Hollywood has been shining the light on mental-illness.
At least half a dozen recent releases reflect characters, both real and fictional, whose experience with mood disorders is central to the story.
These films have value beyond the box office: Sympathetic portrayals of people dealing with mental illnesses help broaden publicunderstanding of these little-discussed conditions and show the challenges sufferers face.
Here's a look at recent and forthcoming films dealing with mental illnesses:
Kristen Wiig in a scene from the film Welcome to Me.
Stars Kristen Wiig as a woman with borderline personality disorder who wins the lottery. She immediately stops taking her medication and pours millions of dollars into producing her own talk show, where she discusses her high-protein diet, re-enacts formative moments from her life and performs amateur veterinary procedures. Tim Robbins co-stars as her psychiatrist. The film is available to rent online.
Co-produced by Will Ferrell, the film, released in May, was described by the Los Angeles Times as "quirky and bold" and "insanely charming".
Infinitely Polar Bear
A scene from the film Infinitely Polar Bear.
Writer-director Maya Forbes based this story on her own childhood experiences. Mark Ruffalo plays a bipolar dad hospitalised after a mental breakdown. Upon his release, he's left to care for his two young daughters when his wife (Zoe Saldana) goes away to graduate school.
Love & Mercy
A scene from the film Love and Mercy.
Focuses on two significant periods in the life of The Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson. Paul Dano plays the musician in the late 1960s, when he experienced a creative surge and the onset of mental illness. John Cusack plays Wilson later in his life, overmedicated and controlled by a domineering psychiatrist (Paul Giamatti) until he finds love with future wife Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks).
Jesse Eisenberg as David Lipsky and Jason Segel as David Foster Wallace in the film The End Of The Tour.
Follows author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel), who is finishing up his promotional tour for Infinite Jest when he agrees to an interview with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg). Lipsky alternately tries to befriend and prod Wallace, who becomes increasingly frustrated and self-conscious. The film is based on Lipsky's book, which was published after Wallace's 2008 death. The film is in theatres now.
I Smile Back
A scene from the film I Smile Back.
Stars Sarah Silverman as a deeply troubled suburban mother struggling with the destructive effects of an unnamed mental condition. She complains that lithium makes her gain weight, so she self-medicates with cocaine, alcohol and promiscuous sex, endangering the life she loves with her adoring husband and their two kids. It is due for release in October.
What Happened, Miss Simone?
A scene from What Happened, Miss Simone?
Documents the life of Nina Simone, from her public persona as a renowned singer, pianist and civil rights activist to her private struggles with abusive behavior and bipolar disorder. This documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, is available on Netflix.
Amy
Amy Winehouse in a scene from the film Amy directed by Asif Kapadia.
Looks at the talent and career of Amy Winehouse, and how fame and her battle with bulimia, depression and addiction contributed to her death at age 27. The film is in theatres now.
