It has been some time since we had our last film list so I thought it appropriate to publish one today. The thing I like most about this contributed list is that all of the films on it are exceptional movies and I would not hesitate to recommend any one of them to my friends. Be sure to add others that you like to the comments.
The Disorder: Borderline Personality Disorder
Disc jockey Dave Garver attracts the amorous attentions of a demented fan named Evelyn Draper. Evelyn lets Dave pick up at a bar; later at her apartment, Evelyn admits that she is the cooing caller who repeatedly asks Dave to play the Erroll Garner classic “Misty.” From then on, the film is a lesson in how one casual date can turn your whole life around. Evelyn stalks Dave everywhere, ruins his business lunch, assaults his maid, mutilates his house and all of his belongings, and finally threatens to butcher his girlfriend Tobie Williams. You’ll never be able to hear that song again without looking over your shoulder.
The Disorder: Schizophrenia
A young woman, Karin, has recently returned to the family island after spending some time in a mental hospital. On the island with her is her lonely brother and kind, but increasingly desperate husband (‘Max von Sydow’). They are joined by Karin’s father (‘Gunnar Björnstrand’), who is a world-traveling author that is estranged to his children. The film depicts how Karin’s grip on reality slowly slips away and how the bonds between the family members are changing in light of this fact.
The Disorder: Anxiety Disorder
Beth, Calvin, and their son Conrad are living in the aftermath of the death of the other son. Conrad is overcome by grief and misplaced guilt to the extent of a suicide attempt. He is in therapy. Beth had always preferred his brother and is having difficulty being supportive to Conrad. Calvin is trapped between the two trying to hold the family together.
The Disorder: Dissociative disorder
Marion Crane is a Phoenix, Arizona working girl fed up with having to sneak away during lunch breaks to meet her lover, Sam Loomis, who cannot get married because most of his money goes towards alimony. One Friday, Marion’s employer asks her to take $40,000 in cash to a local bank for deposit. Desperate to make a change in her life, she impulsively leaves town with the money, determined to start a new life with Sam in California. As night falls and a torrential rain obscures the road ahead of her, Marion turns off the main highway. Exhausted from the long drive and the stress of her criminal act, she decides to spend the night at the desolate Bates Motel. The motel is run by Norman Bates, a peculiar young man dominated by his invalid mother. After Norman fixes her a light dinner, Marion goes back to her room for a shower….
The Disorder: Autism
What’s Eating Gibert Grape is a beautifully shot movie of tenderness, caring and self-awareness that is set amongst the fictional working class one street town Endora. Centred around the Grape family Ellen and Amy and their two brothers Arnie and Gilbert, who, along with their morbidly obese widowed mother Bonnie Grape are striving to survive and coexist with the absence of a father figure, low wage work and seventeen-year-old Arnie’s severe mental condition. It is in this awkward and extremely one sided affair that the unfortunate Gilbert has to constantly, while working for the town’s slowly dying Convenience Store, take care of his younger brother Arnie. Gilbert’s life, his future, is thwarted he know this, but it is in this Guardian Angel that his love and bond for Arnie cannot, and will not, be let go. That is until the free spirit of Becky arrives in town, and with her grandmother are stranded for the week while waiting for parts for their vehicle. This realization unties new feelings, new thoughts and new hope for the put upon Gibert, something new is eating Gilbert Grape.
The Disorder: Schizophrenia
At Princeton University, John Nash struggles to make a worthwhile contribution to serve as his legacy to the world of mathematics. He finally makes a revolutionary breakthrough that will eventually earn him the Nobel Prize. After graduate school he turns to teaching, becoming romantically involved with his student Alicia. Meanwhile the government asks his help with breaking Soviet codes, which soon gets him involved in a terrifying conspiracy plot. Nash grows more and more paranoid until a discovery that turns his entire world upside down. Now it is only with Alicia’s help that he will be able to recover his mental strength and regain his status as the great mathematician we know him as today.
