First day after getting job on a building site
Gere's character does a high wire act on the scaffolding and is
arrested by the police. Handed over to hospital he diagnosed as
paranoid schizophrenic and put on drugs. Leno Olin plays his
psychiatrist and before leaving hospital he has chatted her up. She
thinks he is psychotic/manic not schizophrenic. Later he does a kind
of Robin Williams' routine, showing off and getting arrested again.
She claims now he has a disease, manic depressive disorder and it
can be treated. In court speaking on his behalf she describes his
condition as bi-polar manic depressive disorder. His judgement is
impaired and he is a danger to himself. She wants him committed. Over
75,000 people with depression kill themselves she says (every year?)
Gere conducts his own defence. (note that once again the judge is
black, and a woman. Reference this to my 'obsession' that many, many
films have white protagonists who have black superiors notably police
chiefs or black judges).
He wins and continues to chat her up. As predictable as her driving
a convertible (another cinema cliché )she lets him get into it. And
when something goes wrong for him, one phone call and she's running
after him. (Just as oddly earlier a black co-worker at the building
site had taken him home).
What we have basically is a romantic film and the necessary
obstacle to keep the romantic tension ticking along is mental illness.
The question being will he 'gain' enough sanity to conclude their
romance.
As a bonus he rescues her from a violent patient (in a situation
which the guidelines of a normal hospital wouldn't allow). When he
walks out of the hospital she pursues him. Overall she gets involved
before she knows he is O.K. which suggests she is incompetent or very
foolish. She admits to a colleague she has slept with him. And after
the death of another patient she offers her resignation. But they live
happily ever after.
MR JONES I
think you under rated. A lot of people do but it is a
revelation to some of us who know the illness from inside out. See
my Q&A session under "writings" on my site. www.islandnet.com/mm
Also SYBIL is a brilliant film on the topic which I have explored
at length and holds up very well almost 30 years later. A remake is
in the offing. The original 2 part mini series (197min) is
unavailable and the cut for video distribution in Europe probably
isn't nearly as good. Every moment of the original is riveting. A
agree Dialogues is terrific and have screened it several times in
my psych hospital venue.
see
http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/MayJune04/FramesofMindFestival.html
and on my site, under our first RM Fest.
Also an absolute fave of mine you missed is STUART SAVES HIS FAMILY
- a review/rave also in my "writings" Stuart's main weakness
is addiction to self help groups.
Check out our current series at our local university on brain
injury. A brilliant little film we explored last year in this
Cognitive Neuroscience context is POST CONCUSSION now available
on DVD. Highest recommendation. Semi autobiographical and very
entertaining and winning.
