Movies that showcase mental health bring out the beauty in filmmaking as directors and screenwriters use their personal experiences and research to tell important stories.

Mental health is a significant topic that has slowly been destigmatized in recent decades.  Meanwhile, the film industry has been at the forefront of representation. Many directors and screenwriters create movies with characters who struggle with mental health. The way they prepare to make these movies varies, but most will use their own personal stories or research the experiences of others while consulting with professionals. 

“Now it was time for me to begin my own research,” director Ron Howard said in a 2015 interview with Time Magazine. “With a morning meeting at Professor Nash’s office on the Princeton campus and then a lunch with him and his wife nearby.”

Howard is an example of a filmmaker who utilized research prior to working on the 2001 film “A Beautiful Mind.” The movie, based on Sylvia Nasar’s biography of mathematician John Nash Jr., focuses on his career and struggles with schizophrenia. Howard began prepping for the film by reading the biography, interviewing Nash and his wife, as well as consulting with psychiatrists to accurately portray schizophrenia. 

“We wanted this movie to be from the point of view of the person with the disease, so we couldn’t objectify them,” screenwriter Akiva Goldsman said regarding the film during an interview with The Los Angeles Times. 

Director and Author Stephen Chbosky, who wrote and directed the 2012 film “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” reflected on personal life experiences to create this story. The movie centers on a socially awkward teen named Charlie starting high school, but it also delves into his issues with his mental health and childhood trauma. Chbosky started writing the story after experiencing a breakdown in his mid-twenties and reflected on his teen experiences before and during the making of the movie.  

“There was a personal reason that led to me writing Perks (The Perks of Being a Wallflower),” Chbosky said in an interview with GLSEN. “The book was inspired by a really rough time in my mid-twenties. I had a breakdown and the decision was to either write something or go crazy.” 

Regardless of the method filmmakers use to create these stories, they will always highlight the importance of mental health. These films also stretch out a hand to individuals who might suffer similarly to the characters in them and show people that they are not alone.