A movie I just watched : It’s title is... - Anxiety and Depre...

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A movie I just watched

Starrlight profile image
78 Replies

It’s title is The Writing On The Wall

Main character has Schizophrenia

It was very inspirational for me. He struggled as he went through his journey and eventually became extremely brave while facing his illness. I found the movie to be really relatable.

Please write down any movie youve enjoyed in which the main character has a psychiatric illness .

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Starrlight
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mrmonk profile image
mrmonk

Equus

Fear Strikes Out

Psycho

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply tomrmonk

I love your list! 💜

This sick puppy watched Equus over and over, and fell in love with Burton's character.

By the way, you left out one of my favorites, Sophie's Choice. Ya, I fell in love with Nathan too.

Doctor, doctor... what's wrong with me?

mrmonk profile image
mrmonk in reply toNothing_but_books

I haven't seen Sophie's Choice...isn't Meryl Streep in that one?

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply tomrmonk

Yes. She's made for the part. Terrific. I know you're a tough guy, but be careful with this one. It's wrenching.

mrmonk profile image
mrmonk in reply toNothing_but_books

She was quite good in The Hours, too; although, Nicole Kidman really knocks it out of the park in that film, portraying Virginia Woolf. The train station scene with Woolf and her husband Leonard (Stephen Dillane's performance here is outstanding) absolutely gutted me.

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply tomrmonk

I'm off to see if Hoopla can find it for me. How'd I miss that?

mrmonk profile image
mrmonk in reply toNothing_but_books

Well, it deals pretty directly with suicide...

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply tomrmonk

Yes, I know her story fairly well. Sad. (Thanks for warning me.) She's not grabbed onto by the college kids like Plath thank goodness. I'm pretty tired of kids thinking suicide is oh so romantic.

mrmonk profile image
mrmonk in reply toNothing_but_books

Um, I don't want to get too spoiler-y, but I wasn't just talking about Woolf...

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply tomrmonk

No spoilers please, just an opinion, based on the me you know. Give it a go, or nay?

mrmonk profile image
mrmonk in reply toNothing_but_books

Talk about a Sophie's Choice! 🙀

I'm going to withhold my opinion because it may influence a decision that may do you harm.

I will say, though, that the film, while harrowing at times, has artistic merit -- whether you value art over your peace of mind is a judgement only you can make.

If you're not up for the film, you could always listen to the soundtrack; the score by Philip Glass is phenomenal.

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply tomrmonk

You make me laugh!

No, I do not. When I was younger, yes, when I was younger. These days I value peace of mind. Oh, I remember though. Weeks, months of losing myself in Poe. I'm second guessing myself, I'd love a biography of Virginia Woolf. No. Not worth missed sleep.

I was semi-serious above. I kinda think I'm wired wrong. How many women had a passionate obsession for Burton's doctor after watching Equus? (At least it wasn't for the kid.) Heard Radcliffe did it on stage. I can't imagine.

Haven't watched Amadeus lately. I wonder if his obsession fits our list today?

Oh my gosh! Philip Glass! My husband's favorite. I've got to give it a listen, thanks!

mrmonk profile image
mrmonk

The Hours

Sylvia

Love and Mercy

EarthSitter1 profile image
EarthSitter1 in reply tomrmonk

Girl, Interrupted

A hard watch in some places as it’s a true story but Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie are both very good in it.

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toEarthSitter1

I liked that one

Hi Starrlight,

Google isn't helping me find your film. Have you got any more details? I'd love to watch it.

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toNothing_but_books

I found it on Amazon prime video.

012703060610 profile image
012703060610 in reply toStarrlight

Found two movies - one called words on bathroom walls which the description talks about a young man on a tough journey. Is this the one, as I see it on prime too? I have been wanting to watch this one. The writing on the wall seems to be a TV movie (IMDB) from 1996. The latter doesn't mention mental illness but seems more like a war/conflict movie.

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply to012703060610

yes probably that first one

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24

thank you for talking about this subject. Sometimes it feels like it’s the illness that can’t be cured. I wish everybody knew what it was like to have psychosis just so they wouldn’t think it was funny but something to understand. I have certain arguments that I just will never be able to explain without a safe space:

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toWakeboarder24

I have gone through psychosis myself during times of extreme depression and also during a time of mania.

i too wish others understood it more

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply toStarrlight

Tell me if this is out of line and it will go away. Can a psychotic episode be confused with... I'm not sure how to word it... Can you have an experience you view as outside the normal, call it "paranormal", a psychic experience... One doctors would dismiss as mental illness if you shared, but possibly viewed as an opening into a magical world?

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24 in reply toNothing_but_books

I think if you believe in the paranormal then you can project those types of things.

