Sticking with the theme of mental illness from before, I want to list some of my favourite movies about depression or that feature a character with depression. I have over 250 titles in my 'favourites' list on iCheckMovies.com but I'll only be writing about five of them today. And these are also in no particular order of preference.
The Hours (2002)
Amazing cast, but that's something everybody knows the second you see Meryl Streep in shot. Or Julianne Moore. It's a triptych, showing a single day in the life of the three women Clarissa Vaughn (Meryl Streep), Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), and Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman). All very Mrs. Dalloway; each character has an event they need to prepare for and each of them reflect on their life and have a very truthful and emotional day.
Crying? Yes, oodles. On both the cast's part and my own. But that might not be the case for you since you might be distracted by the fact that this is the movie in which Nicole Kidman notoriously wore a false nose. That and maybe you won't be bothered to keep up with the time jumps but I like that kind of unpredictable thing. It all manages to connect itself together nicely by the end.
Suicide? Two. But one you already see coming because Virginia Woolf is in this.
Why bother watching it if it's going to upset me? DO YOU LIKE GOOD ACTING? WELL GOOD. THIS MOVIE HAS THAT. But in all seriousness, it has a lot of valuable points to make about depression and suicide. The sacrifices people make for their depressed loved ones, the sacrifice someone makes for staying alive for their loved ones...
Favourite quote? "If I were thinking clearly, Leonard, I would tell you that I wrestle alone in the dark, in the deep dark, and that only I can know. Only I can understand my condition. You live with the threat, you tell me you live with the threat of my extinction. Leonard, I live with it, too."
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
I can't recall how many times I've seen this movie. I never get sick of it. It's so funny and quirky and I like the sense of an ultra reality -- everyone seems to be publishing a book and doing weird things like falconry and writing plays and betting on dog fights... Anyway, this is about a dysfunctional family that comes together when the Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) announces he has cancer. The deception ultimately brings them closer together, but towards the end Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson) attempts suicide after discovering his adopted sister (whom he is in love with) has been having an affair with his best friend. That and he hasn't been having the best few years. None of the Tenenbaums have, which is why you feel genuinely so much better when it's a happy ending. You also can't help but chuckle at the bickering, awkward, awfulness of the family drama because we've all been there in one way or another. And yes, that is Alec Baldwin narrating the prologue.
Crying? Only a couple scenes. Most of the time people are blank-faced, to be honest. But that's part of the Wes Anderson humour. I haven't cried at Richie's suicide attempt for years.
Suicide? Richie trying. It's graphic and may be triggering, so be aware.
Why bother watching it if it's going to upset me? It's so funny! And if you've never seen a Wes Anderson movie, it's probably very different to what you're used to, so what's the shame in trying something new?
Favourite quote? "There's obviously something wrong with him. He's taken off one of his shoes and one of his socks and... actually, I think he's crying."
(It's difficult to decide an exact favourite because the screenplay is golden but there's just one for now.)
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
So this movie has its flaws in terms of negative portrayals of mental illnesses, but that's another blog entry entirely. Anyway, this is based on Susanna Kaysen's account of her 18-month stay in a mental health hospital. Damn! I only spent two weeks in one of those. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be in one for over a year, let alone being a teenager in the 1960's. It stars Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie, and you'll see why Jolie got the Academy Award for this role. My God.
Crying? Yes, lots, but I don't really cry at this. I'm just too caught up in the drama of it all, if I'm honest. Susanna's just so angry with her parents and the hospital for making her stay, which I can understand. Also having a sociopath as your best friend must put some pressure on you.
Suicide? You don't actually see Susanna's attempt but the hospital scene following it is frightening enough. There's also references to Lisa's (Angelina Jolie) best friend before Susanna, who is revealed to have hung herself. There's a suicide off-screen later on which also may trigger. It's sad but not totally surprising, unfortunately, given the dead character's abusive past and Lisa's silver tongue.
