The following article contains discussions of mental health conditions, violence, and suicide.
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While the entertainment industry is notorious for misrepresenting many illnesses, conditions, and disorders, there are many movie characters who accurately portray mental health. Cinema has had a dubious history of portraying mental health in an authentic or even sensitive light. The perceived dramatic nature of a mental illness has notoriously meant it’s too often conveyed as a means to broadcast sentimentality or sensationalism. Additionally, “madness” has been used by horror films as a justification for all kinds of unspeakable acts. However, Hollywood also occasionally gets it right, and there are plenty of movie characters with mental disorders that aren’t portrayed problematically.
You are watching: 30 Movie Characters Who Accurately Portray Mental Illness
The exploration of mental illness and mental health disorders in movies has improved dramatically over the last few decades, with an emphasis on authenticity and care towards humanization. Depictions that are seen as genuine across myriad genres, from drama to comedy, allow viewers to learn about mental illness through accurate portrayals — perhaps even further cementing the need for understanding in the face of stigmatized thinking and improved mental health programs. These movie characters are shown through their struggles with mental health as well as how they deal with it on a day-to-day basis which could reflect a relatable depiction for many viewers.
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Justine – Melancholia (2011)
Played By Kirsten Dunst
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Melancholia
R
Sci-FiDrama
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Release Date
November 11, 2011
Runtime
130 minutes
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Cast
Kirsten Dunst
, Charlotte Gainsbourg
, Kiefer Sutherland
, Alexander Skarsgard
, Cameron Spurr
, Stellan Skarsgård
, John Hurt
, Brady Corbet
, Jesper Christensen
, Charlotte Rampling
, Udo Kier
, James Cagnard
, Deborah Fronko
, Charlotta Miller
, Claire Miller
, Gary Whitaker
, Katrine A. Sahlstrøm
, Christian Geisnæs
Director
Lars von Trier
Writers
Lars von Trier
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Writer and director Lars von Trier created what has been referred to as his “Depression Trilogy” since all three of the movies explore different facets of depression. The second entry in that trilogy is Melancholia. The psychological drama features a planet on a collision course toward Earth, but it is less about the actual impending doom and more about an internal sense of doom that Kirsten Dunst’s Justine already has.
Justine has already been suffering under the weight of Major Depressive Disorder. Her own struggles are compounded by a strained relationship with her sister. While those around her are terrified of the potential ending of the world as they know it, Justine welcomes it, even wallows in it. The film as a whole presents the declining mental stability of Justine, her sister, and those around them, making for a beautifully shot examination of mental health.
Kirsten Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes for the role.
Viva – Trolls Band Together (2023)
Voiced By Camila Cabello
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5/10
8/10
Trolls Band Together
Not Yet Rated
AnimationAdventureMusical
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Release Date
November 17, 2023
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Cast
Anna Kendrick
, Justin Timberlake
, Camila Cabello
, Eric Andre
, Troye Sivan
, Kid Cudi
, Daveed Diggs
, RuPaul
, amy schumer
Director
Walt Dohrn
Writers
Jonathan Aibel
, Glenn Berger
, Elizabeth Tippet
Franchise(s)
Trolls
Unlike many of the other movies that explore mental health, Trolls Band Together does not feature any specific diagnosis for Viva, the long-lost sister of main character Poppy. It is, however, clear for the audience that Viva is suffering from the trauma of her past experiences with the Bergens.
The Bergens are a race that once invaded Troll settlements and ate Trolls. Viva and Poppy have been separated most of their lives because of a Bergen attack. While Poppy grew up as the princess of a kingdom with their father, Viva grew to become a strict leader of the Trolls in a putt-putt gold settlement.
She has enforced a strict set of rules for her people (and visitors) that are driven by her deep-seated need for control. She also suffers from panic attacks when she attempts to leave her long-time home, isolates her people from the rest of the trolls, and avoids anything and everything that might trigger her to react negatively. In short, Viva has all the hallmarks of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder without the movie ever putting a name to it.
Bella – Twilight: New Moon
Played By Kristen Stewart
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The Twilight Saga: New Moon
PG-13
AdventureDocumentaryDramaFantasyRomance
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Release Date
November 18, 2009
Runtime
130 minutes
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Cast
Kristen Stewart
, Taylor Lautner
, Robert Pattinson
, Billy Burke
, Ashley Greene
, Anna Kendrick
Director
Chris Weitz
Writers
Melissa Rosenberg
Franchise(s)
The Twilight Saga
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The Twilight Saga might get picked apart for its love triangle, questionable werewolf lore choices, and sparkling vampires, but one thing the movie franchise does extremely well is showcase depression. Kristen Stewart’s Bella experiences depression when Edward breaks up with her and quite literally leaves the country in order to avoid being around her. He tries to keep her safe, but she is miserable.
