[HALLIEBETH87]

Have you seen it? How did you feel about it?

[wildflowerchild25]

I thought it was a good film, not sure it did anything to demystify or explain the bipolar existence, but I also don't think it was trying to. I don't think it was wildly off the mark about BP either.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I just watched it. It was a pretty great film. I could kind of see how he felt though..

I read the book instead of seeing the film. In it, the main character displays symptoms of schizoaffective or schizophrenia but turns out to have had traumatic brain injury. I've been curious how it was portrayed in the film.

[krisakira]

It doesn't explain what bipolar disorder is at all. It is about a man who went through some things, seriously effed up a guy who was sleeping with his wife, (which is something I might have even done, and most other people would at least be tempted to do, I don't see what's so abnormal about it), and ends up in the psych hospital instead to avoid jail time. He comes out kind of hypomanic with grandeur thinking about getting back together with his wife, but she's moved on and he is somehow seen as the perpetrator in all of it, when she's a fcking slut who cheated on him. I hope I just didn't miss something important because that's how I interpreted it. It turns into a love story, about him and another girl who doesn't seem to display any symptoms of a mental illness (perhaps she is in remission due to being on meds?) and they dance and then fall in love. None of that explains what bipolar is, why he's seen as the bad guy for beating up a man who slept with his wife, and why his new love is even on medication.

Other than that, I really enjoyed it. I just don't think it explained mental illness at all, and I don't think it intended to.

[blackwhitered]

Originally Posted by krisakira

It doesn't explain what bipolar disorder is at all. It is about a man who went through some things, seriously effed up a guy who was sleeping with his wife, (which is something I might have even done, and most other people would at least be tempted to do, I don't see what's so abnormal about it), and ends up in the psych hospital instead to avoid jail time. He comes out kind of hypomanic with grandeur thinking about getting back together with his wife, but she's moved on and he is somehow seen as the perpetrator in all of it, when she's a fcking slut who cheated on him. I hope I just didn't miss something important because that's how I interpreted it. It turns into a love story, about him and another girl who doesn't seem to display any symptoms of a mental illness (perhaps she is in remission due to being on meds?) and they dance and then fall in love. None of that explains what bipolar is, why he's seen as the bad guy for beating up a man who slept with his wife, and why his new love is even on medication.

Other than that, I really enjoyed it. I just don't think it explained mental illness at all, and I don't think it intended to.

Yeah, just because it had a person with bipolar in it doesn't mean that's what it's about. Like how a love story between two people of different races doesn't have to be about racism.

[Lillyleaf]

I hated the book. I found that it didn't reflect anything at all and was rather dull.

The movie I loved a lot It wasn't trying to explain bipolar or what not, it just seemed to want it to be a matter of fact thing. Like saying "ya, it's a big deal and messes but people's lives but they are many other thing to being human".

Besides, everyone's bipolar is different.

[Victoria'smom]

I liked the movie because the main character was suppose to be bipolar but it wasn't really about bp but a love story. There is a rumor that Robert De Niro cried as his son deals with bp. I really like limitless because that's mania w/o the drug.

all in all, it let me down

when it came out i did look forward to watching it, and fair enough- it has some good bits in it (tiffany plays her part really well) but it's too predictible. especially the end

and some bits could have been expanded on (such as the back story). what did pat do to get himself in the mental hospital. fair enough, we find out later... but still, their's hardly any hospital sceens.

another question is, how did pat first meet danny

[jesusplay]

I think the move sucks and is terribly overrated.

[venusss]

I hated it. Didn't get what the point was. FIrst half it was take yo meds, second half let's dance.

Not sure what the issue of the girl was (except "I am not slut, i am ill"). Issues of the character are ALL written down to BP. His father has tons of issues but since he has no official diagnosis, it's all good in the hood.

*shrugs*

I've heard a lot about the film in support groups. Haven't yet seen it.

Originally Posted by VenusHalley

I hated it. Didn't get what the point was. FIrst half it was take yo meds, second half let's dance.

Not sure what the issue of the girl was (except "I am not slut, i am ill"). Issues of the character are ALL written down to BP. His father has tons of issues but since he has no official diagnosis, it's all good in the hood.

*shrugs*

we discussed this movie on an entertainment forum i'm on.
when i saw the thread, i remember replying..

oh well, it's nothing special.

just another mushy love story!

couldn't resist

It's only fair to say first that the only reason I watched this was because people were talking about the BP element, and I wanted to see how they handled it. It's otherwise very much not my kind of movie. So you may safely and correctly assume that by the time its formulaic trajectory hit full stride, I was squirming in my chair and begging for sweet mercy to have it end. Lol.

So let's just talk wiring. Illness, disorders, quirks. While it is true that BP doesn't present in cookie-cutter form, it really bothered me that they showed no depressive side at all. (I sincerely hope no one was deluded enough to think pining for lost love covers it. Because as we know all too well, it doesn't even begin to.) His bouncy enthusiasm, gotta be NOW (video, book review) and overly optimistic "can do"? Check. But… there was quite a bit of focus on his rage. Not saying that's not an issue. I've got it for sure. But which do you think left a greater impression on the average viewer? That didn't exactly do a helluva lot to debunk the common misconception of BPs being violent and dangerous (and hey, needing to be locked up too!)

So, to me, the film's greatest failing in portraying BP was in leaving a major element (depression) out, and certainly not doing anything to dispel the notion of violence being a given. WE know BP isn't cookie cutter, but the general public does not.

As for his GF, they don't say. But I'd put big money on Borderline.

(Editing to add: I think the whole thing with the Dad's "quirks" was perhaps to say "the undiagnosed, they walk among us!". Haha, no, more to point out that even if you don't have a dx, it doesn't mean there's nothing amiss. Which kind of points to the us/them thing.)

Originally Posted by VenusHalley

I hated it. Didn't get what the point was. FIrst half it was take yo meds, second half let's dance.

Not sure what the issue of the girl was (except "I am not slut, i am ill"). Issues of the character are ALL written down to BP. His father has tons of issues but since he has no official diagnosis, it's all good in the hood.

*shrugs*

Thank you. I guess I'm not the only person who feels this way about the movie. It just seemed like a love story, and not even a good love story. Also, I know that this is just a movie and the format has its limitations, but the representation of BP and mental illness were oversimplified.