(Trigger warning ⚠️: Suicide, death)
Movies are a piece of art, and notions like art, visuals, creativity and emotions go hand in hand. There are various ways to educate oneself and learn about mental health. When we talk about movies, they can make us see things and also make us feel a lot of emotions that surface, even to our own surprise. Mental health and psychology, in connection to movies, some of the most common and famous that come to our mind are Shutter Island or Kartik calling Kartik, where there are direct depictions of mental disorders. But here we are talking about mental health.
Mental health is defined by WHO as a “State of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her community”.
Here is a list of such movies that not only signify mental health but also cover what can be the consequences when a relevant measure is not taken to achieve flourishing mental health.
1. INSIDE OUT: The Disney Pixar movie showcases different emotions that live in our heads. The title of the movie explains it all, what we feel and why, and how the emotions reflect in our behaviours. This lively depiction of emotions is a wonderful watch, not just for children but for adults as well. They targeted it for children to give them a vocabulary to express emotions and feelings in a better way. It helps the adults to realize how important these emotions are for living a stable life. All the emotions live in our heads. We can control them, and we experience all these emotions in waves. They will come and go.
2. TAARE ZAMEEN PAR: This Hindi movie educated a lot of parents and also students about dyslexia. This movie also draws attention to something additional that we see in the movie, the inability of the child to read and write when it is not catered to how it affects him. The distance that starts taking place from one thing that he loved to do, what was his coping mechanism, i.e. Art. He stopped creating art and lingered alone, without friends. It makes us aware of how, when not taken care of sensitive things, the toll that it can take on young minds.
3. GOODWILL HUNTING: This movie is a beautiful example of how the therapeutic process works. That before making any kind of progress, there would always be a roller coaster of highs and lows. It makes us discover how certain problems that appear to be on the surface level are because of something rooted within. It also brings to notice how the psychologist will mould the therapeutic process according to the client. The space of decision making always lies in the hands of the client. Any issue when not attended can be an obstacle in the path of your talents and growth.
4. DEAR ZINDAGI: This movie became a classic example of mental health awareness in Indian cinema, even though it has problematic instances of its own. It brings out so many valid points for the youth, the importance of therapy, talking about the issues and childhood problems that can stay with you for longer than we can think. It voices out the importance of communication about the gaps that can exist between our parents and us as individuals. This movie shatters the shame of being in different relationships and finding the right partner.
5. 3 IDIOTS: This might come as a surprise, but 3 idiots talk about mental health-related issues, which go unnoticed by most of us all, with Farhan and Raju. Raju, under pressure and fear, could not perform up to his most capacity and when in a dilemma about academics and friendship, he tries to commit suicide. Whereas, Farhan is doing something that he does not love because his parents want him to be an engineer and consistently perform badly in academics. This gap in the ideal and real self is the reason behind academic performance issues. These are issues of vital importance for a student of any age that affects them emotionally, mentally and physically. Let it be school or college and in absence of essential guidance, both of them take steps that are avoidable in real life, which is shown with Rancho.
6. SPIDERMAN -3: Marvel cinematic universe has given references to mental health and the toll that it can have even on superheroes. In spider man- 3, the hero of the movie cannot shoot spiderwebs occasionally. They portrayed it whenever he is confused about his identity and overwhelmed with feelings of guilt about the death of his uncle. And whenever he can resolve the crisis of crisis and conflict, the web-shooters come back. In the movie, there is a sequence where the spider man battles with himself, his negative aspect of personality who becomes overpowering. In a very poetic way, they have shown the tie between sentiments, what runs in the mind with the physical demeanours and steps that we take.
– Urveez Kakalia and Namika Gumber.