by Libby Frumento

Movies, new and old, can often provide an outlook on mental health struggles and how one can deal with them. For watchers, it is many times reassuring to see a character with the same issues that they are also fighting through. Depression, anxiety, and drug abuse are examples of topics that movies portray through their characters and plot in order to relate to viewers who might be dealing with similar problems. 

One movie that represents teenagers dealing with anxiety and depression, is the movie Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. As it was first written as a book, the main character named Charlie dealt with childhood trauma, which led to his panic attacks and depression. This movie shows how significant people in someone’s life can help with mental disorders and get them the help that they need. This movie is popular amongst teenagers, for teenagers can relate to those issues the main character Charlie faces. A review from CPNP Perspective writes that “Overall, Perks of Being a Wallflower accurately portrays the symptoms of PTSD in an adolescent who experienced the trauma of sexual abuse as a child”. 

The movie About a Boy, with the story written by Nick Hornby, also illustrates the struggle of having a family member dealing with depression. The main character’s mother deals with chronic depression and this takes a toll on the people in their life. 

A recent movie titled Beautiful Boy based on real events, starring Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet, accurately portrays the struggle of drug abuse and how it can deeply affect loved ones. IMDB states that this movie “chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years”.

As these movies were released in recent years, it is important for people to be able to view movies that relate to them. Mental health is a topic that a large majority of people could relate to and it is significant to note all that the entertainment industry does to spread awareness. Perks of Being a Wallflower, About a Boy, and Beautiful Boy convey this message of validation to their watchers beautifully.