Depression in Cinema: 10 Movies on the Topic

What causes depression? No, we’re not talking about the death of loved ones, terrible disease and the collapse of the whole empire. What if everything seems to be good in your life, but … This “but” can sometimes bring a man to the extreme point – recall Robin Williams and many others, who gave up and left. Is there a recipe? Movies about depression… We were searching and found …..↓ Here are movies about depression to watch in the evening after work.

Buy a house in the village

 “Under the Tuscan Sun”, 2003

6,7

“I got everything I asked for”

Plot Summary

Frances Mayes, a writer, going through a divorce with her husband, is slowly sinking into depression. Exhausted and frustrated, Francis goes to Italy to be dispelled. And a miracle happens!

The bright, yellow and exciting sea of sunflowers, the shining sun, and the azure sky, a little house of stone, bright green shutters, bright petals on the window sill, a stone wall, overgrown with ivy. IT is, like everything here, the colors of the sun, a riot of greenery and flowers, the heady aroma of lemons, olives, and wine … This is a dream, a dream, it is Siena – an Italian province in Tuscany region.

The tender southern sun awakens in Francis passionate desire to start a new life – right here in this warm and friendly edge. The first thing she buys is an old villa. The second – she makes new acquaintances. And she still does not know that the third thing will find her soon. And this will be a new, all-consuming love…

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328589/

Pick up comic books

 “American Splendor” 2003

7,5

“Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff ….Comics – are the best escape from shitty work and nasty neighbors!”

Plot summary

Harvey Pekar works as a clerk in the hospital. The only thing that saves him from the everyday routine – it’s endless discussions with the colleagues about everything, from music and with the decline of American culture till the new flavors for making jelly and life itself.

At home, he listens to jazz, reads books and writes for the soul. His apartment is full of books and records, the collection of which he adds, regularly walking around the shops. At a regular flea market, he meets Robert Crumb – a greeting card artist and connoisseur of music. Some years later, Crumb becomes famous around the world for his underground comics. Inspired by his success Harvey decides to create his own brand of comic books.

Awards:”Oscar” in 2004 for the best-adapted scenery and “Golden Globe” in 2004 for Best Actress

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305206/

Meet a girl from the hell

 “Persona”, 2008

5,9

Plot summary

The Life of Koichiro Kiba – a talented doctor of the district hospital – is rolling downhill after the sudden death of Sayaka – his beloved wife.

The work does not bring the former interest, and in the evenings, Koichiro sits in a park with a bottle of alcohol. But one day, there is a strange girl on his way, possessing supernatural powers and suffers from seizures during which she calls herself Sayaka…

Moreover, she knows such details from the life of Koichiro, which only he and his dead wife can know.

The mysterious organization hunts for a woman, and to know the truth, Koichiro must defend the stranger, seeming to him incredibly familiar.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1164629/

Go away and do not look back

 “Private property” 2006

7,1

Plot Summary

An old but beautiful farm in Belgium is home to Pascale and her twin sons Thierry and François. Although they love each other and care about each other, each of them is still not completely recovered from the divorce that divided the family some years ago.

Pascale’s ex-husband remarried, he had a child. He maintains a close relationship with Thierry and François, but the bitterness generated by his break with Pascal is still felt by each of them. Now the boys became young men and to some extent began to move in a different direction. Thierry has decided to continue his education by enrolling in a local university, and Francois’ passion remains constant reconstruction of the family house. Both guys are working hard, but it seems that none of them tends to grow up and take on the responsibility. Both continue to depend on the father’s money, and neither is willing to part with stable home life under.

Besides the full-time job, Pascal is dedicated her time to the boys and the house, but she fell in love again and begins to dream of a new life for themselves. She hopes to move with her lover in a country inn, which they plan to hold together. But happy hours of her life, turn for the worse, as she discovers that she can not escape the shadow of her former husband and selfish children. Pascale leaves the house in the hands of Thierry and Francois, suspecting that a fratricidal war will change their family forever.

Features

“Private property” – is a movie that will appeal to those who love European movies and a French actress, Isabelle Huppert. She is a master of expressing hundreds of shades of depression!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0855895/

Destroy pills

 “Side effects” 2013

7,1

“One pill can changeyour life”

Plot Summary

The psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) takes for treatment a young girl Emily (Rooney Mara), suffering from chronic depression caused by the imprisonment of her husband. And it would seem simple and obvious, the girl needs medicine, she gets it, it starts working better than any other drugs, everybody is satisfied and happy.

