The Kite Runner

Depicts imminent rape of a young boy by an older boy and suggests more regular sexual abuse of another young boy.

Sexual Abuse of Child

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest Of Spies

Caricature of narcissism.

narcissism | Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Fracture

After the man charged with attempted murder of his wife is acquitted for lack of evidence the wife's lover shoots himself in the courthouse. We hear the gunshot then see the body and the weapon.

suicide

Vitus

A head injury sustained in a fall appears to leave a child prodigy deprived of his talent and extraordinary mental abilities. Could this be malingering?

Does Vitus have anything in common with Good Will Hunting?

concussion | Head Trauma | Malingering

Billy Elliot

Portrays the loss of his mother as driving and shaping Billy's passion for dance. Replete with relationship triangles.

Bereavement | perverse triangle | triangulation

The Wrestler

Contains scenes of drug dealing, drug abuse (presumably cocaine), and even intramuscular self injection (presumably of an anabolic steroid).

| anabolic steroid | cocaine | drug | Substance Abuse |

Milk

Harvey Milk’s needy partner hangs himself when Mr. Milk fails to meet his expectations. Might such acting out qualify as codependent?

| acting out | codependent | Dan White | suicide | Twinkie defense |

The Cider House Rules

Michael Cain's character regularly administers ether to himself eventually with unintended but fatal consequence.

| inhalant |

Altered States

Possibly loosely based on Greenwich Village psychiatrist Richard Ariola this film adapted from the book by Paddy Chayefsky attempts to imitate psychedelic hallucinations induced by drugs and sensory deprivation.

| hallucination | hallucinogen | psychedelic | psychosis |

Meet John Doe

The entire film anticipates the planned and announced suicide of the protagonist.

Did Frank Capra have a thing about suicide? (It's a Wonderful Life)

* suicide *

Volver

Depicts current attempt to sexually assault a teen, but the fact that it happened before has been family secret. Much of the film revolves around the losses of loved ones, some of which are grieved more than others.

bereavement | family secrets | Sexual Abuse of a Child

Paulie

Sensitive treatment of a child who Stutters.

Stuttering *

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Brief reference to and depiction of dementia.

* Dementia *

Tell No One

Bereavement pervades, but look for references to childhood sexual abuse. A suicide results, not from mental illness, but from a character's inability to live with the memory of past actions.

* Bereavement * Sexual Abuse of Child * suicide

The Happening

It only stands to reason: If antidepressants might cause a barely detectable increase in thoughts of suicide in certain age groups it is completely plausible that all the plants in the northeastern US should mount a coordinated attack on people who happen to be in (for the most part) groups of more than 5 in which they emit toxins which affect neurotransmitters inducing those people kill themselves.

suicide