The Disorder: Autism
Charley is a hustler. He’s been on his own long enough to know how to work people and situations. He finds that the father who threw him out as a teen ager has died. He’s left him a now antique convertible and something more important, a previously unknown brother, Raymond. Raymond is autistic, but is able to calculate complicated mathematical problems in his head with great speed and accuracy. Their father has left his fortune to Raymond who doesn’t even understand what money is for. Charley is enraged by what has happened and by his father keeping Raymond’s existence from him for his entire life. He kidnaps Raymond from his residential home but then finds that Raymond will only fly Qantas. The two begin a long road trip that will lead them to an understanding of each other.
The Disorder: Borderline Personality Disorder
Susanna is depressed and directionless after finishing high school in the late 1960′s. A suicide attempt lands her in Claymore, a mental institution. She befriends the band of troubled women in her ward (Georgina the pathological liar, the sexually abused Daisy, the burn victim Polly) but falls under the hypnotic sway of Lisa, the wildest and most hardened of the bunch. Will Susanna “drop anchor” at Claymore and perpetually act out like Lisa, or will she finally pull her mind together and leave institutional life behind?
The Disorder: Schizophrenia
Donnie Darko doesn’t get along too well with his family, his teachers and his classmates; but he does manage to find a sympathetic friend in Gretchen, who agrees to date him. He has a compassionate psychiatrist, who discovers hypnosis is the means to unlock hidden secrets. His other companion may not be a true ally. Donnie has a friend named Frank – a large bunny which only Donnie can see. When an engine falls off a plane and destroys his bedroom, Donnie is not there. Both the event, and Donnie’s escape, seem to have been caused by supernatural events. Donnie’s mental illness, if such it is, may never allow him to find out for sure.
The Disorder: Mutliple Personality Disorder/Dissociative disorders
The narrator suffers from a lack of sleep. He tries different ways to cure this, but he does not succeed. He does get some sleep, but his conditions rebounds back into it’s original state when he meets a lovely young woman, whose name is Marla. He finds out that she and he both have a lot in common and they spend a lot of time together. While touring, he meets an enigmatic young man named Tyler and after a short conversation both become fast friends. Both like to relieve their inner tensions by hitting each other. Soon word gets around about their fights, and lots of young people also get interested. Then a club is formed, which the narrator and Tyler call ‘Fight Club’. Both start spending a lot of time and both also make lots of money. Another excellent film dealing with the same disorder but in a more serious light, is Sybil.
I gotta say I usually LOVE your lists.
But…………….
Autism is NOT a mental illness. It is a neuro-biological disorder.
The only character in this list with Autism is Raymond Babbitt from Rain Man. The chartacter Arnie Grape had mental retardation also not a mental illness.
Autism and Mental Retardation are Axis 2 Developmental Disorders and are both considered "Mental Illnesses"
No they’re not mental illnesses, they’re neurological conditions. You can’t become autistic, and you can’t stop being autistic – you’re just born that way. You don’t call a cat a mentally ill dog.
As a social worker you are right as it is a mental illness as well as a physical.
thank you i have autism and that was very nice of you to point that out also i looked up what’s eating gilbert grape it looks very good
Politically correct or not, anyone who cant process thoughts and behaviors normally have some type of disorder. You can call a blind man “sight disadvantaged” all day, but he’s still blind. Just like you can call someone “autistic, psycho, schizo, etc” -but 50 years ago they would just be called retarded.
I thought for sure that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest would be number 1; that it didn't even make the list is flabbergasting.
The film version didn’t really focus on it though.
The book, however
And I agree with Shagrat. Autism is a brain development disorder, not an illness. An illness is treatable with a chance of success. Most treatment of brain development disorders consist of treating the symptoms rather then the disorder its self.
The DSM-IV is what is used to diagnose mental disorders. Maybe the term mental disorder is so stigmatized that people don't truly understand what a mental disorder is. Nevertheless, developmental disorders (including autism spectrum disorders) are diagnosable through the DSM-IV. Mental disorders include, but are not limited to psychological as well as behavioral maladies. Autism spectrum disorders would be classified more as a behavioral maladapation.
Additionally, not all illnesses are treatable with a chance of success. That is not a real world definition of illness, and I'm sure any physician would argue with you. Take for example Huntington's or Alzheimer's. Neither of these are treatable or have a 'chance of success,' but I would argue that both are illnesses
Autism is not mental illness.
