I recently watched a emotionally heart-clenching film, Adam (2009)



From what I've seen, it depicts a raw look into the inner struggle of Aspies. It's quite similar to 500 Days of Summer in regards to how the story line progresses; a slice of life movie if you will.

I'd love to watch more films with underlying themes of mental health. Suggest any and all you've seen and your reviews of them.

I Am Sam! Loved that movie.... such a tear jerker.. . Usually I'm not into 'heart wrenching' type movies.. but I Am Sam is a classic! You've probably already seen it?

I loved Adam, too. It's such a great movie.
And I have to confess that Adam always reminded me of our Chair.

I Am Sam made me cry when I first saw it . I think I was 12 years old. It sort of reminded me of a relationship I have with a family member so I could relate a lot.

I'll have to check out Adam.

Off the top of my head, two films I really enjoyed that dealt with metal health were Garden State and Punch Drunk Love.

I have to fourth I Am Sam.

"A Beautiful Mind" & a movie that's really old about a young woman with schizophrenia. I unfortunately can't remember it's name.

Sounds a bit like "Through a Glass Darkly" by Ingmar Bergman:

Yes! That was it! When trying to think of the name, I googled "into the looking glass" & came up with Alice in Wonderland-type results, so I guess I had the words partly right.

As Good as It Gets - Jack Nicholson plays a misanthropic novel writer with obsessive-compulsive-disorder. This is a wonderful film, one of my favourites.


Le Feu Follet / The Fire Within - This was mentioned in a 'Films with reclusive themes' (or something like that) thread on here. I watched it a couple months ago and really liked it. It's about a depressed, suicidal alcoholic.


Donnie Darko - Cool film, though I think I've seen it too much and I likely won't watch it again until I'm 37 human years of age.


Fight Club - An obvious one. If you've not seen this, you're very silly indeed.


Pollock - Biographical film of the artist Jackson Pollock. I enjoyed it, but I don't think I'll watch it again.


Also, 'Taxi Driver'. That film has such wonderful atmosphere. I also remember an ex of mine showed me a film called 'Igby goes down'. I can't remember much about it, but I know it had a mentally-ill theme. 'One flew over the Cuckoo's nest' is another, I'm sure most of you have seen that though. Oh, and 'Enduring Love', although I read the book first and remember thinking the film was quite shit compared... thought I'd mention it anyway.

Yessir, I have. Brilliant film. Sean Penn's interpretation of Sam was beautifully executed. I watched it when I was... 17/18. I think I cried. Can't remember. I just remember the seen at the diner where Sam makes a hissy fit over the menu and his daughter comes to the grim realization that she's growing up beyond her dad's mental age.

Kollide, I'm going to check out As Good As It Gets. If it is anything like Jack Nicholson's performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, then I'm in for a real treat.

I never really considered Donnie Darko and Fight Club to be in this category; though it's obvious why they should be. I suppose it's because the main theme was not about the mental condition. Regardless, it's element in both films made for a flavourful and spicy dish.

Through A Glass Darkly reminds me of the novel, The Bell Jar. Exquisite and compelling read for any of you who haven't happened upon it yet. It's a quite look into the decaying mind of a intelligent, but frail woman. I wonder how much of it is fictional and how much of it reflects Sylvia Plath.

Russell Crow did a magnificent job depicting the main character in A Beautiful Mind. I watched it a couple of years ago during my movie marathon madness in the winter. I still think about it from time to time; which shows the resonating impact it must have had on me. I admire Jennifer Connelly's character and her struggle in dealing with a husband with schizophrenia.

I enjoy watching films with dynamic characters; which usually comes to light when themes like mental illness come into play. It kind of makes me review my own life. Sometimes I feel relief in being able to understand the character(s). Sometimes I fear I'll turn up in their tragedy. And Sometimes I'm just filled with the hope that things will be better, just like in the movie. Hell, if they can do it, why can't I?

It's hard to play a character with mental illness. Actors and Actresses must do their research. I'm always iffy watching such films because of this. Nonetheless, when I find one that's good, it's really good.

Also, "The Terror Inside" & "Sybil" about people with multiple personality disorder. They were both movies on the Lifetime Channel in the U.S. I saw "The Terror Inside" but can't remember seeing "Sybil".

There is another one, about two psychopaths (I guess being psychopathic is considered a mental disorder), but I can't remember what it's called.

I'm pretty certain you'll love it.


Ditto.

Matchstick Men: Nicolas Cage plays a con man with severe OCD, as his estranged daughter enters his life.

Leaving Las Vegas: Nicolas Cage again, this time as a alcoholic who's lost everything in life and decides to drink himself to death in Vegas Also he meets this hooker and falls in love.

Garden State: Zach Braff's character has depression or bi-polar I think, Natalie Portman is an obsessive liar.

Inside I'm Dancing: S'been awhile since I watched it, James McAvoy is wheelchair bound, and... stuff happens I forget.

There was a comedy movie on TV about a schizophrenic woman. It's called Forever Lulu with Melanie Griffith and Patrick Swayze. It was okay.

Schramm (german movie about a serial killer, does a good job in portraying the psyche of the killer, but warning: it's pretty harsh, should be possible to get it with english subs bc its from the international acclaimed jörg buttgereit)

I'm a cyborg but thats okay (nothing there that will make you learn more about mental disorders, but its fun and it takes place in a looney bin and everybody in this movie is crazy)

Benny and Joon


A sweet romance comedy. Doesn't exactly depict mental health all that accurately, but it's a fun watch.

Surprised this one wasn't posted.

Girl Interrupted, The book was much better though.

Fucking amazing film.

I identified with that book a lot. With such personal novels, I think that they always reflect the author to a great extent, whether the events described are true to life or not. It's in the little things, such as when she rips up the paper into tiny pieces and stuffs it into her purse and her detailed observations about life and people.



Same here. I was going to post that one. I saw it a couple of months ago. I didn't find it that special, but it was okay.

Lars and the Real Girl

A Tale of Two Sisters. A couple of scenes muddy the water, but I've always seen it as a film about a girls sense of guilt over the death of her sister. The scene where her stepmother walks in is just heart breaking.

Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, it may not really seem it at first, but as one reviewer put it: "the devil is in the details" (and probably a second viewing)

Numb
Prozac Nation
Shutter Island
Let Him Have It
Those are just a few. Don't think I need to mention Fight Club or American Psycho.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6sLIP3908w