During the bulk of the film when Bella is without him, she eats little, holes up in her room, lashes out in an anger she cannot control, and has little time for the friends she has made. She even tries to force herself to be happy, spending more time with Jacob, but that does not work. The scene that really brings her depression home for viewers, however, is when months pass by, shown through changing lighting and weather, while Bella remains.
The depression is a big part of the novel, and many young adult literature fans credit New Moon with paving the way for more frank discussions of mental health in YA books and movies.
Bob – What About Bob? (1991)
Played By Bill Murray
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What About Bob?
PG
Comedy
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Release Date
May 17, 1991
Runtime
99 minutes
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Cast
Bill Murray
, Richard Dreyfuss
, Julie Hagerty
, Charlie Korsmo
, Kathryn Erbe
, Tom Aldredge
Director
Frank Oz
Writers
Alvin Sargent
, Laura Ziskin
, Tom Schulman
It’s rare for comedic takes on mental illness to get mental health portrayals right. That’s often because stereotypes about mental health are played for laughs or exaggerated for the audience. While What About Bob? does feature some of that, it also offers an incredibly accurate representation of mental health for a specific set of people.
Bill Murray’s Bob has a litany of phobias which are all officially recognized mental health disorders. He also has an anxiety disorder. The movie makes it clear that his anxiety is so heavy that it impacts aspects of his daily life, making it difficult for him to function at all without the assistance of his therapist, here portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss. Bob even decides to follow along with his therapist on a family vacation, which is where much of the movie’s humor comes in.
Anthony – The Father (2020)
Played By Anthony Hopkins
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The Father
PG-13
Drama
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Release Date
December 23, 2020
Runtime
96 minutes
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Cast
Anthony Hopkins
, Olivia Colman
, Mark Gatiss
, Olivia Williams
, Imogen Poots
, Rufus Sewell
, Ayesha Dharker
, Roman Zeller
, Brian Rodger
, Romulus Stoicescu
Director
Florian Zeller
Writers
Christopher Hampton
Dementia is often viewed as a physical ailment rather than a condition associated with mental health. That is because dementia affects the brain, typically in the elderly, targeting memory and cognition. Dementia, however, should be approached as a mental health issue because of the way that cognitive decline can affect a person, and The Father provides an excellent window into just that.
Sir Anthony Hopkins stars as a man who has been supervised by a caregiver while afflicted with dementia. When he scares off his most recent caregiver, however, he refuses help from those around him. When he finds out his daughter is moving to Paris, his declining cognition, lapses in memory, and his new circumstances all combine to create confusion and mood swings. Much of the movie is from his point of view, showing the audience how disorienting his condition can be.
Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for The Father.
Tony Stark – Iron Man 3 (2013)
Played By Robert Downey Jr.
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8/10
17
7.1/10
Iron Man 3
PG-13
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Director
Shane Black
Release Date
May 3, 2013
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Cast
Ben Kingsley
, Guy Pearce
, Paul Bettany
, Don Cheadle
, Gwyneth Paltrow
, Jon Favreau
, Robert Downey Jr.
Runtime
130 Mins
Franchise(s)
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Writers
Drew Pearce
, Shane Black
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A superhero movie would not generally be looked at for being an accurate look at mental illness, but just because the circumstances of the world are implausible doesn’t mean that these depictions cannot be grounded in the real world. Iron Man 3 was the first MCU movie after The Avengers and it focuses on Tony Stark dealing with the aftermath of an alien attack on New York City which saw him nearly die in outer space.
He is also the most human of the Avengers, so it makes for an interesting exploration of him spiraling in his daily life.
While the movie focuses on Tony battling new enemies, he also has to deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the previous movie. Tony is a very confident and self-assured character, but he is also the most human of the Avengers, so it makes for an interesting exploration of him spiraling in his daily life. He seeks comfort in the protection his suits provide but he experiences panic attacks when reminded of the events in New York which are shown in a real and powerful way.
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Dani – Midsommar (2019)
Played By Florence Pugh
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6/10
23
6.7/10
Midsommar
R
MysteryDramaHorror
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Director
Ari Aster
Release Date
July 3, 2019
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Cast
Julia Ragnarsson
, Rebecka Johnston
, Henrik Norlén
, William Jackson Harper
, Gunnel Fred
, Anna Åström
, Will Poulter
, Archie Madekwe
, Louise Peterhoff
, Björn Andrésen
, Isabelle Grill
, Jack Reynor
, Florence Pugh
, Liv Mjönes
Runtime
147 minutes
Writers
Ari Aster
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The so-called elevated horror movie genre has allowed for scary movies to tackle heavier subject matters. In some cases, these horror movies provide an allegory to real experiences, such as The Babadook being an exploration of depression through a monster story. However, Midsommar‘s Dani (Florence Pugh) is shown to be struggling with a very real panic disorder before the main horror really begins.