Hi. Yes i agree with you but it is apart of a mental illness as well as some can be treated. They say everything is mental illness now but depends what country you are in too. It is good they are starting to see it is mental illness as they are putting alot more money into this now.
American Psycho perhaps?
No. Patrick Bateman was a psychopath, and that is all.
Not true. Bateman is quite psychologically deep. He is a collusion between the id and super ego against the ego. He’s Freudian to a degree many characters could only dream to be.
Cool list!
yup………..another great one
Where’s I am Sam? I cried for an hour after that one.
Nice list, although i would recommend putting a spoiler alert in the title. In case of the odd chance that someone hasn`t seen Fight club or a Beautiful mind.
Also nice to see only one multiple personality disorder movie in the list. imo the ultimate lazy plot twist.
Its 2010 if you haven't seen Fight club (arguably the greatest ever film) by now you probably never will
Don't forget that new people are born every day, and they haven't seen Fight Club. I didn't see Fight Club until this year for the first time. And I'm 18. Luckily I hadn't read this list before either.
the Snake Pit freaked me out when i was a little kid. since watching it i have always had a fear of being sent to mental ward.
i definitely think sybil should be on this list, she had something like 18 different personalities at different ages and at least two of them were men!
well at least you gave it a mention
I’ve seen the middle of Rain Man a lot on TV, but I’ve never known the name. Now that I know it, I can finally watch the whole thing.
I’d also add: Secret Window, Identity, and 50 First Dates.
Interesting list! Omitted: “Snow White” (Dopey) and “Beauty and the Beast (Belle’s father)
Sad to think that these, among other Disney films have treated mental dis-orders with such an unkind hand.
@katary (6): I was not inclined to add Sybil because it has appeared on a previous movie list on the site. I did add the mention of the film though as I felt it ought to be at least mentioned.
I’m amazed to not see “I Am Sam” on this list.
Donnie Darko’s a silly choice. Especially so high up. He’s not Schizophrenic.
Trigun 472 (#7)50 First Dates is about a woman with an ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) with associated loss of short-term memory: ABI & STMD are NOT a Mental Illnesses.
Also – to Georgia the so-called author of this list: You need to modernise and mature your definition of what constitutes a Mental Illness.
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders are NOT Mental Illnesses. They are Developmental Disorders – vast difference!
A few suggestions: Films that DID deal with (or contain a major character with) a mental disorder –
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” – take your pick: it was set in an asylum
“Sybil” – Multiple Personality Disorder
“Carrie” – Psychotic Sociopathology (not to mention psychokinesis
“Misery” – As per Play Misty
“Taxi Driver” – Obsessive Compulsiveness + sociopathology
“Cape Fear” – criminal psychosis
“Night of the Hunter” – As above
ChemEng (#3) & mattbang (#10) – I Am Sam, like Forrest Gump are both movies dealing with characters who suffer Low Intellect Disorder – again Pervasive Developmental Disorders – NOT Mental Illnesses.
half of those you DID mention – - – if not more!
What happened to
And – easily scarier and more pathologically psychotic a major character as that in “Misty”
Finally, Georgia: “Play Misty For Me” was a classic case of Obsessive Personality Disorder / Obsessive Compulsiveness / Dissociation manifesting in a psychotic-stalker personality – it was NOT a Borderline Personality Disorder.
So two movies included correctly (but for the wrong reasons): Misty and Girl Interrupted – G.I. dealt with a girl suffering from depression with mild depressive hallucination NOT a BPD!
and
Two movies included incorrectly – I suppose you could call 60% a ‘Pass’ – but not when there are so many great movies out there that DO deal with or include the spectre of Mental Illness.
G.I is about borderline… it actually says so in the film… but yeah anyways all your other points were good
Just a film says so doesn’t mean it is accurate… Jim Carrey’s film me, myself and Irene says that he has a form of schizophrenia when it is actually DID
The film is based on Susannah Kasen’s (sp?) memoir which shows some of her paperwork from the hospital. In real life, she was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. I suppose you could argue the validity of that diagnosis, but unless you are a psychiatrist and know her personally, I’d refrain from arguing with the decisions of actual medical personnel.
