Depression is a serious mental illness involving a state of low mood, aversion to activity, and negatively affects the way a person feels and acts. It is a symptom of mood disorders causing emotional and physical problems, which decreases one’s ability to properly function and complete activities of daily living. People suffering from depression often experience a loss of motivation, interest, pleasure, and joy from experiences that would normally elicit feelings of happiness and fulfillment.
People experiencing depression have feelings of worthlessness, dejection, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. A depressed mood can either be short or long term, and may feature sadness, difficulty thinking, concentrating, and significant changes in appetite and sleeping habits. Contributing factors of depression include life events, personality, side effects of medical treatments, substance-induced, psychiatric syndromes, and more.
Depression has been depicted in movies throughout the decades in storylines and characters that continue to capture audiences today for their accurate portrayal of the experience. It is proven that many people worldwide suffer from mental illness, and filmmakers and actors resonate with them through the characters portrayed in their films. While there also exists debate regarding the negative impact caused by the depiction of depression in films, many have received acclaim and awards for it.
The list below includes an exploration of films involving characters suffering from depression and conveying the experience in their storylines. From movies with characters depicting depression, to their storylines, and the impact of each performance, here are the most depressed movie characters of all time.
10 Arthur - The Sea of Trees (2016)
The Sea of Trees is about an American man named Arthur Brennan, who attempts suicide in Aokigahara, an infamous place to commit suicide in Japan. While there, Arthur meets a Japanese man who is also there for the same reason. The 2015 drama mystery film was directed by Gus Van Sant, written by Chris Sparling, and stars Matthew McConaughey as Arthur, an adjunct physics professor who is struggling with depression.
Arthur’s depression stems from guilt over his crumbling marriage, and the Japanese man he meets in the forest was the spirit of his wife leading him out of the forest. Although the film received mixed to negative reviews, the character of Arthur depicts overcoming depression, loss, and suicidal ideation with the help of loved ones.
9 Alice - Welcome To Me (2014)
Welcome to Me is about Alice Klieg, a mentally ill single woman living on disability benefits, and fan of Oprah Winfrey, who wins the state lottery jackpot of $86 million. With the money she wins from the lottery jackpot, Alice finances her own television talk show called, “Welcome to Me”, while off her medication and coping with borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness that may include symptoms of depression, as exhibited by Alice in the film.
Alice’s depiction of depression includes feeling bored, restless, desperate, lonely, and triggered by interpersonal losses. The 2014 comedy drama film was directed by Shira Piven, written by Eliot Laurence, starring Kristen Wiig as Alice, and received positive reviews from critics.
8 Frank - Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine is about a family who takes a road trip together to the "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty pageant to enter their daughter Olive. Frank is Olive’s uncle who is temporarily staying with the family after discharging from a psychiatric hospital for attempting suicide. Olive asks Frank what happened to his arms, which leads to an argument between her parents about the topic not being appropriate for her age.
Frank tells Olive that he tried to kill himself because he was very unhappy, and Olive asks, “Why are you unhappy?” Frank responds, “A lot of reasons, mainly though, I fell in love with someone who didn’t love me back… I was very much in love with him.” The statement shocks Olive, who responds, “A boy! You fell in love with a boy? That’s silly!” Frank agrees and the family laughs together, continuing their dinner. The storyline of Frank’s character explores the experience of depression, the act of committing suicide, and the effects of the aftermath that are also included.
7 Andrew - Garden State (2004)
Garden State is about Andrew Largeman, who returns to his hometown in New Jersey after his mother dies. Andrew was on lithium, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants since age 10, but recently stopped taking the medication. The 2004 romantic comedy-drama film was written and directed by Zach Braff, based on his experience struggling with depression.
On writing the character of Andrew, Braff said, "I was a very depressed young man who had this fantasy of a dream girl coming along and saving me from myself. And so I wrote that character… [I] knew I was battling something. That's what writing Garden State was about. I wasn't as extreme as Andy, but I was certainly battling my own demons. As I was writing it, I was hoping I could survive what became known as the quarter-life crisis, and depression, and fantasizing that the perfect woman would come along and rescue me."