Why bother watching it if it's going to upset me? Have I not mentioned Angie enough to convince you? There's also Whoopi Goldberg as one of the nurses. Everyone loves Whoopi! And Brittany Murphy is a gem. Winona Ryder is also delightful to look at but ANGIEANGIEANGIEEEEEEEE
Favourite quote? "Some advice, okay? Just don't point your fuckin' finger at crazy people!"
Thirteen (2003)
I remember the controversy surrounding this movie when it was first released, which is understandable, considering it's a story about a thirteen year-old girl named Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) who starts spiraling out of control, getting involved in drugs, drinking, petty crime, and underage sex. She also self-harms on-screen and there's a lot of swearing. Which in some ways, I love. I say "Yes, good!" to the provocativeness of the movie because it's so realistic and sometimes I watch movies and shake my head thinking the kids aren't alright, and they're not that squeaky clean. Tracy does this all because she becomes best friends with Evie (Nikki Reed), and feeling very lost and depressed, Tracy is only propelling herself further into Evie's dangerous schemes. However, the most realistic aspect of this movie is Tracy's mum Melanie (Holly Hunter) having to cope with her straight-A teen becoming a living nightmare. This is executed so perfectly on Evan Rachel Wood's part because it's such an intense role for a girl to play, and no wonder the world suddenly started paying attention to the then fifteen year-old when the movie was released.
Cry? I usually cry at the end because Tracy just completely collapses and still struggles with her mum after there's a massive screaming match between four different characters in the one scene. Drama, drama, drama. It hurts because it's so real.
Suicide? None, but the self-harm is triggering and graphic enough. Blades and blood and all.
Why bother watching it if it's going to upset me? I have a feeling it won't bum you out that much, but it's still a very emotional movie. You'll probably spend most of the time thinking, "She's not going to --? Oh, God! But she's so young! Oh, my God!" because the movie just. Goes. There.
Favourite quote? "Hit me! I'm serious, I can't feel anything, hit me!"
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
A group of boys are obsessed with the Lisbon sisters in Michigan during the 1970's. Sofia Coppola's first cinematic release is very dreamy and even hypnotizing. You know the girls die, but you just can't stop watching it! Also James Woods and Kathleen Turner are perfectly cast as Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon. The movie is part drama and part mystery, with the smallest morsel of humour if you look for it. Kind of like Twin Peaks how it's such a dark subject matter but it's not altogether disturbing. Highly likely David Lynch did actually influence the style of this movie. So why did the girls die? You never really know, but usually a happy person doesn't just kill themselves or make a pact with their siblings to all kill themselves on the same night.
Crying? Maybe two scenes where the girls cry. I don't usually cry but try instead to watch intently to see if there's any clue I missed, but I never figure anything new out. The same thing happens whenever I re-read the book the movie's based on.
Suicide? The title confirms this. All five of the Lisbon girls die. Cecilia, the youngest, meets a violent end. Also another girl hangs herself (off-screen) but the body sways in another shot. If you're watching a movie with the word "suicide" in its title, you don't need warning from me. You know what you're getting into.
Why bother watching it if it's going to upset me? It's not really that upsetting because you know what's going to happen from the beginning -- "Cecilia was the first to go." What disturbs the mind are the fantasies the neighbourhood boys have when they want to escape away with the Lisbons and live with them and love them forever, but it's not going to happen! They lure you in and trick you for a brief moment, but then the hope is squashed just as swiftly. I watched it for the sensory overload. I watched it for Kirsten Dunst as the magnetic Lux Lisbon, the only Lisbon girl who actually isn't a "virgin" suicide. I watched it because it didn't get highly personal but still painted a decent portrait of teen suicide, even if the Lisbons are only seen from a distance. I fell in love with the Lisbon girls just as hard as the boys. On a shallow level, it's pretty, okay? It's very pretty and the soundtrack is gorgeous.
Favourite quote? "We knew the girls were merely women in disguise, that they understood love, and even death, and that our job was merely to create the noise that seemed to fascinate them."
Yay for sad movie happy fun times! I like those!
