Movies and Mental Illness - What's Your Favorite?
Thursday December 7, 2006
Below is a list of movies which center on the topic of mental illness. Some are serious while others are lighthearted; some are based on true stories while others are complete fiction. What is your favorite movie relating to mental disorders? Click on the title to vote. Feel free to cast write-in votes by clicking the "Comments" link.
- Sybil
- A Beautiful Mind
- K-Pax
- Girl Interrupted
- Fight Club
- Mr. Jones
- Pollock
- Sylvia
- What About Bob
- Crazy People
Comments
Someone forgot One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Jack Nicholson at his best.
How about Donnie Darko??
A movie called “Forever Lulu”
starring Melanie Griffith & Patrick Swayze- late 90s-early 00s
also- how about “Rainman” w/ Tom & Dustin
“Forever Lulu” starring Melanie Griffith & Patrick Swayze, also, how about “Rainman” w/ Tom & Dustin?
oops, sorry!
didn’t mean to leave 2- wasn’t sure if that first one got sent!:)
“one flew over the cuckoo’s nest” and the one starring Patty Duke…about bi-polar…”Call me Anna”
I also vote for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”.
Hey–your list of”bests” is predictable and tired.
On my top 10 ALL time favorites is
The King of Hearts.(1966)–(also right up there in the anti-war genre.) and no list can be without Ken Kesey’s Cuckoo’s nest. I would have also added Benny and Joon (1993)
“Sybil” was very good. How about “Nobody’s Child”? “Call Me Anna”.
We liked the 1997 film about Virginia Woolf, “Mrs. Dalloway”; “Pollack” is riveting and Ed Harris is incredible in it.
For a classic, I’d say Olivia deHavilland’s performance in 1948’s “The Snake Pit”, taken from the author’s real life experience of mental illness, tops them all, and that picture shows how far treatment and understanding about mental illness has come in 60 years…the scenes in the state mental hospital, pre-psychotropic drugs, are pretty harrowing.
PS, also “The Hours”, about the writing of “Mrs. Dalloway”, and Nicole Kidman’s performance in it.
“Proof” with Gwyneth Paltrow.
[quote]A devoted daughter who comes to terms with the death of her father – a brilliant mathematician whose genius was crippled by mental instanity – and is forced to face her own long-harbored fears and emotions. She adjusts to his death with the help of one of her father’s former mathematical students who searches through her father’s notebooks in the hope of discovering a bit of his old brilliance. While coming to terms with the possibility that his genius, which she was inherited, may come at a painful price, her estranged sister arrives to help settle their father’s affairs.[/quote]
Definitely the sensitivity of Benny and Joon! How could someone have forgotten it?
What about this nust-see weepie: quoteNow, Voyager is a 1942 film which tells the story of a middle-aged spinster who, repressed by the domination of her mother, winds up in a sanatorium, where her self-confidence is boosted by an understanding psychiatrist. Classic line: said by the character Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) to Jerry Durrance (Paul Henreid): “Oh, Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.” quote
As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson was a great one featuring OCD.
Awakenings!!
How could you all forget this one.
I’ve only seen 2 I think. I loved Girl Interupted but there was one I saw with Richard Gear in it and he was bipolar but I can’t remember the name of it. It was ok. I’d probably like it a lot better now. Does anyone know the name of it?
My favorite is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Comment from “Girl Interupted” Been awhile since I’ve seen it so I’m sure the words aren’t exactly right but when I saw this movie, it got to me. Angelina Jolie’s character said something like, “I don’t know what it’s like to go through what you’ve gone through but I do know what it’s like to hurt myself on the outside to kill what’s on the inside.”
Don’t forget the Dream Team and Aviator!
“what about Bob?”
I live in NH and my pdoc knows someone like the pdoc in the movie who owns a place where the movie took place.
Also when my hubby learned windsurfing, he used to call out “I’m sailing.” We joking called him Bob.
On a more serious note before I went into the hospital for a mental breakdown, I struggled to find a therapist. Finally I had one appt and the guy told me at the end that he was leaving for a month long visit and he told me the place. I felt like Bob that I needed to follow him so I could have some security.
The Classics Forest Gump and RAINMAN.
Is anyone out there?
