The representation of mental disorders in contemporary films has been scrutinized by critics for years—especially those films that deal with schizophrenic individuals (Abu-Akel & Abushua'leh, 2004, para. While some of these characters have been confirmed as autistic by their writers or creators, others are pure speculation. Many of these movies are not based on true stories, but some are. The only scene from the movie I remember is that she had a can of soda with a straw in it and she held soda covering the tip of the straw, and put drops of soda in each letter of her computer keyboard, ruining it. Through a Glass Darkly An award-winning Swedish film dating back to the mid 1960s, stars Igmar Bergman with schizophrenia. Memoirs of My Nervous Illness (2006) – This movie is based on the 1903 journal that was written by Daniel Paul Schreber. The Voices starring Ryan Reynolds and Bubba Ho Tep starring Bruce Campbell. déjà-vu, that he's living things from the past, and as time goes by his life becomes more convoluted. Unfortunately, several movies portray people with schizophrenia as serial killers. It has been noted by critics that “Joon” the character played by Masterson suffers from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia, naturally, is one of the most demonized and vilified conditions and there are countless movies where the disorder is shown as the underlining cause of the worst crimes. Oddly enough, his outlook on life ends up being an inspiration for other patients as well as his psychiatrist. Some very famous or accomplished people have had or are living with schizophrenia. Through many incidents tied to his condition, we see how Peter fights to prove that he's capable of taking care of his daughter.Â, From from being a psychological thriller or drama, this romantic comedy tells the story of a man and a woman who don't precisely conform to what is not considered "normal." In reality, although some schizophrenia symptoms may be bizarre and grossly disorganized, the negative symptoms Portrayals of Schizophrenia by All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. The radio DJ ends up becoming suicidal for what had happened in regards to the caller into his show. Not all of these movies portray schizophrenia or a main character with schizophrenia, but some have schizophrenic themes and/or overtones. Schreber was a prominent German judge who became incarcerated in an insane asylum after a break with reality. A Beautiful Mind (2001) This movie, based on a true story, highlights the life of John Forbes Nash, Jr. (Russel Crow), a mathematical savant who lived with schizophrenia. Trying to dub it to DVD, but the quality is likely abysmal by now. The woman suffering from schizophrenia ends up creating an alternate reality in her mind in which she marries her ex-fiancé and has kids. You, as a reader of this website, are totally and completely responsible for your own health and healthcare. The successful writer of the two ends up developing schizophrenia and is picked up by the other at a psychiatric hospital. Learning more about these conditions can help kids develop empathy and open the doors for honest discussions. Janet Frame was a brilliant child who, as a teen, was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. The storyline follows her fantasies as well as her escape plan. Most of the hallucinations that she experiences contain threats to the safety of her family as well as media-influenced fears such as kidnappings, accidents, and terrorists. Schizophrenia is a relatively rare mental illness affecting slightly over 1% of the American adult population. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. 1). English-language commercial movies that featured at least one character with schizophrenia and that were released for theatrical showing between 1990 and 2010 were viewed in their entirety. Angel Baby (1995) – This is an Australian drama film about two people that meet during therapy and fall into deep love. Her mother is emotionally abusive and highly controlling. Sucker Punch (2011) – This is a fantasy action type movie about a young woman who attempts to escape an institution for the mentally ill before suffering a lobotomy. A young girl has an imaginary friend named “Drop Dead Fred” who causes chaos around the house and neighborhood. For this review, 2 researchers analyzed data for English-language movies released to theaters between 1990 and 2010 that featured at least 1 character who had schizophrenia. The story is about an affluent guy serving in the Marine Corps to avoid being in jail who falls in love with an actress that has undiagnosed schizophrenia. Some would argue that the tendencies exhibited by the main character do not fully qualify as schizophrenia. Her success in overcoming the English forces results in Charles VII taking the throne as ruler. This film was considered very well done and actually won an Oscar. She hears voices, feels out of touch with reality, and doesn’t remember her husband. Let us take a look at some of the beloved cartoon characters with psychological disorders. One of the first movies to mention schizophrenia by name, the story tells of the young womans plight and relates the strange family dynamics in which she exists. Joon does experience auditory hallucinations and ends up doing pretty well with a stable routine and her daily medication. The Snake Pit (1948) – This movie is based on the novel “The Snake Pit” written by Mary Jane Ward in 1946. 1. Images (1972) Dir. The… Thank you in advance if you know the movie I am talking about, I would love to own it. In The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) the main character, Joan of Arc, leads war by following her hallucinations and has some symptoms of schizophrenia. Some would argue that this movie has some schizophrenic features. If you know of any other movies that could be classified as highlighting the mental illness that is schizophrenia, feel free to let me know in the comments section so I can add it to the list. Mr. Brooks (2007) – This movie is a psychological thriller starring Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, and Dane Cook. Spider (2002) – This is a Canadian/British psychological thriller movie about a man who is staying at a halfway house for the mentally ill. She ends up running away from home with another girl who is being abused. The line between what is imagined and real, periodicity is blurred. Eventually Joan ends up being executed for committing heresy. At first, I thought it was either the movie “Strange Voices” with Nancy McKeon, or the 1995 movie; “Dare To Love”, but it’s not either of them having just watched both. We’ve grown up watching an innumerable list of films and TV programs where characters with a determined mental condition are depicted as insane, violent people who are no