6 Susanna - Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Girl, Interrupted is about a young woman named Susanna, who spends 18 months at a psychiatric hospital between 1967 and 1968, after a suicide attempt. Susanna suffers from depression and borderline personality disorder, with the prominent theme of isolation in her life displayed in her family and boyfriend not visiting her while she is institutionalized. The 1999 psychological drama film was directed by James Mangold, based on Susanna Kaysen's memoir of the same name, and starring Winona Ryder as Susanna.
Ryder said, “I read the book Girl, Interrupted when I was twenty-one, and I sort of fell madly in love with it. I hadn’t read anything like that, something so brutally honest. And it’s also something that was cut with so much humor. I just found the characters so captivating, and so heartbreaking. And funny at the same time. So I just really fell in love with all the characters.”
5 Harry - Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Requiem for a Dream is about four characters who are drug addicts and how their addictions affect them by altering their physical and emotional states. Harry is a heroin addict trying to escape his life in the ghetto by opening a clothing store, while dealing with his mother’s amphetamine usage. The character of Harry depicts coping with depression by self-medicating with illicit substances that are harmful, as shown when he loses his arm to gangrene from excessive heroin usage.
The downward spiral depicted in Harry’s storyline reflects the common symptoms of untreated depressive episodes and the delusions of desperation with a declining mental state. As the film progresses, the mental state of Harry deteriorates, and his reality is overtaken by delusion, resulting in catastrophe.
4 Joel - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is about two people who undergo an experimental procedure to forget memories of each other and their failed relationship. One of whom is Joel Barish, whose cultural conceptualization of his distress resembles that of US culture because he admitted he felt depressed and hopeless. Joel’s issues are limiting his overall functioning, with the most significant limitations being in the areas of his life including mobility, self-care, activities, and participation.
Jim Carrey, who stars in the film as Joel, said, "It's romantic and yet not romanticized”. Kate Winslet agreed and Carrey concluded with, "It's a real love, full of compromise and everything else love comes with, rather than a Romeo and Juliet kind of movie."
3 Travis - Taxi Driver (1976)
Taxi Driver is about Travis Bickle, a veteran experiencing a deteriorating mental state as he works as a taxi driver during nights in the city. The 1976 neo-noir psychological drama thriller film was directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and stars Robert De Niro as taxi driver Travis. In the film, Travis is suffering from depression and insomnia, which is the reason he accepted a position during the night, and to cope with his overwhelming feelings of loneliness.
He becomes disgusted with the crime and urban decay in Manhattan and dreams about eliminating "the scum off the streets”. The character of Travis accurately depicts the experience of depression and De Niro received several accolades, awards, and nominations for his performance in the role.
2 Justine - Melancholia (2011)
Melancholiais an apocalyptic drama art film about a rogue planet colliding with Earth, and follows the story of two sisters anticipating the world’s end. The narrative conveys an exploration of the different manifestations stemming from Lars von Trier's personal experience with depression by utilizing female alter-egos to portray it. Melancholia was inspired by von Trier's experience in suffering from a depressive episode and the therapy sessions he attended while in treatment for his depression.
The character of Justine and her personality was based on von Trier, and the name was inspired by the novel Justine by Marquis de Sade. The character of Claire depicts a naive personality type of someone who buys into life's solidity, and is too fearful of dying to act appropriately. Both characters are representative of two different halves that fulfill the same whole, and each sister serves as a female alter ego of von Trier.
1 Arthur - Joker (2019)
Joker is about Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comic, whose storyline depicts the standalone origin story for the character of the Joker, which is set in 1981. The 2019 neo-noir psychological thriller film was directed and written by Todd Phillips, with the screenplay by Scott Silver, based on DC Comics characters, starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck.
The character of Arthur is suffering from a disorder called pseudobulbar affect that includes uncontrollable episodes of crying and laughing that are made worse by any emotional content he experiences. During his fits of laughter, there is sorrow and agony that depicts the experience of depression and declining mental illness. Arthur’s descent into mental illness and nihilism eventually results in a violent counter-cultural revolution that occurs against the prosperous people of a decaying Gotham City.
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