Home » Mind & Soul » Schizophrenia » Hollywood Portrayal of Schizophrenia

Hollywood Portrayal of Schizophrenia

© Ian Chovil

The Internet is certainly a vast resource that is ever-changing and so very full of possibilities, but even with a cable modem I can see that mpegs on a 17 inch monitor are not going to be serious competition to Hollywood and television for a very long time. I thought I'd review some movies instead of web sites for a change, since movies are still a very powerful medium that combine entertainment and education, especially to teenagers. A couple of years ago I got involved in a conference presentation on the "Hollywood Portrayal of Mental Illness on Film" and forced myself to sit through and analyze at least twenty five different films.

There are many more films about psychopath killers and other mentally unbalanced individuals who are inherently evil and dangerous, than there are sensitive portrayals of courageous individuals struggling with severe mental illness. Usually the diagnosis is left to the imagination of the viewer and is a plot device to create suspense and motivation for murder. Silence of the Lambs for example was a great film, but I doubt that transvestites wanting sex change operations are any more dangerous than ordinary people.

There have been a few sensitive films specifically on schizophrenia. Benny and Joon is probably the best, a very compassionate portrayal of family relationships with Joon having schizophrenia, falling in love, and becoming more independent. It's a love story with a schizophrenia twist. A lot of high school students saw the film and loved it the year it came out. Several years later it is not as widely viewed but readily available in video stores.

The Saint of Fort Washington is much more tragic, about the friendship of two homeless men, one with schizophrenia. Even people who have no knowledge of schizophrenia found it very sad. It is less popular than Benny and Joon and a little more difficult to find in video stores. There are a great many untold stories in the world and I always thought it very brave to make a film on homelessness with the central character having schizophrenia. It is probably the second best movie I have seen on schizophrenia.

Dare to Love appears on television from time to time. I haven't been able to watch very much of it. The woman who develops schizophrenia is so very beautiful with such a wonderful life I could never bring myself to watch her decline into schizophrenia. I'm told by friends she has a remarkable recovery on Clozapine. Her boyfriend stays by her side throughout her experiences and she essentially returns to her former life on Clozapine. She never gains a pound throughout the film even on Clozapine and while remarkable recoveries do happen, hers is maybe a bit too remarkable. People tell me it's a very good film though.

The copyright of the article Hollywood Portrayal of Schizophrenia in Schizophrenia is owned by Ian Chovil. Permission to republish Hollywood Portrayal of Schizophrenia in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.