Comment to Steph… I remember the Gear film now that you mention it but the name slips my mind.It was a subtile build-up towards craziness that I too would appreciate more at this moment.
The Richard Gear film is Mr. Jones.
The voting tool only allows for 10 choices so there are many we couldn’t add. I did, however, completely forget about Benny and Joon. Also, I’ve never seen The Snake Pit. I think I will add these to my weekend activities.
Kimberly
What about Couer de Roi (King of Hearts), the wonderful French comedy from a couple decades ago. About the evacuation of a French village just ahead of Nazi occupation troops in WWII. The village evacuates, but forgets to take the patients from the local mental hospital. They just leave, & leave the doors open. So the patients wander out, occupy the village ahead of the occupiers, & proove one must be ‘crazy’ to deal w/ ‘normal’ life sometimes.
I’m extremely glad to have everyone’s lists!
Here’s one I bet nobody’s seen….Afflicted. I saw it at a discussion led by a wonderful pdoc. It’s about a father-son relationship, and it’s quite complex, but I’d say the affliction is explosive personality disorder or something like that, due to extreme emotional and physical abuse from father to son.
Another one I haven’t seen but want to (read the book) is Ordinary People, which was very popular when it came out.
I was going to remind people about Benny & Joon, But it’s already been done…what about The Dream Team with Michael Keaton? My therapist has recommended that I watch commedies for a bit.
Through a Glass Darkly is a great movie!
Recently released from a mental institution, Karin is on holiday with her family. But their inability to give her love and support causes a mental breakdown that leads to a hallucinogenic episode where Karin envisions God as a spider.
this list could go on forever; here’s a few of my favourites:
spider, a scanner darkly, memento, the fisher king and the documentary, warrendale
One flick I think of is “Scent Of A Women”
The role Al Pacino played. The retired Army Officer displayed classic signs of mania and Bipolar Disorder.
Garden State anyone? They were all a bit crazy, mental illness or not in that movie…loved how real it was!
What about Sophie’s Choice. I never tire of seeing it and also Frances with jessica Lange, both based on true events……
Nobody mentioned “As Good As it Gets.” It’s serious AND funny and very good, although “A Beautiful Mind” is now my inspiration.
I gotta say my fav is As Good as it Gets.
There’s a line Jack-o says something like
“some people have stories about picnics and family outings and potato salad… Just none of us in this car..” I laughed then I cried.. Now I understand why, deep down I knew I was in the same car…..
Two more classics.. Prince of Tides and Nuts… both with Barbara Streisand.. both dark but very they had some real moments. I figured out nuts by the first few minutes and cringed my way through but it was good ….
How about an oldie, by the name of The Snake Pit with Olivia de Havilland? Really good movie!
The two that I’ve seen, One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest and A Beautiful Mind were both good in their own way. When all is said and done Kimberly and Marcia, could you compile a list of movies about mental illness (and perhaps put an asterisk next to the ones about bipolar?)? It would give me something to “work” from when I finish school!
Peg
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
for sure!
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is an all time favorite. Does anyone remember Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. Though it didn’t come out and mention mental illnes, it definitly alludes to it as a surprise ending.
I’m glad to see people mentioned Proof, which is my favorite right now, as well as Nuts and The Hours. Don’t foget the grand-daddy of them all, Suddenly Last Summer.
Maybe you should specify Bipolar Disorder instead of saying mental illness. There are so many that involve Dissociative Identity Disorder that I have my own name for them – “multi-flicks.” Sybil, The Three Faces of Eve, K-Pax, Fight Club all go into that category, as well as Hide and Seek, Identity, The Other, Secret Window and many more.
There’s group of young adult pics, like Mad Love, Prozac Nation,
There are a lot of movies about artists that are really about BPD. Pollack and Sylvia, certainly, but also Vincent (technically a play, but there’s video of it), Basquiat, even Frida might be considered a profile of Diego Rivera’s potentially manic behavior. There are some that we might consider like The Doors, or Gia, that aren’t specifically described as being about mental illness, but probably are.
Interesting idea for a poll!