The movie finds Dani accompanying her boyfriend and his friends to a Swedish midsummer festival which turns into a far deadlier cult ceremony. However, Dani’s entire journey is an attempt to escape the grief she feels over the recent death of her sister and parents. The scenes of Dani literally running from these feelings while losing control of her breathing reflect the real feelings people with panic disorders feel when they have an attack.
Barry Egan – Punch Drunk Love (2002)
Played By Adam Sandler
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10/10
Punch-Drunk Love
R
ComedyThrillerRomanceDrama
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Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Release Date
November 1, 2002
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Cast
Robert Smigel
, Mary Lynn Rajskub
, Emily Watson
, Adam Sandler
, Luis Guzman
, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Runtime
95 minutes
Writers
Paul Thomas Anderson
Given Adam Sandler movies that came before Punch Drunk Love, it would have seemed unlikely he would deliver an accurate portrayal of a character with mental illness. However, in his collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson, Sandler proved a lot of critics wrong with a powerful and effective performance as Barry Egan, a shy, frustrated, and lonely man who strikes up an unlikely romance with his sister’s friend.
In many ways, Barry is a serious and grounded version of Sandler’s more comedic and child-like roles. Barry has a form of social anxiety disorder, making it hard for him to interact with people and causing him to literally retreat from such situations. Barry’s anxieties sometimes result in fits of anger and there are some hints that his upbringing in a household of several domineering sisters may have contributed to his anxiety.
Brandon – Shame (2011)
Played By Michael Fassbender
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Shame
NC-17
Drama
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Director
Steve McQueen
Release Date
December 2, 2011
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Cast
Michael Fassbender
, Carey Mulligan
, Alex Manette
, James Badge Dale
, Nicole Beharie
Runtime
101 minutes
Writers
Abi Morgan
, Steve McQueen
In Shame, Michael Fassbender plays Brandon, an attractive and successful executive whose life is consumed by his sex addiction. It has him constantly going out in the hopes of meeting a stranger for sex, hiring prostitutes, looking at pornography, or going to underground sex clubs. This lifestyle is complicated by the arrival of his troubled sister (Carey Mulligan) who comes to stay with him.
While the movie never directly states it, both Brandon and his sister are hinted to be the victims of intense trauma in their youth, possibly the result of an abusive relationship. This is suggested to be the root cause of Brandon’s addiction as it seems controlled by a mental illness as it can be a compulsive and destructive aspect of his life he cannot quit. This is reflected further in his sister who is prone to self-harm and reverts back to childhood at times.
Lee Chandler – Manchester By The Sea (2016)
Played By Casey Affleck
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9/10
9/10
Manchester By the Sea
R
Drama
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Director
Kenneth Lonergan
Release Date
November 18, 2016
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Cast
Casey Affleck
, Kyle Chandler
, Lucas Hedges
, Michelle Williams
Runtime
137 Minutes
Writers
Kenneth Lonergan
Manchester by the Sea stars Casey Affleck in his Oscar-winning role as Lee Chandler. Lee lives a reclusive life in Massachusetts when he is called back to his old hometown when his brother dies in order to be the guardian of his teenage nephew. While back home, he is forced to confront the tragic incident of his past that led to the death of his three children.
Even before returning home, Lee’s life is consumed by his deep depression as a result of his accident years earlier. He is withdrawn and antisocial, almost seeming pained by having to interact with people. He also has destructive tendencies, picking random fights when the depression becomes too much to bear. One of the most realistic aspects of the movie is that there is no miracle cure for him as Lee heartbreakingly admits to his nephew “I can’t beat it” and accepts that he has to live with it.
Pat Solitano – Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Played By Bradley Cooper
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9/10
8/10
Silver Linings Playbook
R
ComedyDramaRomance
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Release Date
November 16, 2012
Director
David O. Russell
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Cast
Bradley Cooper
, Jennifer Lawrence
, Julia Stiles
, Robert De Niro
, Chris Tucker
, Dash Mihok
, Jackie Weaver
Runtime
122 Minutes
Writers
David O. Russell
The Best Picture nominee Silver Linings Playbook is a unique romance story involving people with mental illness. When Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) nearly beats his wife’s lover to death he’s institutionalized, not thrown in jail. The courts recognized the act as an episode of bipolar mania, not as a crime of passion, and his long road to recovery begins. The story of Silver Linings Playbook starts upon his release when he loses his wife and moves back in with his parents.
Pat struggles with intense emotional swings and gets too worked up about trivial issues, but struggles to succeed because he’s perceived as high-functioning. He spends most of the film in the “manic” portion of bipolar disorder, without much of the depressive state, but what viewers do see is very genuine — a man who can’t see why no one is reacting to life the way he is.
