Films Illustrating Psychopathology Danny Wedding Mary Ann Boyd ...

186 Movies and Mental Illness
kills his drill instructor and then commits suicide in
response to the pressure of boot camp.
Hamburger Hill (1987) War ΨΨ
A graphic presentation of the stress and horror of war.
High Anxiety (1977) Comedy ΨΨ
Mel Brook’s spoof of Hitchcock classics about a
psychiatrist who works at “The Psycho-Neurotic
Institute for the Very, Very Nervous.” The film is
better if you’ve seen the Hitchcock films on which
the parody builds.
House of Games (1987) Crime ΨΨ
Lindsay Crouse in the lead role plays a psychiatrist
who has just written an important book on obsessive-compulsive
disorders. She becomes obsessed
with confidence games and is slowly drawn into
the criminal life.
In Country (1989) Drama ΨΨ
Bruce Willis plays a Vietnam veteran with posttraumatic
stress disorder who is unable to relate
meaningfully to the world around him until he visits
the Vietnam memorial.
In the Bedroom (2001) Drama/Suspense ΨΨΨΨ
Introspective film with a talented cast that examines
grief, despair, and revenge after the murder of someone
deeply loved. Marisa Tomei’s character develops
an Acute Stress Disorder following the trauma. The
film makes good use of silence; these scenes underscore
the tension, unspoken feelings, and underlying
pain associated with the death of a loved one.
“What does your therapist think
of all this,” “Oh, I would never tell
my therapist,” “Why not?”
“Because it’s private.”
Dialogue in Kissing Jessica Stein
Inside Out (1986) Drama ΨΨ
A little known but interesting film in which Elliott
Gould plays a man with agoraphobia. He sends out
for food, sex, and haircuts but finds that he cannot
meet all his needs without leaving home.
Jacob’s Ladder (1990) Drama ΨΨ
Complex film about a Vietnam veteran who has
dramatic hallucinations of indeterminate etiology
(possibly the result of military exposure to
experimental drugs).
Kissing Jessica Stein (2002) Comedy ΨΨΨ
Quality independent film about a neurotic,
young woman who in exploring her sexuality
and intrapersonal life is able to extend beyond
her rigidity and generalized anxiety.
“Take it all but in the name of
humanity, let me out of this cage.”
Olivia de Havilland
as a Lady in a Cage
Lady in a Cage (1964) Drama/Suspense ΨΨ
Olivia de Havilland plays an upper class woman
trapped inside her home elevator. The film melodramatically
represents claustrophobia and panic.
Manchurian Candidate, The (2004)
Drama/Suspense ΨΨΨ
The new version of this classic film stars Denzel
Washington as a Gulf War veteran with PTSD,
paranoia, and memories he cannot understand,
which lead him to unravel a conspiracy involving
brain washing and political maneuvering.
Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
Drama/Suspense ΨΨΨ
Original version stars Frank Sinatra as the veteran
who experiences flashbacks and PTSD symptoms.
M*A*S*H (1970) Comedy/War ΨΨΨ
Wonderfully funny Robert Altman film about military
surgeons and nurses who use alcohol, sex,
and humor to cope with the stress of war. The portrayal
of Hawkeye Pierce, half-drunk but always
ready for surgery, is troubling.
“I’ve got things a certain way.”
Nicolas Cage in Matchstick Men
Matchstick Men (2003) Comedy ΨΨΨΨ
Nicholas Cage plays a con man with OCD, agoraphobia
with panic, tics, and antisocial personality in
From: Wedding, D., Boyd, M.A., & Niemiec, R.M. Movies and Mental Illness: Using Films to Understand Psychopathology
© 2005 Hogrefe & Huber Publishers (www.hogrefe.com)