Defnitely One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a classic but my all time favorite is Robin William’s What Dreams May Come (1998). It’s about depression, suicide and the spiritual break thru of release.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest defined Jack Nickleson. Also a painful reminder of a state institution
A Beautiful Mind is my all time favorite. But one that has not been mentioned and needs to be is Good Will Hunting about Reactive Attachment Disorder(RAD). I adopted a child with RAD and it destoyed a 20 yr marriage plus friendship and other family connectons.
As far as a TV show on the topic, my favorite is Monk on OCD.
Benny & Joon brilliant (helps if you like Depp) Beautiful Mind i saw recently will watch again. Also this has given me new films to watch. BP films titles would be appricated? Ps quite like Gothika
I saw “Francis Farmer” (starring Jessica Lange) several years ago and thought this movie to be an eye-opener to the struggles and heartbreak of mental illness. My heart goes out to to this late woman. I’m mindful that during the period of this woman’s illness (1940’s) there was not the level of understanding nor acceptance for ones struggling with such illnesses. Empathy and involvement by loved ones appears to be on a much better level, and continued research/education on mental illness is so important.
Sybil (starring Sally Fields) was a very good movie(regarding multiple personalities)and is one of my favorites. I purchased this for the library and many patrons have commented on it and have gone on to seek books on mental illnesses.
IDENTITY is about a man with mutiple personalities who is a killer. His personalities all meet up at a hotel and start to get killed. The killer is one of them, but is all run by one man who envisions he is all of these people. It has a crazy ending….
One I really like is Don Juan DeMarco with Johnny Depp.
I wanted to add that at various parts of my illness different movies have been my favourites. When I was first dx with unipolar Ordinary People was my favourite and then as my dx changed other movies have become my favourite.
Regarding Vincent van Gogh– “Lust For Life” is a must-see; excellent, honest protrayal of his artistic brilliance/mental “madness.”
You forgot “Benny and Joon”
Sorry, I didn’t realize Benny and Joon had already been mentioned…but why did you forget RAINMAN?!?! Nobody else seems to have noticed that omission–it’s a physical condition like Awakenings, but aren’t they all things that affect our brains physically?
A good idea!!! Can we start one about which movies, about mental illness and everything, that BIpolars seem to like?
I have favorites of all genres that I watch over and over, so does my BPOCD grandson. Some Favs, Steel Magnolias,
The Manchurian Candidate,” Rose Red,” Area 51″,” War Games,” Small Soldiers,” “Vacation” I would like to hear from some others. Of course, now I can add “Deja Vu,”"Snakes on a Plane” and “Bobby”
I gotta go along with Cuckoo’s Nest. Some that I haven’t seen mentioned: Hitchcock’s Psycho – which I could just as easily pick as the best, Spellbound, and Vertigo; David & Lisa, from the early ’60’s, comes to mind, too, and then – from the same era – there’s Lilith – a real strange flick starring a young Warren Beatty & a younger Peter Fonda (can’t recall the lead actress’s name).
Fear Strikes Back.
Girl Interrupted is my alltime favorite.
I loved the Dream Team because of the possibilities. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Test terrified me especially about the shock therapy.
The Baby Jane one with Bette Davis; Patch Adams; The Shining…. and all of the above,,,, the list goes on and on…
it might be better to have a separate article and comments thread about BP video’s on the internet, but dig into this rick Reynolds for highs and downs.
http://www.churchofrick.com/2006/09/due-to-lack-of-interest-there-will-be.html
The best movie dealing with “mental illness was Johnny Depp’s SECRET WINDOW!! I could watch that over & over
and if you don’t watch it closely you
will miss the theme of the movie!
“Happy Holidays Everyone”
I vote for One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Thanks for all the input
“A Beautiful Mind” definately my favourite!
I also must vote for “One flew over the cuckoos nest”
My oldest daughter is a Bipolor Schizophrenic and this place is worse that a Cuckoo’s Nest when she gets a med change accidentally OR on purpose.
How could anyone forget multi-person-
ality, Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde retire,
but never permanently. Two movies and
several TV/mini series later, Dickens proves gratuitous violence and sex sell.
Initally I would have said “A Beautiful Mind” because it not only demostrates how hard is to live day to day with a mental illness but it also shows the internal struggle to fight it by stopping meds and ect.
However, after 8 years of being treated for depression, PTSD, insomnia and and other things – up to over 10 pills a day…there was a breakthrough.