Lisa Rowe – Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Played By Angelina Jolie
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Girl, Interrupted
R
DramaBiography
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Release Date
January 14, 2000
Director
James Mangold
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Cast
Winony Ryder
, Angelina Jolie
, Clea DuVall
, Brittany Murphy
, Elisabeth Moss
, Jared Leto
, Jeffrey Tambor
, Vanessa Redgrave
Writers
Susanna Kaysen
, James Mangold
, Lisa Loomer
Though Winona Ryder’s character was the protagonist of Girl, Interrupted, the suicide attempt that landed her in an all-female mental institution was the catalyst for more engrossing stories featuring her fellow patients. One of the most enigmatic patients she encountered was Lisa Rowe, played with volatile intensity by Angelina Jolie with a performance which earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Lisa was a sociopath, characterized by a charismatic and manipulative nature she used to elicit close bonds from the patients around her. When she didn’t get her way, Lisa’s seductive personality turned incredibly abusive, showing a sociopath’s lack of remorse even when she drove a fellow patient to suicide. It shows the unpredictability of such a character which can make her scary but not turned into the cartoonish villain as some movies have done.
John Forbes Nash, Jr. – A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Played By Russell Crowe
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A Beautiful Mind
PG-13
BiographyDramaMystery
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Director
Ron Howard
Release Date
January 4, 2002
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Cast
Russell Crowe
, Ed Harris
, Jennifer Connelly
, Christopher Plummer
, Paul Bettany
, Adam Goldberg
, Johs Lucas
, Anthony Rapp
Runtime
135 Minutes
Writers
Akiva Goldsman
, Sylvia Nasar
While there were concerns that a biographical drama about noted mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr. (Russell Crowe) could evoke an exaggerated take on the mental illness that would tarnish his reputation, A Beautiful Mind doesn’t do him a disservice. It instead chronicles his years of professional genius, his downward mental spiral, and his eventual recovery in a tasteful way that isn’t romanticized.
Nash emerged victorious over the paranoid delusions brought on by his schizophrenia.
The public was gripped by the life of the Nobel Prize winner, who suddenly came to the horrific realization that many of the locations, events, and people that characterized his life never actually existed. Nash emerged victorious over the paranoid delusions brought on by his schizophrenia by acknowledging that though they were there, they would not rule his life. While some movies depict such hallucinations in an over-the-top way, Nash’s felt terrifyingly plausible in his mind.
Charlie Kelmeckis – The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)
Played By Logan Lerman
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10/10
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
PG-13
RomanceDrama
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Release Date
September 20, 2012
Director
Stephen Chbosky
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Cast
Emma Watson
, Logan Lerman
, Ezra Miller
, Paul Rudd
, Nina Dobrev
Runtime
105minutes
Writers
Stephen Chbosky
Based on the popular novel of the same name, the teen movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower focuses on a boy named Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman) who’s just trying to get through his teenage years while dealing with the overwhelming PTSD and anxiety that comes with trauma. Among the movie’s many strengths is Lerman’s portrayal of Charlie’s mental health issues, which are notably realistic according to many viewers.
This coming-of-age comedy-drama features many of the tropes of teenage films (partying, first love, big exams), but through the lens of a boy dealing with mental illness. His crushingly omnipresent sadness threatens to derail every social victory he attains for himself and will consume him if he doesn’t find ways to maintain equilibrium despite innumerable triggers. While it is fun seeing him come out of his shell with supportive friends, there are also intense moments that show the darker side to Charlie’s struggles.
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While cinema often portrays people with mental illness as murderous, there are films out there that show mentally illness a little differently.
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Cam Stuart – Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)
Played By Mark Ruffalo
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Infinitely Polar Bear
R
DramaComedyRomance
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Release Date
June 19, 2016
Director
Maya Forbes
Runtime
90 minutes
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Cast
Mark Ruffalo
, Zoe Saldana
, Imogene Wolodarsky
, Ashley Aufderheide
, Wallace Wolodarsky
, Keir Dullea
, Beth Dixon
, Georgia Lyman
, William Xifaras
, Mary O’Rourke
, Chris Papavasiliou
, Liam McNeill
, Mark S. Cartier
, Alicia Love
, Manoah Angelo
, Nekhebet Kum Juch
, Muriel Gould
, Paul Elias
, Uatchet Jin Juch
, Wendy Forbes
, Tod Randolph
Writers
Maya Forbes
Expand
Mark Ruffalo is at his mercurial best depicting Cam, a single father suffering from manic depression, unsure of how to take care of himself, let alone his two spirited daughters. His family’s support has always kept him able to go through life without ever facing his mental illness, but after a severe manic episode hospitalizes him, he’s forced to have a wake-up call.
His struggles are both real, relatable, and inspiring because of his mental illness.
Having lost much of their resources, his wife (Zoe Saldaña) attends Columbia University to get a better degree, and with it, a better job. Cam spends the 18 months of her master’s program coming to terms with his bipolar diagnosis and raising their two daughters, showing the beautiful highs and sometimes tragic lows of his condition. His struggles are both real, relatable, and inspiring because of his mental illness, not despite it.
