5 Films that Portray Mental Illness
Mental illness has become a more open topic in the last decade reducing the stigma. For example, famous artists talk about their struggles. Others create music about their struggles, this way people can easily connect to them. Everyone has unique struggles they experience in their everyday lives. That’s why mental awareness is important for every generation to understand one another.
Over the years, the media has slowly shifted the perspective on mental illness into a more accepting light. Current films no longer tend to seem as dramatized and overwhelming. Although many films still stigmatized mental illnesses, here are 5 films that portrayed individuals with mental illness in a humane way.
1. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Anxiety: Extensive worry about everyday situations.
Binge-Eating Disorder: People lose their ability to control what they eat and have episodes of unusually large amounts of food.
Autism: A developmental disorder that affects how a person interacts with others, learns, behaves, and communicates.
In this film, Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) is a young man that puts his dreams on hold to take care of his dysfunctional family. His younger brother (Leonardo DiCaprio) is autistic and always finds himself in trouble. His mother (Darlene Cates) is overweight and she is confined in her home as a result of her eating disorder. His responsibility lands him a job delivering groceries and having an affair with a married woman.
This film tests the bonds of family relationships through hardships, acceptance, and growth. The film not only explores the lives of two characters in their impairments, but also the stress and anxiety it puts on caregivers. It demonstrates the hardships of a young person growing up too fast and his limitations in life.
2. As Good As It Gets (1997)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A person who has uncontrollable recurring obsessions and compulsions.
Melvin (Jack Nicholson) is an obsessive-compulsive best-selling romance writer. He avoids walking on cracks, and touching animals, and enjoys his breakfast at the same place every day. He has difficulty building relationships. After his neighbor is hospitalized, Melvin has a new opportunity to form relationships
The film demonstrates the reality of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It showcases how they live and their experience trying to overcome their issues. The film follows Melvin as he tries to control his personality disorder in hopes to create meaningful relationships.
3. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Schizophrenia: Affects people by interpreting reality abnormally.
A biographical drama about a genius mathematician John Forbes (Rusell Crowe) that has paranoid schizophrenia. After graduating from Princeton University, he’s invited by the Pentagon to study encrypted enemy telecommunication. While studying there, his symptoms were triggered, which made him believe he was in a massive conspiracy.
The film demonstrates his journey of being a genius, his downward spiral, and his recovery. It shows the real harsh reality of mental illness and the courage of those that follow a recovery path.
4. Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)
Bipolar Disorder: Unusual mood swings like emotional highs (energized) or lows (depression).
After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Cam (Mark Ruffalo) has a psychotic break causing him to lose his job. His wife, Maggie (Zoe Saldana) joins an MBA program at Columbia University in order to improve the family’s income. Cam left home to raise his two daughters while dealing with bipolar disorder.
This is a real-life story based on the director’s childhood. The film demonstrates the struggles of family members trying to understand each other.
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Common for people who have experienced a dangerous or scary event.