Films about teenage depression are effective means of opening discussions about mental health. By showing a realistic depiction of adolescents’ struggles, these movies help demystify and humanize mental illness.
Melinda’s revelation of her sexual assault is one of the most moving scenes in this movie and serves as an important reminder of the strength required to stand up against prejudice and bullying.
Pump Up the Volume
Christian Slater’s compelling performance as Mark Hunter perfectly captures teenage alienation and angst. He shies away from social interaction, preferring instead to spend his time reading in his dorm room during the day before hosting an unconventional pirate radio show at night, featuring pop songs with bitter commentary about life’s disillusionment – eventually drawing in an audience member named Nora (portrayed by Samantha Mathis).
Pump Up the Volume is unlike many high school movies from Hollywood (ie Heathers or Porky’s Revenge) of its time; Allan Moyle’s film stands out by being smart, perceptive, thought-provoking and well-acted – much more so than its competitors from that era or decade. Allan Moyle tackles issues rarely discussed by typical teen/high school films while its characters more closely reflect those seen in real schools than Hollywood typically provides.
John Hughes-style movies often boast a stereotypical soundtrack; here, however, the difference lies in its soundtrack that offers a refreshing variety of edgy and offbeat music that never feels safe or familiar (Liquid Jesus, Soundgarden and Beastie Boys are among those featured in its soundtrack). Though Mark is arrested at the end of the film in a dramatic slow motion scene, its final audio collage shows other teenage pirate radio stations popping up across America showing that his voice still lives on!
The Lovely Bones
Saoirse Ronan shines in her debut major movie role as a teenage who watches over both her grieving family – and her killer (Stanley Tucci) from beyond the grave. Peter Jackson’s revered adaptation of Alice Sebold’s best-selling book expertly balances serial-killer thriller, teenage drama, and supernatural narrative with ease.
Although Sebold purists might find the director’s handling of Susie’s murder overly soft, its emotional violence is conveyed effectively through her parents and images from antique toys.
The film is truly impressive for how realistically it depicts how different loved ones cope with grief in different ways – Abigail Salmon is overwhelmed, her daughter Lindsey turns to alcohol and suicide attempts while Grandma Lynn wishes for life to continue as normal. The Lovely Bones is an emotionally charged yet rewarding film; though not for those easily distressed. It offers comforting visuals.
The Breakfast Club
John Hughes’ classic teen film depicts the pain caused when demeaning social hierarchies arise among teenagers. Through spending a day together in detention, five teens come to realize they share more in common than initially appears.
At first glance, the characters may seem stereotypical: an all-brains, no-brwon geek (Brian Johnson played by Anthony Michael Hall); an athletic youngster named Andrew Clark played by Emilio Estevez; Molly Ringwald as Princess Molly Ringwald; Judd Nelson as Rebel without Cause John Bender (played by Judd Nelson); Ally Sheedy playing Molly Ringwald) — however they all suffer from some form of depression – the all-brains no-brwon geek is under pressure from his parents to contemplate suicide; Andrew battles an eating disorder while Molly Ringwald battles abuse at home while criminal John Bender has bleak future prospects ahead of him (Ally Sheedy).
The Breakfast Club is an insightful, thought-provoking film about teenage depression that should be watched by anyone who has ever been a teenager. Families can use this film as an opportunity to discuss its lessons about not judging others based on one aspect of their personality or assuming everyone faces similar struggles in their life.
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine is a film about a dysfunctional family who embark on a cross-country road trip in order to help Olive, their seven-year-old daughter, win a beauty pageant. It depicts various forms of depression through various characters: Sheryl (Toni Collette), who lives off fast food; foul-mouthed Grandpa Hoover (Alan Arkin) who uses heroin; and Frank a gay professor attempting to commit suicide after his partner abandons him for someone else.
Depression in this film is presented as something normal and treatable over time, evidenced by Frank meeting up with one of his former students who rejected him in favor of another man; furthermore, I appreciated that neither glorifying nor romanticizing suicide were depicted as themes within its plotline.