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply toWakeboarder24

Funny thing is I'm not inclined to. But a couple very strange things have happened.

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24 in reply toNothing_but_books

with projections it’s not obvious to see in reflection. Sometimes you have to dig deep. Something like your dreams in level of depth into the subconscious.

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toWakeboarder24

oh I love this type of talk

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toNothing_but_books

like what!? I’m so curious.

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24 in reply toStarrlight

I just mean psychosis is your projections. Like if you fear the paranormal then you can imagine paranormal activity in a psychotic episode. That’s my take on it. I’m not a scientist though.

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toWakeboarder24

I tend to agree

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toNothing_but_books

I have had things happen that were supernatural with psychosis and without psychosis

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toStarrlight

I experienced what I’d call angels and shadows and demons

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24 in reply toStarrlight

I imagine that can be traumatic.

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toWakeboarder24

Yup sometimes it was…

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24 in reply toStarrlight

hopefully you had someone to talk to about it

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toWakeboarder24

yes I did :)

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toWakeboarder24

depending on if the entities felt good or bad

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24 in reply toStarrlight

I don’t know what you mean by that

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toWakeboarder24

like if the energy felt negative or positive

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24 in reply toStarrlight

In my case, they probably felt negative.

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toWakeboarder24

Sorry to hear that.

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply toStarrlight

You have no idea what comfort there is for me in that.

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24 in reply toNothing_but_books

I’m interested. What do you mean?

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toNothing_but_books

what’s happened NBB?

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply toStarrlight

I was referring to your comment about having supernatural things happen. Shadows and demons. It makes me feel less alone to know it wasn't just me.

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toNothing_but_books

(((((((❤️)))))))

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply toStarrlight

One Love. (I need a gentle reminder now and then.)

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toNothing_but_books

:) me too- one love

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply toStarrlight

Don't look at me. My mind hopped the bus and went to Cincinnati.

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toNothing_but_books

ok 😂

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply toStarrlight

🤷😁

012703060610 profile image
012703060610 in reply toNothing_but_books

I went into mania being put on high dose prednisone for a long period. I didn't realize this materialized into sleep deprivation. There were moment of joy due to taking the med for the first few hours then down to the pits each day where I know I was talking to objects or things....can't explain it. On the high, I felt super human. The lows brought strange visions and the talking to random things that may or may not have been there. I had a doc leave me on this even though I discussed the side effects. It took me a year to wean off of it as my body was so used to having the prednisone make my cortisol. I guess a total reminder that sleep is super key.....it was no bueno to be like that. I hear stories of things I did during that time too and it is very shameful.

Nothing_but_books profile image
Nothing_but_books in reply to012703060610

I'm sorry you're still hurt from what the prednisone did to you. Shame steals too much from us. The doc leaving you on it despite your concerns, I've dealt with doctors ignoring my needs too. Live and learn? I've gotten more assertive with them since.

Oh my. The "super human" and then "sleep deprivation": The add-on drug I've been given does both. Well, not really "super human" in my case. More "human" -- for a change. A prescription I take has made me logy for years. The add-on gives me physical energy and clarity of thought... then kills most of my sleep.

It's a conundrum. Ha ha ha.

Wakeboarder24 profile image
Wakeboarder24

it really can disconnect you from the world. I’ve never had a psychosis bad but I pray that whoever goes through this has an angel come and comfort them.

Marysblue profile image
Marysblue

Recently watched Man called Otto.Cake, Forest Gump

One of my favorite movies of all time is Happy accidents..starring Marisa Tomea.. her bf is very unusual.

I put your movie on my list I'll look for it tonight,

thanks

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toMarysblue

Cake is one of my favs I liked Otto and Forest too

mrmonk profile image
mrmonk

As Good As It Gets

Silver Linings Playbook

The Aviator

Donny Darko (very disturbing)

The Notebook (cheesy manipulative movie but it always makes me cry)

Gaslight

The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Night of the Hunter (includes children threatened)

What About Bob?

As Good as It Gets

Hisue profile image
Hisue in reply toNothing_but_books

The Snake Pit

Vertigo

Pretty Bird. Not overtly involving mental illness. But a group of guys making each other as nuts as possible.

Artistfriend profile image
Artistfriend

Great question.Analyze this- Robert deniro as a gangster who starts having panic attacks, really funny but also on point about panic and therapy. Anyone who hasn't seen it go watch it now

First blood- the final.scene where Rambo talks about his experiences in the war and struggles with what we now call PTSD, groundbreaking stuff, emotional scene

Mystic River- a boy is kidnapped and abused and how that affects the life of him and his friends as adults. Really complex movie but to me it's so much about how trauma survivors are treated and misunderstood by others. Not a feel good movie if anyone plans to watch it

AnxiousSilver profile image
AnxiousSilver in reply toArtistfriend

"Analyze this- Robert deniro as a gangster who starts having panic attacks, really funny but also on point about panic and therapy. Anyone who hasn't seen it go watch it now"

It's funny that you mentioned this, because I was going to bring it up.