Riley – Inside Out (2015)
Played By Kaitlyn Dias
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9/10
14
8.7/10
Inside Out
PG
AnimationAdventureComedy
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Release Date
June 19, 2015
Director
Pete Docter
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Cast
Lewis Black
, Mindy Kaling
, Phyllis Smith
, Amy Poehler
, Bill Hader
, Richard Kind
, Kaitlyn Dias
Runtime
95 minutes
Writers
Michael Arndt
, Pete Docter
, Meg LeFauve
, Josh Cooley
Pixar’s animated movies are known to be fun family-friendly adventures that can also speak to bigger ideas than most children’s movies do. With Inside Out, Pixar created a surprisingly sensitive and deft portrayal of a child suffering from anxiety and depression that was accessible to both children and adults. The film focuses on Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), a happy-go-lucky 11-year-old who becomes depressed when her parents move the family to San Francisco.
Joy has usually been the predominant emotion in Riley’s life, but the move gives a voice to Sadness, who soon commandeers her personality. When Joy and Sadness get pulled to the furthest reaches of Riley’s subconscious, Anger, Fear, and Disgust assume control. It’s one of the best examinations of the role emotions play in human behavioral development in movies while also offering a great message about dealing with these feelings in a realistic way.
Raymond Babbitt – Rain Man (1988)
Played By Dustin Hoffman
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Rain Man
R
Drama
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Release Date
December 16, 1988
Director
Barry Levinson
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Cast
Tom Cruise
, Dustin Hoffman
, Valeria Golino
, Gerald R. Molen
, Jack Murdock
, Michael D. Roberts
, Ralph Seymour
, Lucinda Jenney
, Bonnie Hunt
, Kim Robillard
, Beth Grant
, Dolan Dougherty
, Loretta Wendt Jolivette
, Donald E. Jones
, Bryon P. Caunar
, Donna J. Dickson
, Earl Roat
, William Montgomery Jr.
, Elizabeth Lower
, Michael C. Hall
, Kneeles Reeves
, Jack W. Cope
, Nick Mazzola
, Ralph Tabakin
, Ray Baker
, Isadore Figler
, Sam Roth
, Nanci M. Harvey
, Kenneth E. Lowden
, Jocko Marcellino
, John Thorstensen
, Blanche Salter
, Jake Hoffman
, Royce D. Applegate
, June Christopher
, Anna Mathias
, Archie Hahn
, Luisa Leschin
, Ira Miller
, Chris Mulkey
, Tracy Newman
, Julie Payne
, Reni Santoni
, Bridget Sienna
, Ruth Silveira
, Jonathan Stark
, Lynne Marie Stewart
, Arnold F. Turner
, Gigi Vorgan
Runtime
134 Minutes
Writers
Barry Levinson
, Ron Bass
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Autism has a spectrum spanning the most high-functioning and the most severe alterations to behavior, and the further along the spectrum, the greater the chance of sensationalism. There have been many movies that have taken cliched and incorrect approaches to depicting this. Luckily in Rain Man, this isn’t the case, and the presentation of Raymond Babbitt’s (Dustin Hoffman) autism is authentic and genuine.
He gets entrusted to his younger brother Charlie (Tom Cruise) after the death of their father and has no idea that Charlie is an opportunist using Raymond to get at their father’s fortune. He initially copes with Raymond’s outbursts for financial gain, not realizing that he’s becoming the routine and stability that Raymond needs in his life. By the end of the film, the brothers grow to know a fraternal love unlike anything either has ever experienced.
Craig Gilner – It’s Kind Of A Funny Story (2010)
Played By Keir Gilchrist
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It’s Kind of a Funny Story
PG-13
ComedyDramaRomance
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Release Date
October 8, 2010
Director
Anna Boden
, Ryan Fleck
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Cast
Keir Gilchrist
, Dana DeVestern
, Lauren Graham
, Jim Gaffigan
, Karen Chilton
, Zach Galifianakis
Runtime
91 minutes
Writers
Anna Boden
, Ryan Fleck
Sometimes it is some of the underseen movies that deserve recognition for how they deal with their depictions of mental illness. In It’s Kind of a Funny Story, Craig is a depressed teenager who develops suicidal ideation and does the only thing he can think of in a particularly dark moment — checks himself into a mental health clinic to get access to some medication. Once there, he begins to have a different perspective.
Craig encounters patients in the facility with everything from autism to manic depression and beyond, and they’re depicted in ways that aren’t exaggerated, hypertrophied, or over-the-top. Craig still has his problems, but after five days of bonding, he realizes that they aren’t so bad. After all, some people would give anything to be him for just a day, despite his problems.
Related
20 Most Inaccurate Movie Character Portrayals Of Mental Illness
Portraying a specific mental illness can be a difficult thing to get right. Here are some of the most medically inaccurate portrayals in film history.
