We all know that life is full of illness, heartbreak, and death. With that being said, it’s a shame not to have movies out there that acknowledge these topics. Many people are faced with death and illness, so these movies can be highly influential on how to cope with such a situation. Luckily there are plenty of movies to watch out for and they are portrayed skillfully.
Movies About Illness and Death
Many movies count as a about illness and dying. The following subheadings cover 10 different movies about illness and dying from IDBM.
1. Girl, Interrupted
In this movie, a young woman checks herself into a mental institution in 1969 after she develops what appears to be bipolar disorder. She encounters many other patients during her stay, which impacts her life and mental health differently. The patients deal with many other issues, including finding out about the mistakes made by their families, dealing with family members who do not understand them, and questioning the purpose of life in general. This movie is a classic and is still popular today.
2. Still Alice
A professor and her family face many difficulties when she gets diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. She tries to educate her family on what to expect and go through physical therapy to help cope with her symptoms. Her husband loses work due to her illness, while her children struggle with getting used to their mother’s inability to do things such as drive without causing an accident or remember who they are meeting for dinner. The movie does a good job of illustrating how the people around her are affected by her disease and what steps everyone must take to survive.
3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
This film follows a man who has just been paralyzed from a stroke. He can only blink his left eye and therefore dictates everything he wants for his life to an assistant. He struggles to recover but is determined to make the most of his situation. Others around him, including family members, start to accept the reality of his condition and come to terms with it. It is a heartwarming story that shows the importance of love and support during times when life seems bleak and unfair.
4. My Sister’s Keeper
This movie explores how a girl refuses to donate a kidney for her sister who has leukemia as she does not want her sister’s body to be changed in any way since donating will make it unable for her sister to have kids. Her sister works to help her best friend realize that she needs to stop fighting the inevitable. She feels that if she donates her kidney then, it will change their relationship forever. The movie has some difficult themes for viewers to digest, such as the complications of organ donation and the importance of accepting that life is not always fair.
5. Philadelphia
This film is based on a true story about the battle between physicians and hospitals regarding organ transplants. One doctor is willing to risk his career for what he believes in in order to help one patient live. This story captures the intensity of what it feels like when a patient comes into an emergency room with no hope but knowing they will die very soon. As they wait in anticipation of something positive, they begin to reflect on life itself, memories, and their loved ones.
6. Dallas Buyers Club
This film is about a man living a happy and fulfilled life in Texas until he was diagnosed with AIDS. He begins to feel as though his life is over but finds out about an alternative treatment that could save him from dying of the virus he has been diagnosed with. He starts working and becoming close friends with other drug users, who are also part of this alternative treatment program while trying to fight off those trying to take them down. The movie illustrates the struggle that many had had before, during, and after the 80s when it came to the HIV virus.
7. Sweet November
This movie is about a woman who meets a man in a coffee shop who is dying of cancer. Despite the fact that he will die in six months, the two start dating and she helps him to live his life to the fullest during his last few months. It explores how it feels to fall in love with someone who you know is going to die soon and how life itself needs to be lived as though it were your last day. The movie shows how even though they are opposites they end up finding common ground which makes the feelings they develop for one another more meaningful.
8. Children of Men
The setting of this movie is in the near future where there are no children and society is struggling to survive. In response a man, played by Clive Owen, sets out with the goal of finding a child so that he can bring them to the United States. The people from Britain who he gets help from also have their own personal reason for wanting to bring a child over due to the fact that all women on Earth have been rendered infertile by pollution. The movie shows how important it is for mankind to have children and what will happen if they are unable to.
9. Braveheart
The movie Braveheart is about William Wallace’s struggle for Scottish independence and his eventual victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Many people have said it to be an accurate portrayal of a real event but the romanticized story has some problems such as a lack of description of the battle itself and how blood is spilled. The movie makes it better by using color, sound, and special effects to enhance the audience’s experience.
Conclusion
The themes that are incorporated into these films show that despite the way things may seem, life is worth living and it is better to be happy than sad. Each one of these films brings a different message with them but they all have something to tell audiences. Whether one chooses to watch one of these movies or not, they will never forget the messages they get from them.