After a night of mania I found myself in lockup at a mental hospital. “Worse than dogs” I have never been so scared or treated so badly. I saw the angela jolie types that were happy to live there never cooperating and then I was the Wynona type working my way floor by foor until I was believed to be stable enough to leave.
I saw “GIRL INTERUPTED” years ago, even read the book.. I would pray for someone to take me to the hospital to get “real” treatment on my rough nights when I layed awake screaming and crying.
I guarentee that movie showed the sunny side of lockup. I never ever ever ever will ever say anything regarding self-harm to anyone. I may have been stressed but those words lead to a huge lose in my life and a new disorder I can’t bare…bipolar
I must be getting old. Here are two movies, that were originally books, haven’t yet been mentioned: Lillith and also I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.
Some fantastic choices here, but I really have to go with Spider (Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Gabriel Byrne, Lynn Redgrave, and directed by David Cronenberg). Another possibility is a little gem called Clean, Shaven. Also, there’s the art film by the immortal Roz Williams entitled PIG. Other possibilities: MAY, David Fincher’s SE7EN (just don’t think of him as mentally ill when you view it), Fritz Lang’s M with Peter Lorre, and the Austrian film Funny Games. I recommend all of the above. Check them out if you can find them. Enjoy!
There are so many really great movies about mental disorders it’s hard to choose. I liked the oldie’ Days of Wine and Roses’, ‘Three Faces of Eve’ and ‘Francis’. Loved ‘Spider’ and ‘..Cuckoo’s nest’ as well as ‘A Beautiful Mind’ and many more.
I always liked Mr. Jones…It is the classic…Although a beautiful mind is excellent also.
People have already come up w/most of the movies you didn’t get, but what abt Fisher King?
Favorite? I might say Proof, or Dream Team.
I just rented, on July 12, 2007, “Never Was.” In my opinion it deserves a definate two thumbs up, but I see no thumbs ratings on the box cover. Wonder why. Anyways you have to see it. Truly a good story. So many movies leave me with an empty feeling afterwards, I am entertained for an hour and a half but then nothing after the movie is over. This one sticks.
My all time favorite hasn’t been mentioned at all. It’s “The Legend of 1900.” All about a man and a ship and well, go find it and watch it.
what about primal fear, butterfly effect 1 and 2, sixth sense, vanilla skye, mad love, flatliners, may and my favorite is girl interrupted which was already said
I saw one, that while disturbing really helped me see the inside of OCD, called “Dirty Filthy Love” where a guy was OCD over a failed relationship and his behavior was washing, to the point of scrubbing himself raw.
I work for MHMR, and I work with Depressed, Bipolar, Schizophrenic Adults all day every day. I am looking for “fun” resources I can connect them with, and on Wednesdays I lead a group, in which, we just finished watching “Beautiful Mind”. I have made a list of the movies out of the comments you guys have posted, does anyone have any more?
I am considering creating a resource webpage for clients, families and those who just want to understand more about these illnesses. My address is khoman@pvmhmr.org if anyone would like to help out in this project. Thanks so much!!!
“A Street Car Named Desire”, and “Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee S. Williams – classics.
And of course, “King of Comedy”, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, and “Girl, Interrupted.” “The Madness of King George” and “Amadaeus” could well be included.
wat about Changeling, the shining, the snake pit, momento, awakenings, identity and new voyager?
13 Monkeys, Gothica, Analyze This
My favorite movies featuring mental illnesses are “The Watch”, “Girl Interrupted”, “For the Love of Nancy”, and “When Friendship Kills (also known as “A Secret Between Friends.”
‘Keane’ is a great little independent movie about a man with some kind of anxiety or schizophrenic spectrum disorder. He’s also looking for his daughter who was abducted. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand how it feels to live with mental illness with no social support.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420291/
17) Steph says:
I’ve only seen 2 I think. I loved Girl Interupted but there was one I saw with Richard Gear in it and he was bipolar but I can’t remember the name of it. It was ok. I’d probably like it a lot better now. Does anyone know the name of it?
Its is called Mr Jones I think
How about ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”?? Great movie!
There’s a good norwegian film called ‘elling’ and a new one called ‘Original’that just won best pic at the shanghai international film festival…