longer in control of their lives. Patrizio "Pat" Solitano, Jr. - Silver Linings Playbook Bradley Cooper was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of bipolar, Pat Solitano, Jr. The movie attempts to address major issues that influence the life of Alan. There have been many movies released that depict this illness in one way or another. One is propelled to stardom, while the other’s work is rejected. Specifically, about half of the characters had low socioeconomic status, which is consistent with data on the illness. In the movie, Jason Igby’s father suffers from schizophrenia and is committed to a psychiatric institution. He explains his delusions to her such as that he has been victim of U.S. Government testing. Updated on December 14th, 2020 by Svetlana Sterlin: mental illness is a topic that slowly but surely is … Canvas (2006) – This is a drama movie about a Florida family dealing with a mother who is dealing with schizophrenia. It is based on Dennis Lehane’s book “Shutter Island” which was released in 2003. No Mercy No Future (Die Berührte) (1981) – This is a German movie about the daughter of uncaring wealthy parents who is locked up in an institution because she has schizophrenia. I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2006) – This is a Korean romantic comedy that takes place in a mental institution. This list may not reflect recent changes (). While investigating he begins to experience this sense of déjà-vu, that he's living things from the past, and as time goes by his life becomes more convoluted. It was based on the play “Proof” by David Auburn. It is based on the book “The Caveman’s Valentine” by Geoge Dawes Green that was released in 1994. At the end the movie proves that schizophrenia is not a completely disabling disorder and that with medication and the help of loved ones, one can have a pretty "normal" life.Â, Probably the favorite movie of many, Donnie Darko became a cult movie par excellence. He made a lot of insensitive, rude comments to a depressed individual who was a caller on his radio show. It features Russell Crowe playing star character John Nash and was inspired by the bestselling book with the same name written by Sylvia Nasar. DiCaprio’s character experiences many of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia including the delusion that he is being psychologically manipulated. The writer experiences such guilt for pursuing this woman that he develops schizophrenia and is sent to an asylum. Some would suggest that there are overtones of schizophrenia in this movie. These characters have had their struggles, and their storylines are treated with the respect they deserve. Some of the symptoms he exhibits are schizophrenic in nature. So why is schizophrenia depicted in such a negative light? We realize that she is, in fact, experiencing hallucinations and delusions as symptoms of what appears to be a schizophrenic disorder. The lawyer (played by Juilia Roberts) finds him funny because he saved her from a robbery, but doesn’t know that the taxi driver has been spying on her home. The patient claims to be an alien from the planet “K-PAX” – hence the title of the movie. In the movie, the main character sees someone who has killed many people who runs through the cabin. She was sent to the institution by an abusive step-dad and is blamed for the death of her younger sister. It is discussed that she lead a pretty normal life up until her early 20’s before a traumatic experience made her withdraw from the world – this lead to the development of schizophrenia. She is obviously dealing with schizophrenia and has to sort out what is real from what is just in hear head. It might also help kids experiencing mental illness themselves feel less alone. -He puts mail in a mailbox labeled Top Secret multiple times throughout the movie but at the end it shows you that the mailbox isn’t even used and is attached to a run down building from a long time ago in his life. Mirrors (2008) – This is a horror movie created to remake the Korean film “Into the Mirror.” The movie begins with a security officer entering a room from which he cannot escape – staring into a mirror. This movie received pretty decent, positive reviews – but never became widely popular. Drop Dead Fred (1991) – This is a comedy fantasy style movie that includes emotional abuse, mental illness, and profanity. In Mr. Brooks (2007) the main character has some traits of schizophrenia and is also a serial killer. A US marshall is sent to a psychiatric hospital specialized in criminals to find a missing inmate who was sentenced for killing three children. K-PAX (2001) – This is a science fiction, mystery movie starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges about a psychiatric patient who believes he is an alien. Donnie starts experiencing hallucinations of a rabbit who announces the end of the days. Although some of these movies are fiction, some are based on a true life story of a person that had to deal with schizophrenia. Pages in category "Fictional characters with schizophrenia" The following 34 pages are in this category, out of 34 total. Nightbreed (1990) – This was a fantasy horror movie about an unstable mental patient who is led to believe by his doctor that he is in fact a serial killer. In order to get a better understanding of the illness, many people turn to watching movies. Calvin (schizophrenia) Calvin is a six-year old boy from the famous comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, with a stuffed tiger named Hobbes. Images (1972) – This is a British-American movie about a wealthy housewife who experiences many delusions and hallucinations regarding her husband. However, if that were the case in the real world, as David Crepaz-Keay notes in his article for The Guardian, we would be living in a reality that appeared out of Quentin Tarantino’s mind. Robert Altman A wealthy writer of children's fiction receives unsettling phone calls from a strange woman who claims that her husband is having an affair. Movies like A Beautiful Mind and Donnie Darko have a character who suffers from schizophrenia. Donnie Darko A group of adolescents, including Donnie who takes medication for a mental illness, presumably schizophrenia because of the delusions he experiences thr… The story was based loosely on Mary Jane Ward’s life experiences in psychiatric care. A … Now, in a study published in the American Psychiatric Association it's stated that from forty films depicting schizophrenia, 80% percent reinforce the myth of patients being violent and sometimes homicidal, when actually most of them tend to lead quiet lives resulting from a reduction of emotions and lack of excitement caused by the medication. The entire movie takes place while a family is on vacation on a remote island. 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