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Roy Waller – Matchstick Men (2003)
Played By Nicolas Cage
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10/10
Matchstick Men
PG-13
ComedyCrimeDocumentaryDramaThriller
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Release Date
September 12, 2003
Director
Ridley Scott
Runtime
116 minutes
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Cast
Nicolas Cage
, Alison Lohman
, Sam Rockwell
, Bruce Altman
, Bruce McGill
Writers
Eric Garcia
, Nicholas Griffin
, Ted Griffin
One of Nicolas Cage’s best movies is also one of his most underrated with a gripping story and a brilliant performance. Cage plays Roy, a con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder, audiences might expect him to bring some of his grandiose showboating to Matchstick Men. However, he portrays the mental illness with understated intensity, especially when it comes to bearing on his vocation and his relationship with his teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman).
Angela yearns to be closer to her father, as well as gain an insider perspective into the world of the con, so she asks to join his next big scheme. While they get closer as they handle the family business, Roy has to understand that the methods he used to control his mental illness have to be adjusted to accommodate his new fatherly role.
Nathaniel Ayers – The Soloist (2009)
Played By Jamie Foxx
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The Soloist
PG-13
DramaBiographyDocumentary
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Release Date
April 24, 2009
Director
Joe Wright
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Cast
Jamie Foxx
, Robert Downey Jr.
, Catherine Keener
, Tom Hollander
, Lisa Gay Hamilton
, Nelsan Ellis
Runtime
105 minutes
Writers
Susannah Grant
, Steve Lopez
When dealing with a true story about a real person who struggles with mental illness, it becomes all the more imperative that the movie pulls it off with accuracy as with The Soloist. The story of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) may seem singular enough to be featured as the premise of a movie, but his circumstances are far more common than viewers might think. He began as a gifted professional musician who suddenly finds himself homeless when he’s plagued by the onset of schizophrenia.
Ayers is befriended by Steve (Robert Downey Jr.), a columnist who’s searching for the story that will get his life back on track. Steve forms an unlikely friendship with Ayers, and together they bring awareness to not just mental illness, but society’s response to it. Steve is not just seen as a savior for Ayers as it becomes clear this is a struggle he has deal with for years and it will not magically go away now that he has a friend.
Maggie & Milo Dean – The Skeleton Twins (2014)
Played By Kristen Wiig And Bill Hader
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The Skeleton Twins
R
Drama
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Release Date
June 5, 2014
Director
Craig Johnson
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Cast
Bill Hader
, Kristen Wiig
, Luke Wilson
, Ty Burrell
, Boyd Holbrook
, Joanna Gleason
, Kathleen Rose Perkins
, Adriane Lenox
, Sydney Lucas
, Eddie Schweighardt
, Paul Castro Jr.
, Benjamin McGowan
, Jennifer Smith
, Genevieve Adams
, Truck Hudson
, Cliff Moylan
, Ian Hyland
, David Garelik
, Jennifer Lafleur
, Noah Segura
Runtime
92 minutes
Writers
Mark Heyman
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Though Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig worked together as two standout cast members on Saturday Night Live, their collaboration in The Skeleton Twins allows them to show their dramatic sides as well. When Milo (Bill Hader) attempts suicide, he reunites with his estranged twin sister Maggie (Kristen Wiig) in the hospital. Both suffering from severe depression and anxiety, they are forced to look at how their mental illnesses have shaped the course of their lives and affected the loved ones around them.
Accepting that depression will always be a part of their lives is the only way they can move forward healthily.
Aside from the usual cognitive behavioral therapy, they examine the romantic relationships in their lives to try to find areas of their unhappiness that they can alter. Maggie is married to a loving husband but is unhappy, and Milo has always wondered if his first love is the one who got away. Accepting that depression will always be a part of their lives is the only way they can move forward healthily.
Melvin Udall – As Good As It Gets (1997)
Played By Jack Nicholson
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As Good As It Gets
PG-13
DramaComedyRomance
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Release Date
December 19, 1997
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Cast
Helen Hunt
, Jack Nicholson
, Greg Kinnear
, Cuba Gooding Jr.
, Shirley Knight
, Jesse James
, Yeardley Smith
, Lupe Ontiveros
, Skeet Ulrich
, Harold Ramis
, Bibi Osterwald
, Ross Bleckner
, Bernadette Balagtas
, Jaffe Cohen
, Laurie Kilpatrick
, Alice Vaughn
, Brian Doyle-Murray
, Kristi Zea
, Annie Maginnis Tippe
, Patricia Childress
, Rebekah Johnson
, Missi Pyle
, Leslie Stefanson
, Tara Subkoff
, Shane Black
Runtime
139 minutes
Writers
James L. Brooks
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Jack Nicholson’s character in As Good as It Gets (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor), who wears gloves in public and won’t step on cracks in the sidewalk, is so much more than an eccentric New Yorker who speaks his mind and doesn’t care when people think of him. He plays Melvin Udall, a best-selling author diagnosed with OCD, who performs obsessive rituals to combat his intrusively anxious thoughts.