The DSM-IV is what is used to diagnose mental disorders. Maybe the term mental disorder is so stigmatized that people don't truly understand what a mental disorder is. Nevertheless, developmental disorders (including autism spectrum disorders) are diagnosable through the DSM-IV. Mental disorders include, but are not limited to psychological as well as behavioral maladies. Autism spectrum disorders would be classified more as a behavioral maladapation.
The Machinist!!!!!
Very suprised that Sling Blade did not make the list, not quite such a well known film but an outstanding film and performances.
great.but i think you miss the masterpiece “MEMENTO”
I agree with Grog Blossom, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest should have been included as well as Flowers For Algernon and Forrest Gump.
Can someone change “autism” into “Classical Autism”, other autism spectrum disorder(ASD) groups are already suffering from the image put forward in these movies without Listverse adding to it. Both movies display Classical Autism as opposed to Asperger Syndrome or PDD-NOS.
On the other hand, maybe the issue is the stigma attached to classical autism, not simply the association of all ASDs with it…
First of all, I agree with wildgrits – Autism is not a mental illness. I myself have a mild form of autism (Asperger’s disorder), and every single psychologist you talk to will tell you the same.
I also agree with Barold – Donnie Darko is a stupid choice. It’s a very overrated movie, and most of the fan base seems to be teenagers who think it’s incredibly deep and meaningful.
Last but not least, I have a movie I think would’ve been nice to see on here – Mozart and the Whale.
Mental Illness: "Any of various conditions characterized by impairment of an individual's normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, and caused by social, psychological, biochemical, genetic, or other factors, such as infection or head trauma. Also called emotional illness, mental disease, mental disorder."
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved
i have that same type of autism and the other day i found out dan aykroyd has autism
also
@Equinox(22) You’re not agreeing with me, sorry. I think Donnie Darko is an amazing piece of cinema (and I’m not a teenager!!) My complaint is that it has nothing to do with schizophrenia at all.
I also think that the creator probably should have been slightly more informed before writing this list regarding what is and isn’t a mental illness. Quite irresponsible really!
great list, I was expecting psycho to be further but this is a more opinionated list. But good job, you got all of the ones i would have put in there.
Great list, while I hate Donnie Darko it is a horrible movie IMO the portrayal of mental illness is pretty good.
Omitted Persona and the Three Faces of Eve, which while dated is a very good movie.
up and till now I’ve hated when people call you out on ‘missing something’ from your lists however i do think you dropped the ball here …. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? i can’t believe that’s not here.
oh and i think everyone needs to stop being so scientifically correct clearly the author meant something broader then ‘mental illness’ just because you watch the news from time to time doesn’t make you an expert eligible to make comments insulting everyone, relax a little. if your so annoyed why don’t you take the time to wright your own list instead of complaining.
I recommend reading the book Fight Club. (Yes, there is a book and yes, the movie came second..)
It’s a good read even if you’ve seen the movie, since the ending is different. Actually, not just the ending, but I guess you’ll have to read it yourself to find out
are you ganna make a list about phycotic characters? like in taxi triver?
Great list…. but autism is not a mental illness, it is a disability. More precisely, it is a spectrum of several different forms of autisms with varying capacity.
Mental Illness can be a disability. That is very clear as made evident by children who can be classified as disabled under the category of Emotional Disturbance (Mental Illness). That is what I was classified as in school and I was eligible for disability services and an IEP. Autism would be more clearly identified as a Pervasive Development Disorder. But you are correct, it is a disability. My point is that mental illness can also be a disability.
Why is there scientology (Way to Happyness) commercials on the german listverse? I thought this page to be more … critical!
Dam.. straight away i thought of rain man , but bang on with no1. Fight Club is an amazing and really clever film.
@kerb50: true that autism is not a mental illness… anyways, this was an entertaining list…
Fight club is great, but I didn’t realize it was even about mental illness until more than half way through the movie. Sybil should have been #1. What about American Psycho? Narcissistic/ Anti-Social Personality Disorder.
