Feb. 25, 2021 – And while mental illness still holds far too significant of a stigma in modern society, that stigma is decreasing; mainstream depiction in films seen and loved by many can be a major factor in continuing to break down that wall.
Movies either centering on or touching upon mental illness aren’t a new concept, but the range of genres doing so is wider than ever before. From romantic comedies to action blockbusters, a discussion on mental illness—and mental health—can be found almost anywhere. In fact, a movie doesn’t even need to be about mental illness or mental health to be part of the ongoing surrounding conversation. That could be a good way to normalize the conversation, and some of the movies on out list below do a great job of doing so.
The list below is in no way expansive, but it does cover a lot of ground. Some movies are great, some are merely good, but all do a great job of facilitating the conversation that it’s important for all of us to be having. The following are just a few of the 18.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook follows its two main characters closely. Bradley Cooper plays Pat, a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan and diagnosed bipolar who’s recently been released from a stint in a mental hospital, and Jennifer Lawrence (in her Oscar-winning role) plays a widow dealing with her own mental illness in the aftermath of her husband’s death.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
The movie, rightly considered a classic, finds a criminal who pleaded insanity (Jack Nicholson) in a mental asylum, helping to lead his fellow patients in an uprising against the abusive nurse (Louise Fletcher) who takes advantage of them.
The King of Staten Island (2020)
He plays a kid from, yes, Staten Island, who’s lost his father at a young age, and has grown up his entire life with depression and a diagnosis with bipolar disorder.
Welcome to Me (2015)
The former SNL star here plays a woman with Borderline Personality Disorder who wins the lottery after stopping taking her medication, and immediately uses the money to buy and put on her own daytime talk show.
GIVING BACK IN STYLE – April 17, 2024 - “It’s still one day at…
RIDING THE WAVE...CALMLY – April 18, 2024 - “I was 13 years old and…
VIDEO – NEW YORK STORIES – April 23, 2024 - Sara Gettelfinger had steadily…
TRY IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT – April 18, 2024 - The rise in “sober…
AUDIO – SOBER MEN CAN DO THAT – April 4, 2024 - Acting icon…
I’LL BET HE GOES TO GA (not Georgia) – April 13, 2024 -The initial…