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Mental Madness Movies
By an Amazon.com customer
FrancesFrances
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Jessica Lange is great in all of her roles, but for some reason, she's even better when she portrays mental illness.
Blue SkyBlue Sky
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See above ... Tommy Lee Jones is fabulous in this movie ... It's a heartbreaking movie to watch.
Betty Blue (Unrated Director's Cut)Betty Blue (Unrated Director's Cut)
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I found this to be a very realistic portrayal of how slowly yet suddenly one can be sucked into mental illness ...
Bug (Special Edition)Bug (Special Edition)
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This movie is incredible because it shows a vulnerable person being sucked into mental illness by someone who just happens to show up in her life.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
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This made pretty much all of the lists, but I can't not include it on mine.
The Shining (Two-Disc Special Edition)The Shining (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Jack Nicholson is simply fabulous in this movie. His insanity has a way of creeping up but also just suddenly being there.
Stephen King's The Shining  (Two Disc Special Edition)Stephen King's The Shining (Two Disc Special Edition)
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The insanity (supernaturally induced or otherwise) is much more terrifying in this version.
Girl, InterruptedGirl, Interrupted
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A decent adaptation of the biography ... It's a pretty realistic look at what psychiatric wards are like.
Prozac NationProzac Nation
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A very good rendering of the biography. This is a great visual representation of what depression looks like and how it affects everyone involved in that person's life.
Mommie Dearest (Hollywood Royalty/Special Collector's Edition)Mommie Dearest (Hollywood Royalty/Special Collector's Edition)
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I don't know if Joan Crawford was mentally ill or just sadistic ... but Faye Dunaway is fabulous at portraying the insanity of it all.
Sybil (Two-Disc Special Edition)Sybil (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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This is a classic book and movie.
Seven (New Line Platinum Series)Seven (New Line Platinum Series)
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Kevin Spacey is superb in this role. The maniacal genius who should be insane but isn't ... this is just a fabulous movie.
Benny and JoonBenny and Joon
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This is such a sweet movie. It's a great look at how people try to deal with another's mental illness.
The Aviator (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)The Aviator (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
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I actually wasn't sure I'd like this movie but it's a fascinating look at how bad OCD can get. There are a couple of special features about OCD as well, so it's doubly interesting.
Primal FearPrimal Fear
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I know he ends up being perfectly sane in the end, but Edward Norton is just wonderful in this movie! Split personality indeed.
Fight Club (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)Fight Club (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
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Speaking of Edward Norton and split personality roles ...
Dirt - The Complete First SeasonDirt - The Complete First Season
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One of the main characters suffers from schizophrenia and is always going on and off of his medications ... it's a very moving look at the disease ...
The Alphabet KillerThe Alphabet Killer
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Overall this is a pretty good movie. The scenes that involve Eliza Dushku's character's schizophrenia are really heart rending.
Soul Survivors (The Killer Cut)Soul Survivors (The Killer Cut)
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Honestly ... I'm not sure if I like this movie or not ... But the hallucination (or is it real ... ?) scenes are hard to watch without feeling for the girl ...
Small Sacrifices Miniseries [VHS]Small Sacrifices Miniseries [VHS]
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This is a classic in the true crime genre. Diane Downs is apparently a sociopath which is supposed to explain (although by no means excuse) how she could try to kill her three children.
High Tension UnratedHigh Tension Unrated
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I don't think I can say anything about this movie without giving something away ... although putting it on this list kind of moots what I just typed.
ManiactsManiacts
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Truth be told, this isn't the greatest of movies ... but there's a really sweet love story involved.