I liked that it brought awareness, but I just couldn't "relate" to it.

Probably because it was made when my world was crumbling down, and the movie kinda confused me more.

.

Looking back, I'm still happy that it was made for awareness.

Artistfriend profile image
Artistfriend in reply toAnxiousSilver

That's interesting, I hadn't seen it in a long time but watched it a few years ago and found it comforting that they actually understood

AnxiousSilver profile image
AnxiousSilver in reply toArtistfriend

"That's interesting, I hadn't seen it in a long time but watched it a few years ago and found it comforting that they actually understood "

Here's the thing. I can understand and (probably) appropriate it more now, but it still brings bad memories (for me) because it was literally when my world was first crumbling down.

.

I mean.. Keep in mind. There were hardly any books written on the subject back then. No Youtube. No Online therapy. (AKA - very little info)

On top of that, I was bouncing from one pill to the next, and (back then I had a really bad pysch - long story) which shorty afterwards I found the best pysch that I had. (until he retired)

.

Again.. It's awesome that it brought on awareness. (huge fan of that)

I think if I seen it now for the first time that I would appreciate it more, but my support back then (along with lack of info) was really bad, and the movie just came out at a bad time. (for me)

.

Still a huge fan of the awareness that it brought. (which I guess what is most important) :)

Artistfriend profile image
Artistfriend in reply toAnxiousSilver

I hear you brother 👍

Artistfriend profile image
Artistfriend in reply toAnxiousSilver

I think when i watched it a few years ago the overall story of a guy having anxiety, getting help and then resolving past issues and realizing he needs to make changes in his life, that struck a chord with me because thats what i was tryng to do at the time and still now. I also think because he was impatient and bossy, its funny because that was how i felt inside about therapy sometimes even though i never acted that way. Its too bad no one else responds, i wonder what other peoples reaction was

AnxiousSilver profile image
AnxiousSilver in reply toArtistfriend

"I think when i watched it a few years ago the overall story of a guy having anxiety, getting help and then resolving past issues and realizing he needs to make changes in his life, that struck a chord with me because thats what i was tryng to do at the time and still now."

I can see and understand that. :)

.

Here.. This is where I messed up.

My expectations were waaaaaay too high going into that movie.

.

The movie was a comedy, that happened to have panic attacks in it.

I went in treating it like more like a self-help movie for my condition, with a possible laugh or too.

That's pretty unrealistic on my part for a 90 minute-ish movie.

.

But I was desperate.

My world was crashing down.

My extended family was leaving me (forever) one-by-one, my GF of 5+ years couldn't take my condition anymore, and I had no where to turn.

Most of that happened before I finally found my first support group. (and started getting some help)

.

The problem was more about "me", then the movie itself.

Hail the Conquering Hero

It's a movie made during WWII, so in some ways it's a war propaganda film. It's about a group of Marines on leave, who take care of a guy discharged from the service for asthma. One of the soldiers is suffering what we now call PTSD. The depiction of mental illness is honest and funny.

I can't find this movie, can you tell us a bit more about it? Actors names, year it came out, is it on a streaming app? Thanks 😊!

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toBelovedxinfinity

oh no now I can’t find it either… I’ll keep trying and let you guys know more about it if I can find it.

catsrock profile image
catsrock

Frances

Vasiliki99 profile image
Vasiliki99

Rain Man

Thank you for this post. My favourite is The Dream Team. I vaguely remember also Forest Gump. The perks of being a wallflower. The legend of Korra season 4 (it's more like a cartoon series or an anime but Korra and Mulan save my life)

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toAgainst_the_current

Hi! Thanks!

Stippler profile image
Stippler

A Beautiful Mind is a true story about a schizophrenic, I think.

Agora1 profile image
Agora1 in reply toStippler

You're absolutely right Stippler. It was a great movie :) xx

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toStippler

yup Stippler I think its really a beautiful movie.

Focusedmind profile image
Focusedmind

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was a dark movie, but actor Jack Nicholson was excellent. He was also great in the film, As Good as It Gets, which deals with the issue of OCD.

Apocalypse Now (1979) was a very dark film about the Vietnam War with actors Marlon Brando and Martin Sheen—a movie based loosely on the book Heart of Darkness by 19th-century writer Joseph Conrad.

_Mr_Nobody_ profile image
_Mr_Nobody_

Fight club

American Psycho

Shutter Island

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