Suffering from a mental illness can have an isolating effect on an individual. You might feel trapped inside of your own head and unable to talk to anyone because it’s too difficult to articulate what exactly it is you’re feeling. That’s a void that art can fill; it can reflect, give a voice too, and put a face on all that stuff in your head that you can’t really put into words. Film, but really art in general, takes those feelings, experiences, and thoughts you thought were only real for you and reflects them on the big screen (or the little screen). All of a sudden those destabilizing feelings of isolation are challenged. Reading week is less than a month away, so in the spirit of preparation, here’s a list of movies that you can check out during the break, when you’re not catching up on your readings, that is!
1) Inside Out
Listen, I know this looks like a kids movie but don’t be so quick to dismiss it as trivial because beyond the fact that it’s just plain adorable, it’s also an amazing educational tool. If you’re wondering how to bring up the subject with your children/younger siblings/nieces and/or nephews, this movie provides an easy segue into a convo about anxiety and mental health. The film talks about a heavy subject matter in a lighthearted comedic way that doesn’t take away from the seriousness of it’s subject matter. The movie also gives a face and voice to emotions in a way that would make it incredibly simple for a younger child to grasp. It takes place inside the mind of a young girl who has recently moved away from home and it’s main characters are her five emotions: Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith), Anger (voiced by Lewis Black), Fear (voiced by Bill Hader) and Disgust (voiced by Mindy Kaling). Even you grownups will love it because its fun and heartwarming!
2) Silver Linings Playbook
The film is based on a book, and while I never got around to reading it, the movie is a must-see! Bradley Cooper plays a man suffering from Bipolar Disorder who has just been released from a mental institution and although she’s having none of it, he’s desperately trying to get back with his wife. In his efforts to piece back together his life, he reconnects with his estranged sister-in-law, played by the one and only Jennifer Lawrence. The film explores the anxiety, hope, fear and frustration that come with trying to rebuild your life, face your inner demons, and make peace with your past. An added bonus is that the film ends with a beautiful/hilarious/fabulous dance number.
Buy the book here.
3) We Need to Talk About Kevin
Let me start by saying that this film is far from heart-warming. It’s not an adorable little educational tool like Inside Out and it doesn’t have the rom-com vibe of Silver Linings Playbook. At times, you’ll have a hard time sympathizing with any of the characters as the film portrays quite an extreme example of how mental illness affects families and communities. Without giving to much away since it’s constructed with flashbacks that culminates in a heartwrenching suprise at the end, I need to say that the film does an incredible job of weaving together various uncomfortable contemporary social issues. The film might seem a little out of place on this list, but it’s unflinching in it’s presentation of its subject matter and Tilda Swinton is a flawless goddess in everything that she does so don’t forget to include this on your list of “Must-See Films”.
Buy the book here.
4) The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The film is based on the coming-of-age book written by Stephen Chbosky, and like many others of my generation, I loved the novel when I was a teen. It stars Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and our generation’s favourite actress, the fab Emma Watson. I read the book in high school, loved it and was anxious that the movie might ruin the book and thank god that it didn’t. The film turned out to be a great, heartwarming portrayal of coping mechanisms teens use to deal with their issues. Mental illness is not the only tough subject matter the film touches on as it also shines a light on abuse. I definitely recommend it even if you’ve already read the book!
Buy the book here.
5) A Beautiful Mind
I watched this film a long time ago, forgot about it, but it immediately came to mind when I was putting together this list. Russell Crowe plays famed mathematician John Nash and his struggle with maintaining relationships, his career and his sense of self all while navigating his diagnosis as a paranoid schizophrenic. I’m a sucker for films based on true stories because sometimes it just makes it feel so much more real when it was an actual person who had to face adversity and not just a fictional character cooked up in some writer’s head.
I know we just came off of a break, but it’s never to early to start dreaming about the next one, so while you’re thinking about all those Netflix shows you’re going to binge on, don’t forget to check out these awesome movies!
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