# Best depiction of mental collapse in film **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384 "2007-06-17T20:39:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/1 "2007-06-17T20:39:04Z")
The title pretty much says it all. My nominees: Harriett Andersson - Through a Glass Darkly Jack Nicholson - The Shining Max von Sydow - Hour of the Wolf Catherine Deneuve - Repulsion Glenn Close - Fatal Attraction List your favorites! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/2 "2007-06-17T20:44:38Z")
Richard E. Grant - How to Get Ahead in Advertising ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/3 "2007-06-17T20:45:49Z")
Nick Nolte in “Affliction”. This movie also features one of the best lines in cinematic history, delivered by a powerful James Coburn. If you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talkin’ about! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/4 "2007-06-17T20:47:04Z")
I was going to include Christian Bale in American Psycho as well, but I think he was psycho from the beginning…well, actually, if I exclude on that basis then that would leave only Nicholson. Nevermind. OK, maybe I amend this to be “best depictions of psychosis in film” then. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/5 "2007-06-17T20:51:11Z")
The mother in Donnie Darko has an excellently understated mental breakdown at the end. (Well, it’s not a collapse, but at least borderline) My favourite is probably the mother in American Beauty, if that qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/6 "2007-06-17T20:52:49Z")
Humphey Bogart’s testimony in _The Caine Mutiny_ At the end of her first guest run on _E.R._, Sally Field acted out a rather impressive breakdown. I can’t find the specific clip at the moment, but [here’s a related one.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOB_ZVHP0C0&mode=related&search=) ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/7 "2007-06-17T20:56:27Z")
Bruce Willis in **Twelve Monkeys** , though he may not be totally stable to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/8 "2007-06-17T20:59:22Z")
Sally Field - **Sybil** , and the funeral scene in **Steel Magnolias** Sean Penn - **Hurlyburly** Timothy Hutton - **Ordinary People** Ellen Burstyn - **Requiem for a Dream** Ally Sheedy - **High Art** Russell Crowe - **Beautiful Mind** Christopher Walken - **Deer Hunter** Jessica Lange - **Frances** Jennifer Jason Leigh - **Single White Female** and **Mrs. Parker** Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb - **Sid and Nancy** ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/9 "2007-06-17T21:00:56Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Richard E. Grant - How to Get Ahead in Advertising [/QUOTE] Ooh, that is a good one - especially as you’re never actually sure whether his delusions are real. I’ll add Michael Douglas in _Falling Down_. Bob Geldof in Pink Floyd’s _The Wall_ deserves a mention too, I think. ---
**Author:** ![gulliver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@gulliver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gulliver)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/10 "2007-06-17T21:22:40Z")
Fredric March as Matthew Harrison Brady in _[Inherit the Wind](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtNdYsoool8)_. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/11 "2007-06-17T21:33:46Z")
Nicole Kidman - The Hours ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/12 "2007-06-17T22:04:49Z")
Crap, forgot Ed Norton/Brad Pitt in _Fight Club_ ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/13 "2007-06-17T22:15:20Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] I’ll add Michael Douglas in _Falling Down_. [/QUOTE] This is whom I came in to mention. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/14 "2007-06-17T22:17:32Z")
Just a thought, maybe Stallone in _First Blood_ qualifies too… ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/15 "2007-06-17T22:35:22Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Bob Geldof in Pink Floyd’s _The Wall_ deserves a mention too, I think. [/QUOTE] Oh, come on, who hasn’t wrecked their hotel room, scared the hell out of a groupie, shaved off all their body hair, then gone for a relaxing swim? ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/16 "2007-06-17T22:39:03Z")
Johnny Depp in Secret Window ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/17 "2007-06-18T00:16:05Z")
Steve McQueen in Papillon ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/18 "2007-06-18T00:24:51Z")
I’ve seen pretty much all of the movies mentioned so far, but I still have to nominate Peter Greene in _[**Clean, Shaven**](http://imdb.com/title/tt0106579/)_ over all of them. That movie still haunts me. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/19 "2007-06-18T00:37:08Z")
Gene Hackman in **The Conversation**. The lead character in **Eraserhead**. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384/20 "2007-06-18T01:23:29Z")
Does Ray Milland in THE LOST WEEKEND count? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-depiction-of-mental-collapse-in-film/408384.md?page=2)