(Heartcatching Movies on schizophrenia starting from alphabet A to I: A beautiful Mind, Angel Baby, Bullet, Benny and Joon, Best of Youth, clean shaven, call me crazy, canvas, caveman’s valentine, Donnie Darko, I met a girll)
A Beautiful Mind: Battle with schizophrenia
Table of Contents
Written by: Akiva Goldsman
Based on: A beautiful Mind by Slyvia Nasar
Cast: Russel Crowe as John Nash
Jennifer connelly as Alicia Nash
Year: 2001
Storyline: If one wants to see a contemporary view of schizophrenia A beautiful mind sets it right. Ron Howard won the best director oscar for A beautiful Mind. The movie is based on the story of brilliant mathematician John Nash who battled with schizophrenia. The movie throws light on the symptoms of the illness, the challenges the person goes through, environmental factors, and the treatment.
Angel Baby
Directed by: Michael Rymer
Written by: Michael Rymer
Cast: John Lynch, Jacqueline Mckenzie, Colin Friels
Year: 1995
Storyline: It is an Australian Film which won seven Australian Film Institute Awards. Two people battling with schizophrenia meet during the group therapy sessions at a psychiatric clinic. They fall in love. They believe that their love is strong enough to battle the illness hence decide to stop the medication. Movie depicts the problems and the challenges that arise due to the decisions taken by them.
Bullet
Directed by: Julian Temple
Written by: Mickey Rourkee,Bruce Rubenstein
Cast: Mickey Rourkee, Tupac Shakur, Donnie Wahlberg
Year: 1996
The plot of the film surrounds a violent drug war, but Bullet also depicts the family life of Mickey Rourke, whose brother, played by Ted Levine, is battling with schizophrenia. The film reflects on the suffering of the individual and the family due to the devastating effect of the illness.
Benny and Joon
Directed by: Jeremiah s. Chechik
Written by: Barry Berman
Cast: Johnny Depp
Year: 1993
Storyline: Benny and Joon are brother and sister respectively. Joon suffers from schizophrenia. Benny takes care of her. The film showcases multiple aspects of mental illness, the sufferings of the individual as well as their loved ones. When Benny comes to know that Joon likes Sam, he does not like it. It leads to problems in the relationship of brother and sister. Joon runs away with Sam but realises her mistake. Belly too apologises to Joon. Sam comes back to Joon.Siblings reconcile and Joon and Sam reunite.
Best of Youth
directed by Marco Tullio Giordana
written by Sandro Petraglia and Stefano Rulli.
Cast:Luigi Lo Cascio
Alessio Boni
Year: 2003
Storyline:
Clean shaven
written, produced and directed by Lodge Kerrigan
Star: Peter Greene
Alice Levitt
Year: 1993
Storyline:
The movie makes an attempt to depict the mind of a person struggling with schizophrenia.He is released from a mental institution and wants to live his life But he has to struggle a lot due to the delusions and the hallucinations. Peter winter is stalked by a detective on the assumption that he has murdered a young child. Peter’s daughter is with his adoptive mother. He tries to reconcile with his daughter.But He is still stalked by the investigator on the assumption of the murder of another young girl. In various ways the movie tries to depict the difficulties associated with schizophrenia.
Call me crazy
Directed by: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Laura Dern, Bonnie Hunt
Release: 2014
Storyline:
It comprises five short films which deal with mental illness. These stories are interconnected. The first story is of a law student who is helped by a psychotherapist to cope up with schizophrenia.The other stories reflect upon other disorders.
Canvas
Directed by: Joseph Greco
Written by: Joseph Greco
Cast: Joe pantoliano
Marcia Gay Harden
Year: 2006
Storyline: The movie quite accurately displays the devastating effect of illness which are not just physical rather mental and emotional too. Joe Pantoliano as John Marino, is a construction worker; Marcia Gay Harden as Mary, is his wife, and Devon Gearhart as their young son, Chris. It is about a family dealing with a mother who is struggling with auditory hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia and the other symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.
It portrays the love they have for each other and the moments they share during their struggle to fight with mental illness. It is based on a true story.
Caveman’s valentine
Directed by: Kasi Lemmons
Written by: George Dawes Green
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson
Year: 2001
Storyline: Romulus Ledbetter (Samuel L. Jackson), suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Earlier he was a pianist, studied at Juilliard. Mental decline caused him to leave his studies. He does not share a good relationship with his family. He lives in a cave in Inwood Park. Romulus experiences positive as well as the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. He believes that a man named Cornelius Gould Stuyvesant is controlling the world with rays from the top of the Chrysler Building. He does not maintain adequate hygiene. The movie also depicts how he is stigmatised.
On valentine’s day, scooty Gates’s frozen body is discovered in a tree outside the cave where Romulus lives. EX-lover of scooty tells Rppmulus that scooty is murdered by famous photographer David Leppenraub. Romulus is determined to know the truth and prove his worth to his daughter. Movie also depicts how a man suffering from schizophrenia struggles with his own mind.
Donnie Darko
Directed by: Richard Kelly
Written by: Richard Kelly
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone,
Year: 2001
Storyline: Donnie Darko is an emotionally troubled teenager who has grandiose delusions. He has various symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. Donnie has an imaginary friend Frank in rabbit costume who informs him that in approximately 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds the world he knows will come to an end. Frank manipulates Donnie to commit several crimes. Movie may also lead the audience to question if Donnie is the Prophet or is struggling with mental disorder.
I met a girl
Directed by: Luke Eve
Written by: Glen Dolman
Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Lily Sullivan
Year: 2020
Storyline: Devan suffers from schizophrenia. He stops medications. He often shows symptoms of delusions and paranoia. Movie depicts how mental illness can affect the sufferer and the caregiver. It shows how stopping medications may adversely affect. Movie also highlights the importance of empathy and kindness. He loves Lucy but When Lucy doesn’t show up to meet his brother (who is now convinced Lucy is a delusion) Devon goes to find the woman of his dreams, who may not be real but be all in his head. The movie shows various range of emotions that humans goes through.
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