanstyle sociopaths, or the fistsup violence of fight club although, alas, james mcavoys 2016 vehicle. Frank s difficulty in confronting his former student is painful to watch, especially as he hides his bandaged wrists, and demonstrates the way that mental illnesses such as depression can fluctuate in the ir degrees.
The fake 5k running times are an appropriate reflection of what social media has done to selfesteem mental health. Occasionally, were offered a glimmer of hope for perceptions of mental health in the media. The lesson of frank is that mental illness is a hindrance, not a gift of inspiration, and romanticising it is a dangerous road to go down. Weve normalized the idea that being fake has some sort of value, and now some people dont think they can be of value without online clout. Talking truth and fiction in frank with jon ronson the. Instead, it is sending the message that we should fear individuals suffering with mental illness. Oct 10, 2018 the best movies about mental illness treat the issue with respect heres our top picks this world mental health day. While my previous article touched on donnies jake gyllenhaal mental illness, this article covers that topic more extensively in fact, it is the focus. The first is frankie, an african american gogo dancer. Talking truth and fiction in frank with jon ronson the atlantic.
Frank sinatras manager says antidepressant was to blame. The best movies about mental illness treat the issue with respect heres our top picks this world mental health day. I would not recommend this movie if you are fragile. However, for those of us older and more familiar with the mental health stigma in this country, the movie is encouraging for its depiction of elsas growing acceptance of herself and societys.
What marvels punisher teaches us about mental obsession addiction mental health mental obsession will be the death of us, especially if we allow it to take us over entirely. The strangest thing about frank, a film which michael fassbender spends. Frank is at once childlike, bizarre and on the edge, but more important to jon, it seems, is that hes a gigging musician. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness talking to kids about depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues can be tough. Ambition collides with mental illness sachyn mital. We provide behavioral health services to improve the quality of life for individuals living with mental illness and addictions. Skewering the cult of mental illness as art by giovanni fazio. Frank has a mental health charity, the frank bruno foundation, to help people affected by the illness and is pleased that highprofile names such as prince harry are helping to remove the stigma. Little miss sunshine is a 2006 film about a family and their atypical road trip from new mexico to california, in hopes of having their daughter olive win a childrens beauty pageant. I dont think weve ever had a movie portray mental illness and its implications both social and physical this precise.
For the most part, the mental health of fiona, frank, and lip has been met with avoidance, and is not addressed by their loved onesor themselves. What kind of mental disorder does frank underwood have in. Most popular based on true story, mental illness movies and. Given that prolonged periods of social isolation can crack. Frank ocean was the fulcrum in the battle for my mental health. A psychological study of operations desert shield and desert storm during the gulf war. Films can be a powerful aid to learning about mental illness and psychopathology for students of psychology, psychiatry, social work, medicine, nursing, counselling, literature or media studies, and for anyone interested in mental health.
It is based on the second story in the twoinone novellas jordilisa and david by theodore isaac rubin. No longer is mental health confined to the villains and the monsters. For april wheeler, her husband is the primary obstacle to her pursuing a fulfilling life. One of the movie s main characters, frank steve carell, has been temporarily living with the family after attempting suicide, but his mental health doesnt define him entirely, and he doesnt. Listening to this young black man be so free about his thoughts and the things that he. The things that media gets wrong about mental health insider. Because left unchecked, people go around spewing every dumb thing they learn from movies and shows that are really just using mental illnesses to advance a plot and make a buck, instead of teach us anything useful. I thought it touched on the festishization of mental illness, combined with the hero worship that ublackbillsimmons talked about. Aug 28, 2018 elsewhere, there have been more sympathetic portrayals of female mental illness including gena rowlands in john cassevetes a woman under the influence 1974, or jessica langes 1982.
Its a losing fight, going up against the myths pop culture perpetuates. The title of this book is a bit misleading and no doubt was chosen to get browsers attention. The voice of frank sinatra, helped introduce both the concept album and the box set. Frank is at once childlike, bizarre and on the edge, but more important to jon, it seems, is that hes a. Be it a creative approach to mental disorder portrayal or documentary, it has a goal, which must be found as this is what truly matters. Frank was clearly still suffering from depression through the film, but was making attempts to keep going with his life despite his mental illness. S marine sniper who struggles to cope with the possibility his girlfriend may be cheating on him back home. In shine 1996, pianist david helfgott goes nuthouse crazy due to.
These movies feature characters living and often struggling with mental illness and can help kids understand more about this often sensitive subject. Hollywood has, in its slow, carefully considered manner, started to acknowledge the reality of mental health on film. In other words, you walk into the room and know very quickly that the person is actively exhibiting signs of psychosis such as appearing in. Whats eating gilbert grape also stands out for its frank and affecting portrayal of an eating disorder such a rarity on. It stars michael fassbender, domhnall gleeson, maggie gyllenhaal, scoot mcnairy, and francois civil. Frank s depression is taken so seriously that he cannot even get time to himself. In this case, frank is in the process of recovering from a major source of trauma and selfstigmatizes as he avoids the. She wants to live abroad and pursue new experiences, but frank is determined to keep her under his thumb. They deal with issues across a broad spectrum of mental illnesses, disorders, and clinical psychoses. When frank s manager scoot mcnairy asks jon to join frank s band. Lets face it, mental health isnt the most inviting subject when it comes to.
