There are many movies that explore physical and mental health and they can be thought-provoking. Personally, I love a movie that really makes me think about how others have it so different from me due to their health conditions.
Therefore, I feel like it is important to stay educated on health issues through movies, as it gives a more eye-opening experience seeing some issues firsthand.
“Thin”
“Thin” explores women who are living in an inpatient rehabilitation program for eating disorders. In this documentary, the producers were given unfettered access to hearing these women’s stories and how they cope.
At times, this movie was difficult to watch, but it is extremely important to recognize their struggles and attempt to empathize with this illness. It also shows how the administrators and doctors at the facility truly have their patient’s best interests in mind and want to see their patients get healthy once again. I would recommend it, as the movie helps you resonate with the women depicted in the film.
“The Farewell”
“The Farewell” is an incredible movie that poses a large bioethical issue that many people face: death with dignity. This film shows how an Asian-American family follows a family member who is dying, but she is unaware of it.
Because she is unaware, it poses a large philosophical question of letting your family member die without the perils of having intense medical treatments that could potentially harm their quality of life. This movie is severely underrated, and Awkwafina puts on an amazing performance.
“Meltdown: Three Mile Island”
In this movie, environmental impacts on health are explored. This documentary looks closely at the nuclear meltdown that occurred on the Three Mile Island Plant outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
In this movie, it is revealed that the nuclear waste that came out of this incident seriously damaged the health of the community, in many cases giving people various types of life-threatening cancer. It is important to note that pollution and neglect are so impactful when it comes to the health of people.
This documentary is great, but if you are looking for films with A-list celebrities that also fit this theme I would check out either “Erin Brockovich” with Julia Roberts or “Dark Waters” with Mark Ruffalo.
“Philadelphia”
“Philadelphia” is an award-winning film that brings to light LGBT health issues during the AIDS epidemic. Tom Hanks portrays an AIDS patient who is discriminated against due to his illness.
When I watched this, I had such an emotional response. You see how this illness really impacts a patient’s health, and how people have such a fear of AIDS without knowing the science behind it. Another fun fact about this movie is that it was a leading movie in normalizing LGBT relationships in film, as it was created in 1993 before being gay was normalized on television.
“Miss Americana: Taylor Swift”
This documentary follows Taylor Swift’s busy life but also gives raw insight into how her career takes a large toll on her mental health. In this, she explores how paparazzi impacted her body image and ultimately led to an eating disorder.
Additionally, it looks at how the political landscape of the United States is extremely stressful for everyday life. However, Swift encourages her fan base to stay hopeful in politics, in order to get justice. This is beneficial, as it explores how women’s health is extremely critical, and it is nice to hear how a celebrity remains active in these issues.
In conclusion, these films are a good start on how to look at health issues from a new lens. Health impacts so many corners of everyday life, so it is important to stay educated. Movies are a great way to do this, so check these ones out.