Movies for Depressed People

[JBMoney]

What is your favorite movie when you're not feeling your best. I have two..

"Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory": Nothing beats Wonka when you need a lift - poor boy beats the odds to realize his greatest dream. A hypnotic movie with a great story, characters, music, settings and actors.

"Apocalypse Now" (especially the extended version): A terrific movie to watch WHEN YOU WANT TO wallow in self-pity and self-hatred, while you drink youself into a stupor. Conflicted character who hates himself is forced to search out someone more worthy of hatred than he is. Murder, mayhem, drug abuse, sexual abuse, abuse of power, guns, explosions, attack helicopters, napalm, dead bodies everywhere. Perfect.

[wrecker05]

I have to agree with JB with the movie "Apocalypse Now" .
Another one,well actually two, are " First Blood" and "Rambo: First Blood Part II" . I can't explain it, I just like the movies. They somehow connect with me.

[Laurie]

Ocean's Eleven ~~ Can't go wrong with watching 11 people steal 160 million from a rat-fink-money-hungry-Soprano-wannabe. The music is fabulous, AND, of course, you get the added bonus of oogling Pitt-n-Clooney throughout. ;)


Ice Age ~~ Can't beat a cute little sloth to lift your spirits. :)


E.T. ~~ Can't beat a cute little alien to brighten your day. :)

[gopsdragon]

I find going out and actually beating somebody is far more therapeutic than watching a movie.:baa:



Just joking, but it was therapeutic knowing the jolt you got for the first bit after reading that.

[Wham Valdez]

I watched the Director's Cut of Das Boot and that was therapeutic because I didn't have to move my body for more than 4 hours.

[Pistol Pete]

There's one movie I really love to watch when I need a "get out of the doldrums" flick...Lawrence of Arabia. Peter O'Toole is passionate and, at the same time, gets your blood going with all the action and wondering how T.E. didn't get killed really doing all that stuff. Charging hordes on horseback with swords and rifles and banners flying is just too cool :cool:

And Wham, you're right about Das Boot. Love that flick. You can almost smell the interior.

[JBMoney]

I have never watched Das Boot or Titanic. Coincidence?

[Pistol Pete]

Originally posted by JBMoney
I have never watched Das Boot or Titanic. Coincidence?

Titanic is a chick-flick. Das Boot, especially the Director's Cut, is one really good guy movie (although my wife loves it too). You get to know the men, their lives, and the boat. And when they're under attack, the concussions and tension are premo. You pull for the men in that tin can.

Also, English and German are enough alike that their lips are 99% in sinc with the words.

[Wham Valdez]

I'm not sure if I would want to smell the interior of that sub.

But Pete is right about the overall feel of the movie. The life of a submariner is very thoroughly examined and the emotional portrayals run the gamut from heroism to cowardice and back again. I like to watch it in German with the subtitles because I feel the emotions of their words better.

[Pistol Pete]

Originally posted by Wham Valdez
I'm not sure if I would want to smell the interior of that sub.

But Pete is right about the overall feel of the movie. The life of a submariner is very thoroughly examined and the emotional portrayals run the gamut from heroism to cowardice and back again. I like to watch it in German with the subtitles because I feel the emotions of their words better.

I understand German so I just ignore the subtitles. But, you're right about it making for a better feel of the story. All those actors re-did the movie in english for english markets. I thought that was pretty cool of them.

[Pistol Pete]

I watched the Band of Brothers series again today. I wasn't depressed but it is a good extended movie. Everything is so acurate right down to the buttons on shirts. The first time I watched it I noticed the Jagdpanther was real, along with several other German armored vehicles. It's not a Hollywood mockup because the wheels, tracks, and everything else are correct and they'd never go to that much trouble and money to fake it. The Tiger is on a Russian T-34 chassis and about 4/5 scale (like in Kelly's Heros) so I know it's fake. I've wondered where some of these vehicles reside when not in movies. I'm guessing reenactor groups own them. Whatever, I love these kind of movies.

[strangeboy]

Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion
Charlie's Angels
Josie and the Pussycats

[Rguess21]

As far as one of the most engrossing, how about the TV epic, Lonesome Dove ? On the big screen, although it's quite dated now, the funniest movie I've ever seen is It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World. And I would have to say Saving Private Ryan would be the big screen's most engrossing.

[Laurie]

Young Frankenstein always provides a good "pick-me-up."

[C..]

Ahh... the Matrix.... what a great movie....

Hmmm... The Castle... something Australian.... funny... movies are the best when you're pissed off/depressed... getting lost in their world....

Cleo

[Eagle3]

Kelly's Heros
Excellent cast. Not your ordinary war flick.

Donovan's Reef
Gotta watch this around Christmas if I want any chance of feeling in the Christmas spirit.

Army of Darkness
Bruce Campbell rocks. *LOL*

O' Brother, Where Art Thou
3 Stooges do Cool Hand Luke. :hehe:

[Ether_Elemental]

Originally posted by eagle3
Army of Darkness
Bruce Campbell rocks. *LOL*

"you found me attractive once" "Well baby, you got ugly" :)

that and Spaceballs. (or pretty much any movie by Mel Brooks) cuz the guy's a comedic genius and almost always manages to get me out of one of my manic-depressive slumps

[Laurie]

Sort of a "foofier" type of movie, but each time I've watched it, I found myself to be very uplifted. And, of course, you can never go wrong with Meryl Streep. "Music Of The Heart." Based on a true story about a woman with personal issues who uses that negative-type energy and turns it positive, to teach "mostly" black kids in da ghetto how to play the violin.

[groovehouse]

Donnie Darko
The Royal Tennenbaums
Rushmore

[Eddy's Geist]

"WHEN YOU WANT TO" Damn, I knew there was a reason I liked you JB.

Ok, here's my two:

The Crow
I just love revenge from the grave flicks.

Pi
Does matter get anymore grey than this?

Actually... when I'm depressed (common enough event in Mr Ed's Mental Neighborhood) I put on Skinny Puppy concert videos. But that's not a movie. So, nevermind

Hey, all you Das Boot fans... if you haven't seen it... check out Stalingrad. I believe the the same director who did Das Boot did this as well. Truly a bleak film :)

Originally posted by JBMoney
"Apocalypse Now" (especially the extended version): A terrific movie to watch WHEN YOU WANT TO wallow in self-pity and self-hatred, while you drink youself into a stupor. Conflicted character who hates himself is forced to search out someone more worthy of hatred than he is. Murder, mayhem, drug abuse, sexual abuse, abuse of power, guns, explosions, attack helicopters, napalm, dead bodies everywhere. Perfect.

[Ether_Elemental]

mhmm Pi really was....well..... grey. no better way to put it other than that Eddy. though i only saw the edited version my senior year in HS a few years back.

[evereno]

I just don't seem to get depressed enough. I guess, I Rocky would be a good one.

But for those who like to wallow in sadness you can alway watch My Life with Michael Keaton.

[Sister Zombie]

Adam Sandler in "Happy Gilmore"

I love the fight scene with Bob Barker.