Psychology in Movies By Stephanie Bullen Taking a look at movies with depictions of psychological disorders.
Transcript
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Psychology in Movies By Stephanie Bullen Taking a look at
movies with depictions of psychological disorders.
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Fight Club follows the story of an everyman character who is
initially viewed by audiences as distinctively usual. Discontent
with his day-to-day life he forms a recreational club with a soap
maker he had recently become acquainted with. This hobby is a fight
club, composed of men using the physical interaction as a means of
escape from their mundane lives. As the movie continues, the men
find meaning in the club and their comrades, and soon this group
becomes more than its initial meaning. The main character remains
unnamed throughout the picture, but the circumstances of his life
make him relatable to viewers. In exploring his journey, the viewer
notices peculiarities in the character and his interactions with
the supporting cast. By the end of the movie, it is realized that
he is suffering from psychosis, particularly Associative
Personality Disorder. The reality of the situation results in a
mandatory reviewing of the entire movie with the awareness of The
Narrators diagnosis in mind.
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This 1999 James Mangold film, starring Winona Ryder is
considered the breakout film for actress Angelina Jolie. The film,
based on a memoir by Susanna Kaysen, follows Kaysen at a turning
point in her life. The character and viewers delve into the
experience of one womens stint in a psychiatric facility. One of
the most discussed characters is that of Lisa (Angelina Jolie),
Susannas roommate. Lisa has been committed to the hospital for
eight years and is revered among the other patients. Lisa is a
clinically diagnosed as a sociopath (or Antisocial Personality
Disorder), which is classified as the failure to conform to social
norms, impulsivity and lack of remorse among other symptoms. Lisas
manipulation of the others and her numerous escapes from the
hospital are congruent with her diagnosis and support her dangerous
relationships and behavior towards other in the facility.
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A puzzling thriller from the opening scene, Memento is a
disorienting movie following a man attempting to obtain vengeance.
Leonard relies heavily on current technology and cultural customs
in an effort to keep abreast of his situation and finally complete
the task that he has set up for himself. The viewer navigates the
puzzles of Leonards ordeal as he himself is, resulting in the
manipulation and ever morphing perspective of the plot. Leonard
wakes up everyday with no recollection his recent past. Due to an
incident in his past, he suffers from Anterograde Amnesia,
preventing him from forming new memories beyond the time of his
injury. Using a polaroid camera and his body as a memo pad, Leonard
works to continue on a path that he never even remembers beginning.
This movie delves into the notion that memories are more than
pictures and words, they are composed of the interactions of the
stimuli the brain accepts and interprets.
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Based on the story of mathematician John Nash, A Beautiful Mind
explores the life of a man with exceptional intelligence. As Nash
discovers the pressures of working in a prestigious institution
like Princeton, he begins to unravel. The mental decline that John
undergoes begins to negatively effect his marriage, his career and
his health. Nash suffers from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia
involvesthe presence of delusions, hallucinations and catatonic
behavior, among other symptoms. These distrubances must occur
persistently over six months and cannot be the result of depressive
or bipolar disorder.s
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During a heavy storm, a group of strangers find themselves
stranded at a motel. The group, consisting of people from all walks
of life, find themselves unstable as members begin dying off. The
killer must be discovered before they all lose their lives. At the
same time, a convicted serial killer, in an attempt to avoid his
execution, agrees to identify the details of his crimes. This film
deals with a number of people put in a life-threatening situation
together. Yet the main psychological point is in the convicted
serial killer. This is a man who is severely disturbed and
suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. This disorder
includes symptoms of social and occupational impairment, along with
disruption in identity.
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A man in a nursing home attempts his hand at cheering up a
fellow patient. He decides to read to her a book about a young
couples romance. The movie parallels the relationship between the
elder, new friends with the years shared by the young couple. The
woman in the nursing home, who listens to the mans story, suffers
from Neurocognitive Disorder due to Alzheimers Disease. Alzheimers
is the most common form of dementia. It results in short and
long-term memory loss. Eventually sufferers will lose control of
the necessary body functions required for the maintenance of life.
This specific diagnosis also includes cognitive decline and
increased irritability and aggression.
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The Academy-Award favorite is the biographical tale of
innovator Howard Hughes. An early life of affluence, allowed Hughes
to make tangible the dreams of his youth. The film follows through
the successful film, Hells Angels, to the failures, such as the
large transport plane that only took flight once. The genius of the
creator of TWA airlines is explored through the eye of Scorsese and
the talent of DiCaprio. Howard Hughes was a brilliant man, who
managed to transform his family's fortune from simply rich to
opulent. His road was not one paved smoothly. An early conversation
with his mother foreshadows the troubles the at Hughes would face
as an adult. His suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
resulted in loss of money and social and economic ground, due to
his inability to suppress his compulsions.
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This recent, award winning film, explores the Pat Jr. as he
attempts to rehabilitate his life. Recently released from a mental
health facility, after eight months, Pat is working at getting his
life back together. Attempting to restore his marriage, Pat strikes
a deal with a neighbor in order to talk to his soon-to-be ex-wife.
This is a film that depicts a number of characters living with
psychological disorders. The protagonist, Pat, experiences Bipolar
I and Bipolar II disorder. Bipolar I is the manic phase in which
grandiosity, distractibility and decreased need for sleep are
rampant. Bipolar II is the stage before or after the manic phase.
This involves a disturbance in mood and character changes that are
not drug induced.