We
love good movies because they are driven by good storytelling. We
identify with them. We identify with the characters' humanity and
dilemmas. I've compiled a list of movies and documentaries that have
played an important role in recovery from my package of unfortunate
life events.
I'm
listing potential triggers in my synopses, but if you have PTSD I
encourage you to check out the content advisory on IMDB before
watching a movie. Those advisories tend to be pretty thorough. (For
those of you who don't know much about PTSD, some people are
triggered by certain scenes in books or movies, and the advanced
warning beforehand can be very helpful.)
Movies:
1.)
Hope Floats (1998) starring Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr, and
Gena Rowlands
Do
yourself a favor and actually watch it before you write it off as an
overrated chick flick! It happens to be amazing. Birdie (Bullock)
goes through a journey of self-discovery after her husband has an
affair and files for divorce.
2.)
28 Days (2000) starring Sandra Bullock, Dominic West, Ashley Johnson
Alcoholic
Gwen (Bullock) is charged with a DWI and spends 28 days in
court-ordered rehab. She meets a handfull of interesting characters
and learns that she has the power to make positive decisions about
her life. The scene where she is stuck wearing the “confront me if
I don't ask for help” sign made me laugh hysterically because I
know there are times when my loved ones wish they could make me wear
a sign like that, haha!
Trigger
warning: Heavy drinking in a few scenes, as well as a couple scenes
in which characters are found dead after suicide and alcohol
overdose.
3.)
No Reservations (2007) starring Cathrine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart,
Abigail Breslin
Kate
(Zeta-Jones) uses her job as a gourmet chef to escape from her
background of neglect and broken relationships. Her budding
friendship with a new co-worker (Eckhart) and becoming the legal
guardian of her niece (Breslin) force her to make peace with her past
and herself.
Documentaries:
1.)
Depression: Out of the Shadows (2008), produced by PBS
Depression
is a very misunderstood condition. If you live with clinical
depression or are close to someone who does, you need to see this
one.
Trigger
warning: The scenes in which people describe their experiences with
severe depression might be a bit upsetting for those who have
struggled with it or are currently struggling with it. The
documentary also talks about ECT, better known as shock therapy.
2.)
Forgiving Dr. Mengele (2006) starring Eva Mozes Kor
Eva
Mozes Kor and her twin sister were survivors of Mengele's experiments
during the Holocaust. On the outside, Kor got her life in order
after she was liberated. She emigrated to Israel and then the US,
got married, had kids, got a job, and lived a “normal” life. On
the inside, unforgiveness turned her into a very sad, angry person.
She didn't embrace the power of forgiveness until she was older, but
when she did, it changed her life. Unlike many faith-based books on
forgiveness, this documentary actually gives a straightforward
definition of what forgiveness means.
Trigger
warning: Contains footage of Auschwitz and Mengele's lab during the
war. Eva has a flashback during an eye exam.
That's
my list of movies that have helped me heal. I'm going to work on a
list of books and hopefully post it sometime in the next week or so.
If that doesn't end up happening, it's not that I don't like you all.
I'm dealing with a lot of life events right now and I just need more
hours in the day!
