Films Illustrating Psychopathology Danny Wedding Mary Ann Boyd ...

Appendix G: Films Illustrating Psychopathology 235
Raging Bull (1980) Biography/Sports ΨΨΨΨΨ
Powerful film depicting the psychological, moral,
and mental decline of a prizefighter. Robert De
Niro won an Oscar for his portrayal of Jake
LaMotta.
Regarding Henry (1993) Drama ΨΨ
Attorney has his life permanently altered following
a head injury; his values change as well as his personality.
Shattered (1991) Mystery/Suspense ΨΨ
A man in a near-fatal car accident experiences amnesia
and undergoes reconstructive facial surgery. He
begins to find inconsistencies in stories from loved
ones about his past and his own memories, only to
face a shocking truth.
Son of the Bride (2002) Drama/Comedy
Romance ΨΨΨΨ
Moving drama from Argentina with many inspirational
and comic moments about a man too busy
for his families who reevaluates his life after he has
a heart attack. A major sub-story is the man’s aging
father, who steadfastly expresses unconditional
love to his wife who is deteriorating with
Alzheimer’s Disease.
Tuesdays with Morrie (1999) Drama
/Inspiration ΨΨ
Made-for-TV movie based on the best-selling Mitch
Albom book about a journalist who befriends and
finds inspiration from a man dying of ALS.
Disorders of Childhood and
Adolescence
Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets (2000)
Drama ΨΨΨ
Four young homeless boys, living in poverty on the
streets of Morocco, rebel against their gang
leader’s oppressive rule.
Best Little Girl in the World, The (1981)
Drama ΨΨ
Good made-for-TV movie in which a psychiatrist
treats a girl who is suffering from anorexia
nervosa.
Butcher Boy, The (1997) Comedy ΨΨΨΨ
Dark comedy about a schizophrenic boy, Francie
Brady, living in Ireland in the 1960s. Francie’s
behavior ranges from absurd and humorous to
delusional and dangerous.
“He took me, with the stink of
filthy roadhouse whiskey on his
breath, and I liked it. I liked it!
With all that dirty touching of his
hands all over me. I should’ve
given you to God when you were
born, but I was weak and
backsliding, and now the devil
has come home.”
A psychotic Francie Brady in
The Butcher Boy
Carrie (1976) Horror ΨΨ
This Brian De Palma film is based on a Stephen
King novel and depicts the cruelty of adolescents
and some of the stresses associated with caring for
a mentally ill mother. Sissy Spacek’s performance
is remarkable.
City of God (2003) Drama/Foreign ΨΨΨΨ
Painful, sobering and graphic examination of the
violence associated with gang-life, drug trafficking,
and poverty in Rio de Janeiro. This film
depicts of young children and adolescents who
grow up in an environment in which guns and murder
are commonplace.
City of Lost Children, The (1995) Fantasy/
Comedy ΨΨΨΨ
A mad scientist is aging prematurely so he tries to
capture children to steal their dreams. Implicit in
the film is the use and abuse of children; film critics
have commented that this kind of film could not
have been made in the United States. The movie is
a black comedy that has been praised for its cinematic
craft, creative set design, and the use of
quirky, unique characters.
Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, The (2002)
Drama/Comedy ΨΨ
High school outcasts express rebellion in a variety
of ways, including abuse of an authoritarian nun
(played by Jodie Foster).
Elephant (2003) Drama ΨΨΨΨΨ
Well-crafted, foreboding, eerie Gus van Sant film
addressing the tragedy of recent school shootings.
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)