He attempts to control his condition for a chance at a relationship with a waitress (Helen Hunt) at his favorite diner, but he’s rude, arrogant, and entitled. His misanthropic personality, which seems exempt from social graces, is comprised of inappropriate emotional responses and forces him to avoid social situations, which is accurately indicative of a number of personality disorders, including narcissistic personality disorder.
Alice Klieg – Welcome To Me (2014)
Played By Kristen Wiig
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As funny as she is in comedic roles, Kristen Wiig has proven herself a gifted dramatic actor with more challenging roles such as the movie Welcome to Me. By fate or coincidence, when Alice Klieg (Kristen Wiig) decides to quit her medications cold turkey, she cashes in a winning lottery ticket. She impulsively purchases a talk show, where she’s able to share her opinions with the world, while her borderline personality disorder creeps back into her life.
Alice has manic mood swings, and tumultuous relationships, which lead the people around her to view her as selfish. Though BPD is portrayed using humor in the movie, it accurately works to falsify the burgeoning myth that people with her condition are doomed to be self-destructive and self-involved. Through therapy and reassessment, she’s able to take her mental health seriously.
Ellen – To The Bone (2017)
Played By Lily Collins
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To the Bone
TV-MA
Drama
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Release Date
July 14, 2017
Director
Marti Noxon
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Cast
Rebekah Kennedy
, Lily Collins
, Dana L. Wilson
, Ziah Colon
, Joanna Sanchez
, Liana Liberato
, Carrie Preston
, Don O. Knowlton
Runtime
107 Minutes
Writers
Marti Noxon
While there are a lot of mental illness that are regularly featured in movies and television shows, eating disorders don’t tend to get the same attention as some other conditions. However, To the Bone is one effective and harrowing look at them. After spending her teenage years being herded through multiple recovery programs for her eating disorder, Ellen (Lily Collins) doesn’t see much point in trying to escape her anorexia, especially since every time she begins a new therapy she ends up weighing less than she did before she started.
In a desperate attempt to save her, her family sends her to a group home, which specializes in mental health for young people. Once she settles into her new environment, she comes out of her shell thanks to a doctor (Keanu Reeves) with non-traditional and inclusive methods of approaching her mental illness. Ellen discovers ways to confront her deep-seated anxieties and embrace self-acceptance.
Joon Pearl – Benny & Joon (1993)
Played By Mary Stuart Masterson
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Benny & Joon
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There are a number of movies that accurately depict people with mental illness despite the stories being more focused on the people in their lives who try to help them and provide support. Benny (Aidan Quinn) and his sister Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson) live a fairly uneventful life until she stops taking her medication and her schizophrenia becomes unmanageable. Benny devotes himself to supporting her in those times so that she can live an isolated life far away from the jarring pace of the world.
Eventually, Benny invites Sam (Johnny Depp) into their household at his sister’s request and watches her flourish interacting with the eccentric artist. Eventually, however, after Sam and Joon run away to start a sweeping romance, they realize that the stability Benny provided was necessary, and Joon’s mental illness needs treatment, not just hopes and dreams.
Scott Carlin – The King Of Staten Island (2020)
Played By Pete Davidson
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8/10
The King of Staten Island
R
ComedyDrama
Where to Watch
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Release Date
June 12, 2020
Director
Judd Apatow
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Cast
Bill Burr
, Maude Apatow
, Pauline Chalamet
, Domenick Lombardozzi
, Machine Gun Kelly
, Moises Arias
, Pamela Adlon
, Kevin Corrigan
, Carly Aquilino
, Bel Powley
, Pete Davidson
, Jimmy Tatro
, Adriana DeMeo
, Steve Buscemi
, Marisa Tomei
Runtime
136 minutes
Writers
Judd Apatow
, Dave Sirus
, Pete Davidson
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Based somewhat on Pete Davidson’s life in the wake of losing his father, The King of Staten Island finds the comedian portraying Scott, a young man with a history of mental illness, trying to adjust to the death of his father (who lost his life serving as a firefighter during the September 11th attacks) who also suffered from the same. He can be socially combative, stuck in a state of arrested development where he still lives with his mother while seeing his younger sister move out, and occasionally giving into destructive behavior.
Scott’s battle with depression, anxiety, and ADD are shown realistically in his issues around impulse control, executive dysfunction, and various neuroses. These are tackled through dark comedy and emotionally vulnerable drama by a compelling performance by Davidson, making the portrayal of mental illness particularly effective.
Nina Sayers – Black Swan (2010)
Played By Natalie Portman
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10/10
Black Swan
R
ThrillerDocumentary
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Release Date
December 3, 2010
Director
Darren Aronofsky
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Cast
Natalie Portman
, Mila Kunis
, Vincent Cassel
, Barbara Hershey
, Winona Ryder
, Benjamin Millepied
Runtime
108 minutes
Writers
John J. McLaughlin
, Andres Heinz
, Mark Heyman
In one of the most critically acclaimed performances of her career, Natalie Portman portrays Nina Sayers, a star ballerina in the midst of heavy competition for the lead role in the popular ballet Swan Lake. Fearing she will lose the part to a rival dancer, Nina undergoes a grueling training regiment, the result of which incites a terrifying metamorphosis.