And Identity with John Cusack. Awesome movie.
what about harvey (1950).
like donnie darko (which i personally love and i’m a decade out of my teens), it involves a 6ft tall rabbit of dubious existence.
is elwood p. doud’s “invisible friend” a manifestation of his alcoholism? a mental illness? a genuinely real giant rabbit? it’s left up to the audience, but i still think the film deserves a mention on a list like this, as it has a very different “feel” from the other films mentioned.
and a question for all those who feel that “autism isn’t a ‘mental illness’ because it is a biologically based condition” -so what does that then make schizophrenia, now thought to be a collection of different conditions that were placed under a historical blanket label, and which is known to have a hereditary and genetic components, something that we haven’t yet found for autism. so schizophrenia is also a biologically-based condition, did you stop and protest that it is a misnomer to call it “mental illness”? it’s probable that it’s most correct to call both the autism and schizophrenia spectrums “conditions” or something like that… the truth is that we don’t really have a deep understanding of the true causes of autism or bipolar disorder, nor do we understand how any medications that help people living with either to feel better even work, but it is recognized that “something” makes both groups of people “different” from the neuro-typical population, and i’m guessing that was what the list-author meant.
well as for schitzoherenia, even though there may be certain biological factors, it is most certainly not soely biological and has triggers, it is a mental illness, one which is usually easily overcome, but still a mental illness… also bipolar dissorder is an extreme type of depression, not really caused by biology, however as with anything like this you can become more suseptable to mental illness if surrounded by people with these illnesses, you will grow up with a slightly distorted view and way of thinking… that can push you into mental illness when the circumstances are right
As a neuroscience researcher, reading your reply gives me a headache. Bipolar disorder is not an extreme type of depression. One of the states of bipolar disorder may be depression, but bipolar disorder is essentially an abnormal variation of moods, with at least one being manic. You can actually have bipolar disorder without having major depressive disorder. That being said, there are definitely social as well as a biological components to these disorders (as well as all other disorder listed on this page). Each of these disorders have alterations in neurotransmitter (ex dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin) levels in the brain. Schizophrenia is most definitely not easily overcome. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of these disorders are not easy to overcome. Please look up more information on these topics before you decide to post on something you know nothing about.
I agree with Grog Blossom, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
A few suggestions..
Memento
The Machinist
A Tale Of Two Sisters !
where’s ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST! and didn’t Arnie, from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape suffer from metal retardation? By the way Leo DiCaprio really portrayed the charater:)
Mommie Dearest too
How about Session 9?
@ Theodore
Good Call! ive never looked at metal coat-hangers the same.
Usually I like the list how it is, but I will say that Missing “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was a big omission. Overall, pretty good list.
Not sure if this would fit, but I think “Forrest Gump” might have been a good choice as well. Although that is more like learning issues then true mental illness.
Julien Donkey Boy (Harmony Korine)
Fight Club for the win!
Or the #1 movie for this category: Cybil.
Memento was great, but unlike a lot of these conditions, the character’s lack of being able to retain short term memory was caused by brain damage, so it doesn’t really fit in I feel. It is quite good at showing his struggle and setup he has to cope with it though.
Some notable omissions:
Memento
Machinist
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The Lost Weekend
Otherwise, excellent list!
Good list but Rain Man isn’t about Autism, it’s about Savant syndrome.
BULL*****. Thats completely untrue. Check your facts kiddo, it's about Autism, and Dustin Hoffman plays it very well. I know everything that there is to know about that movie, and it's not about Savant syndrome. I dont know where the hell you even GOT that. But whatever.
Benny and Joon
Where the hell is ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOOS NEST. To compile a list on mental illness without that film is insane, pardon the pun.
erm, WHERE’S FOREST GUMP???
other than that, great list.
i loved the movie beautiful mind!!!
let him have it. i know its not really about mental illness, but if you’re including some of the stuff such as forest gump and rain man, this is surely a notable omission.
How about “Repulsion”?
Notable omissions (or at least more good suggestions):
K-PAX – Kevin Spacey (Schizophrenia)
Mr. Jones – Richard Gere (Bipolar disorder)
Fisher King – Robin Williams (Dementia)
Awakenings – Robert de Niro (Catatonia)
Good list.
What happened to One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest?
Unless it has to be the Main Character who has a mental illness…
It takes place in a Mental Institution, which is all I remember about the movie: that, and Jack Nicholson won an award for his performance in it…
I’d suggest ‘Equus’ – the one with the horse fixation – not sure what the exact mental disorder was.
How could you forget “Benny & Joon”?
r. p. mcmurphy?