"THE CRAZIES"
(MOVIE TITLE OR MOST OF HOLLYWOOD)
When you decide to fight stigma, you find that the media is your worst enemy. When it comes to mental illness, Hollywood writers fuel fear in the public by relying on sensationalism and discrimination. The latest film to misrepresent mental illness is "The Crazies". Usually, I am surprised by the layers of discrimination within a film but in this case, the title says it all. I want you to watch the following trailer and read the film's description below (the film's website is here). I would love to hear what you think about this issue. In my opinion, it will take years of education at a student level (part of the reason I am working on my documentary). Maybe then will our future Hollywood directors and writers think twice before they stigmatize millions of people dealing with mental illness. We all can hope but we must keep fighting!
"A husband and wife in a small Midwestern town find themselves battling for survival as their friends and family descend into madness in The Crazies...Unable to trust former neighbors and friends, deserted by the authorities and terrified of contracting the illness themselves, they are forced to band together in a nightmarish struggle for survival." –www.thecrazies-movie.com
"About the inhabitants of a small Iowa town suddenly plagued by insanity and then death after a mysterious toxin contaminates their water supply." –IMDB.com