The terrifying psychological thriller trappings of Black Swan might make it seem like a lurid take on mental illness, but the delusions and hallucinations build a truly realistic world for someone who actively suffers from schizophrenia. Far from a simple descent into madness, it is an accurate representation of an obsessive fugue state that is difficult to extricate from. Black Swan’s ending leaves a lot up to interpretation and is ambiguous in many ways, but it hints at how far Nina’s delusions have gotten.
Lars Lindstrom – Lars And The Real Girl (2007)
Played By Ryan Gosling
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10/10
Lars and the Real Girl
PG-13
ComedyDramaRomance
Where to Watch
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Release Date
October 12, 2007
Director
Craig Gillespie
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Cast
Ryan Gosling
, Emily Mortimer
, Paul Schneider
, R.D. Reid
, Kelli Garner
, Nancy Beatty
, Doug Lennox
, Joe Bostick
, Liz Gordon
, Nicky Guadagni
, Patricia Clarkson
, Karen Robinson
, Maxwell McCabe-Lokos
, Billy Parrott
, Sally Cahill
, Angela Vint
, Liisa Repo-Martell
, Boyd Banks
, Darren Hynes
, Víctor Gómez
, Tommy Chang
, Arnold Pinnock
, Joshua Peace
, Aurora Browne
, Alec McClure
, Tannis Burnett
, Lauren Ash
, Lindsey Connell
, Aaron Ferguson
, Danna Howe
, Annabelle Torsein
, Tim Blake
, Torquil Colbo
Runtime
106 minutes
Writers
Nancy Oliver
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When shy Lars Lindstrom (a very against type Ryan Gosling) finally gets a girlfriend his family is overjoyed — until they find out it’s a lifesize plastic blow-up doll. Rather than ostracize him, his community plays along with his delusion at the behest of his doctor, helping him come to terms with prior trauma while at the same time becoming more introspective and tolerant as a whole.
Despite what the premise might suggest, this is not an immature comedy but rather a moving and unique story. Many movies about mental illness focus on the problematic lifestyle of the character afflicted, with them adapting to a neurotypical worldview, rather than the people around them adapting to their neurodivergent perspective. In that respect, Lars and the Real Girl put a positive emphasis on Lars’ way of life by exploring how much it has helped his community confront their own biases.
Bonnie, Arnie, Gilbert – What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Played By Darlene Cates, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp
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What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
PG-13
Drama
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Release Date
December 17, 1993
Director
Lasse Hallström
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Cast
Juliette Lewis
, Leonardo DiCaprio
, Mary Steenburgen
, Laura Harrington
, Johnny Depp
, Darlene Cates
Runtime
118 minutes
Writers
Peter Hedges
In the wake of a patriarch’s absence, an entire family, the Grapes, begins to reveal signs of mental illness to varying degrees, exacerbated by poverty and declining circumstances. Bonnie suffers from severe depression and punishes herself by becoming morbidly obese, her youngest son — played by Leonardo DiCaprio in one of his earliest roles — contends with autism and ADHD, and her eldest son Gilbert (Johnny Depp) tries to hold his clan together while struggling with his own depression and anxiety.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is about the importance of characters not only identifying their own mental illnesses but locating those around them who understand them as well. No solutions to the Grapes’ problems are easy or applicable, and the movie handles the stigma about mental illness and obesity with raw integrity by acknowledging the necessity of strong familial bonds.
Arthur Fleck – Joker (2019)
Played By Joaquin Phoenix
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5/10
22
8.3/10
Joker
R
SuperheroActionAdventureCrimeFilm NoirThriller
Where to Watch
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Release Date
October 2, 2019
Director
Todd Phillips
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Cast
Joaquin Phoenix
, Robert De Niro
, Zazie Beetz
, Frances Conroy
, Brett Cullen
, Shea Whigham
Runtime
122 minutes
Writers
Todd Phillips
, Scott Silver
Even if Joker didn’t tangentially connect its main character to the DC Universe, its investigation of what might lead to the origins of a “psychopathic clown” would be thought-provoking in the context of a callous society. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix in an Oscar-winning role) isn’t given a formal diagnosis in the movie but appears to suffer from extreme social anxiety, narcissism, and a lack of empathy.
“The worst part of having a mental illness is that people expect you to behave as if you don’t.”
Phoenix accurately and painfully shows the indignities suffered by Arthur for daring to exist with his conditions in a world that refuses to accommodate them. The loneliness, negative thoughts, and perpetual isolation will be immediately recognizable for anyone with a mental illness, as will the words, “The worst part of having a mental illness is that people expect you to behave as if you don’t.”
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Category: Entertainment