Films about mental illness

Denerick · 15-02-2012 12:13am #1

I've a morbid fascination with debilitating illnesses and how they're portrayed on film. I've seen the obvious ones like 'A Beautiful Mind', but maybe some people could offer forth some suggestions?

livinsane · 15-02-2012 12:15am

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly perhaps, but its not about mental illness, but paralysis. It was received with glowing reviews.

phelixoflaherty · 15-02-2012 12:16am

Anything with Daniel day Lewis

The Princess Bride · 15-02-2012 12:35am

Shine ('96)- with Geoffrey Rush as pianist David Helfgott ( in & out of psychiatric institutions for more than a decade)- oscar winning performance, a sad .well told story.

Helfgott played at the Oscar ceremony the year Rush won- and it certainly looked as though Rush had played the part incredibly well-they could've passed for twins.

Highly recommended.

Technocentral · 15-02-2012 12:37am

Denerick wrote: »

I've a morbid fascination with debilitating illnesses and how they're portrayed on film. I've seen the obvious ones like 'A Beautiful Mind', but maybe some people could offer forth some suggestions?

Might be a bit hardcore for you but "The Enigma Of Casper Hauser" by Hertzog, probably one of the most astonishing films I ever seen, the main actor was actually mentally ill. PS Not a mainstream Hollywood film!

The Pontiac · 15-02-2012 12:40am

The Savages

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Bad Boy Bubby

The Princess Bride · 15-02-2012 12:44am

And another one- "The Hours" (2002) - you could argue that most of the main characters were slightly touched- great film.

....could be posting all night, just google oscar nominated films over last 3 decades,you'll probably come up with a dozen.

Enjoy.

mike65 · 15-02-2012 12:48am

Birdy (1984)

clappyhappy · 15-02-2012 12:51am

Rainman,didn't Dustin Hoffmans character have authism or something similar.

Denerick · 15-02-2012 12:56am

<Ollie> wrote: »

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Recently read the novel and watched the film last night for the (sixth) time. My favourite film ever, hands down.

The Princess Bride · 15-02-2012 1:14am

Primal Fear- Ed Norton and Richard Gere. One of Norton's earlier films.

Book by William Diehl worth reading beforehand.

number10a · 15-02-2012 1:18am

Lisbeth Salander, the main character in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the rest of that series, is said to be somewhere on the autistic spectrum - most likely Asperger's. Never been confirmed in the books or the movies, but seems right. I would definitely recommend the Swedish language versions of the films rather than the English language version (though only first one released in English so far).

Rabidlamb · 15-02-2012 1:29am

Take Shelter
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/take_shelter/

Skerries · 15-02-2012 1:36am

and remember - you never go full retard

RobbingBandit · 15-02-2012 1:39am

Skerries wrote: »

and remember - you never go full retard

Sean Penn did in I am Sam and he went home empty handed.

InchicoreDude · 15-02-2012 1:54am

"On the Edge" is a reasonable attempt at capturing what it means to be mentally ill in Ireland. And has a strong Irish cast (Cillian Murphy & Stephen Rea play the main characters). It is probably not the extremes of Beautiful Mind.... But then it shows that normal people can suffer mental illness (When will Ireland or the world realise this?)

I read somewhere that Sebastian Barry's "The Secret Scripture" was going to made into a film. While arguably not actually dealing with mental illness, that has the potential to be a mind blowing movie reveal a lot about pscyhiatric institutions in Ireland.

Sad Professor · 15-02-2012 2:03am

number10a wrote: »

Lisbeth Salander, the main character in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the rest of that series, is said to be somewhere on the autistic spectrum - most likely Asperger's. Never been confirmed in the books or the movies, but seems right. I would definitely recommend the Swedish language versions of the films rather than the English language version (though only first one released in English so far).

No. Lisabeth is not autistic. She is the victim of childhood abuse and mistreatment by the state, not a neurological disorder. There's a reason why she behaves toward certain people the way she does. Having said that, if she was a real person she would probably be misdiagnosed as autistic.

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Take Shelter
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/take_shelter/

I'd disagree about this as well. The film is about anxiety, not mental illness.

Surly · 15-02-2012 11:47am

Spider

Cartman78 · 15-02-2012 11:55am

Not sure if it comes under the mental illness umbrella exactly, but would recommend 'The Machinist' with Christian Bale....very underrated movie imho.

Beruthiel · 15-02-2012 12:00pm

Black Swan.
That was some messed up girl.

D-FENS · 15-02-2012 12:09pm

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Take Shelter
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/take_shelter/

Is this out on DVD yet? would really like to see it.
Shannon is great at playing nutballs

JP Liz V1 · 15-02-2012 12:09pm

msthe80s wrote: »

Primal Fear- Ed Norton and Richard Gere. One of Norton's earlier films.

Book by William Diehl worth reading beforehand.

It was all an act by Norton's character there was no split personality

livinsane · 15-02-2012 12:25pm

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

It was all an act by Norton's character there was no split personality

Still a study on the

split personality even if it was an act

. Great film and the perfect character for Norton -

smug little fecker

and I mean that in the nicest possible way

phil1nj · 15-02-2012 12:28pm

"Some Voices" a movie from 2000 with Daniel Craig and Kelly McDonald features a lead character (Craig) with schizophrenia. I caught it on TV late one night and thought it dealt with the subject matter fairly well.

number10a · 15-02-2012 12:29pm

Sad Professor wrote: »

No. Lisabeth is not autistic. She is the victim of childhood abuse and mistreatment by the state, not a neurological disorder. There's a reason why she behaves toward certain people the way she does. Having said that, if she was a real person she would probably be misdiagnosed as autistic.

Thanks for that one. Seems so blindingly obvious now that you've said it. It's like 2+2 really. *blushes at own simple-mindedness*

Still, amazing movies and book though!!

JP Liz V1 · 15-02-2012 12:36pm

What’s Eating Gibert Grape - excellent performance from Leonardo DiCaprio as a mentally retarded person

Away From Her and The Notebook deal with Dementia

James74 · 15-02-2012 12:36pm

Quick mention for "What's Eating Gilbert Grape". I don't think DiCaprio, and to a lesser extent Depp, have been better in any role since.

When it first came out I had never heard of Leonardo DiCaprio (18 odd years ago). I can remember thinking that they had gotten a great performance from a young lad with mental problems, only to be shocked when he later turns up in Romeo+Juliet.

James74 · 15-02-2012 12:38pm

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

What’s Eating Gibert Grape - excellent performance from Leonardo DiCaprio as a mentally retarded person

Away From Her and The Notebook deal with Dementia

Damn it, 2nd by seconds

[Deleted User] · 15-02-2012 12:38pm

Fight club about a guy with possibly schizophrenia or some other split personality dissorder

As good as it gets, Jack Nicholson plays a man with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

D-FENS · 15-02-2012 12:57pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Fight club about a guy with possibly schizophrenia or some other split personality dissorder

Same goes for Secret Window (Stephen King adaptation with J.Depp)

[Deleted User] · 15-02-2012 12:59pm

D-FENS wrote: »

Same goes for Secret Window (Stephen King adaptation with J.Depp)

Couldn't think of the name of that one. Really enjoyed that movie.

What about the Shining, Misery, and to a lesser extent, Carrie?

Films about mental illness

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