However, this drug has some strange side effect – she starts to not sleep at night. From this point the story begins, during which the fates of the heroes of the film are intertwined.

Features

The main character, a young and fragile woman in deep depression, is played by Rooney Mara. Her husband (Channing Tatum), a former broker, spent four years in prison and lost all his fortune returned to the loving wife.

It seems as a conventional private story. But depression of the heroine after her husband’s return is amplified to such an extent that ends with a suicide attempt. And she gets to the doctor by Jude Law.

Jude Law plays great. From minor hero with his mask, he gradually turns into a figure of the foreground, not only forced to remove his own social masks, and rip them from all others.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2053463/

Fall in love to death

 “Numb” 2007

6,8

Plot Summary

The film tells the story of a screenwriter Hudson Milbank. He suffers from a very serious little-known disease – depersonalization. He unsuccessfully goes to doctors, swallows a ton of antibiotics, and is trying to experience the reality: smokes pot, steals things in shops, and tries to communicate with people…

Unable to put up with himself, he cannot get along with other people: he lives alone and watches TV all day long. Almost nothing can help him, and only a strange girl, Sarah opens the way for him to live in the world, which he does not feel.

Features

The movie is about prolonged depression, but we cannot call the film depressive. It carries a lot of positive emotions. Since all films with Matthew Perry – are very positive. Hudson Milbank – is one of the best roles of the actor, which proves that Matthew can be not only silly Chandler from “Friends” and Oz from “The whole Nine Yards” but a serious dramatic hero.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795439/

Find a talking beaver

 “The Beaver” 2010

6,7

“Hello. The person, who handed you this card, is under the care of a prescription puppet, designed to help create a psychological distance between himself and the negative aspects of his personality. Please, treat him as you normally would, but address yourself to the puppet. Thank you.”

“The Beaver” –American tragicomedy reflects an unusual history of severe depression and the ways to cure it.

Plot Summary

Walter Black – is a successful businessman, happy husband, and father. A bad luck – and depression poisons all his existence. A Beaver hand puppet returns him the fullness and joy of life…. Putting it on the arm, Walter got his second wind. The beaver helps him to restore his relationship with his wife; to reestablish a bond with his son and even to become successful at work. The Relatives and friends are shocked by the bizarre behavior of Walter, but he does not know who is more important – he or the beaver.

The features

The beautiful actress Jodie Foster not only takes a leading role in the film but also directing the film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321860/

Pay in advance

 “Pay it forward” 2000

7,1

Plot Summary

Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) is a bright 11-year-old boy who comes from a troubled home. His mother Arlene (Helen Hunt) is an alcoholic trying to hold down two jobs to support her son while Trevor’s father (Jon Bon Jovi) left his family behind some time ago. At school, Trevor’s class is introduced to their new social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet (Kevin Spacey), a guarded man with severe facial scars. Simonet gives his class an unusual assignment — think up a practical way to make the world a better place and put it into action. Trevor comes up with the notion of “Pay It Forward” — do a needed favor for three different people without being asked, and then ask them to do the same for three others.

Although there are no heroes, suffering from depression, it is not so important – because the way to defeat her in this movie is just to “pay forward” as the heroes of this remarkable movie do …          

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0223897/

Start travelling

 “The Darjeeling Limited” 2007

7,2

Plot summary

In the movie, the way to overcome depression is a journey, which three brothers planned to find their mother. However, it is a journey not only to India but to your inner world.

As soon as the target approaches, the hero Adrien Brody starts to understand himself better, his needs, and what is more important  – the ways how to meet his  needs, starting to feel more safely, confidently and joyfully.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0838221/

Come back home

 “The Shipping News”2001

6,8

Plot Summary

The Hero Kevin Spacey in “The Shipping News» copes with depression after the loss of his wife. He decides to return to the birthplace of his ancestors and to study the history of his family. “The return to the roots” helps him to understand better the behavior of his father and his own actions, and to find a favorite activity, that seemed to be impossible.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120824/

We hope you found this collection of movies about depression interesting and worth to watch.