They explain that frank has suffered from severe mental health issues all his life and began wearing the mask as a teenager after his dad made it. The movie lisa, bright and dark 1973 starring kay lenz on youtube btw is actually a very realistic look at mental illness, and how ones innermost turmoil can become eclipsed by all of the stigmas which surround them, like the familys retion. For the whole movie, jons trying to push frank towards fame and success. These are the top 10 most accurate depictions of mental illness in movies. What disneys frozen can teach us about mental illness. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness. Apr 29, 2010 no one gets left behind, depression in little miss sunshine by cooper. What marvels punisher teaches us about mental obsession. Frank is a lesson in why equating creativity and mental illness is. People may interpret it as the first rule of mental illness being that you dont talk about mental illness.
Frank sinatras former manager reveals an inside look into the final years of the legendary singers life. The movie no letting go is about a boy who has bipolar disorder. Although a comedy, one could argue the darkly humorous film addresses various mental illnesses within the disasterfilled road trip of the. Mental illness impacts millions of families worldwide, and theres simply no justification for stigma. But more insidiously, the mental health professional in a show or movie is often shown as an evil character.
As others have said, and i agree, frank seems to have a personality disorder. By the end, its clear that while joy will never completely move on from her experiences, she can learn to live her own life. I do not believe this movie explores mental illness, rather, it shows us some people who comment on. Just to show that movies youve watched may not be as accurate as you thought, weve listed 15 movies about mental illness that are ranked from least accurate to most accurate in order to keep you well informed. One of the movies main characters, frank steve carell, has been temporarily living with the family after attempting suicide, but his mental health doesnt define him entirely, and he doesnt. Actress halle berry talks about her new movie, frankie. Best movies about mental health films about mental illness. It stars michael fassbender, domhnall gleeson, maggie gyllenhaal, scoot mcnairy, and francois civil the film premiered at the 2014 sundance film festival. Rather than give that movie the time of day i decided to talk about 9 movies that accurately. Frank tallis is a writer and clinical psychologist. Russell and is an adaptation of the matthew quick novel of the same name. Fassbender spending nearly an entire movie obscured by a giant fake head is. No one gets left behind, depression in little miss sunshine. Known for her role as princess leia in the star wars movie franchise, fisher got diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 24.
Little miss sunshine or little miss psychological dysfunction. Oct 10, 2018 the 20 best movies about mental illness that get it right. Released almost a decade after that night, ronsons 2014 film frank, cowritten with. Here a few of the best, mosthelpful and empowering depictions of mental health in films in the last ten years. Although the chairman of the board had a tough guy image, his recently released fbi file reveals he was tormented by mental illness. Frank is a surprisingly earnest movie about a giant mask vulture. Frank is a 2014 black comedy film directed by lenny abrahamson, produced by david barron. In the movie, williams frustrated author begins passing off his own writing as his late sons journals, and the boy, who was widely disliked in life.
The treatment of mental health on film is certainly improving. Experts say it incorrectly strengthens the link between mental illness and violence. Naming best movies about mental illness are always subjective because each individual has specific attitude or. Its billed as a tremendously inspiring and moving film that captures both heartache and hope of a family living with mental illness, and winner of over 20 film festivals worldwide. How shameless changed the conversation around mental health.
Dec 05, 2017 frank has a mental health charity, the frank bruno foundation, to help people affected by the illness and is pleased that highprofile names such as prince harry are helping to remove the stigma. Both of these films accurately represent the mental illnesses they focus on, as well as the reactions and stigmas associated with them. Movies and mental illness, written by experienced clinicians and teachers who are themselves movie. The thing is, for frank, music is a way to express himself and cope with his anxieties and mental illness. In the last 50 or 60 years, mental health awareness has been featured widely in cinema, and the movies included here were released between 1991 through 2014. The offbeat film frank, from director lenny abrahamson, shows. Aug 14, 2014 talking truth and fiction in frank with jon ronson. Frank is a 2014 black comedy film directed by lenny abrahamson, produced by david barron, ed guiney and stevie lee and written by jon ronson and peter straughan. In addition to portraying mental illness in a humanizing and relatable way, the movie strives to show that everyone is struggling with something. He finally succeeds in tracking frank to his hometown of bluff, kansas, where he is living with his parents. Movies about mental illness and how i relate to them the. Sad world i dont really know whats going on here but im very curious. Youth mental illness on film reprinted from families issue of visions.
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