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Reader comments on Garden State
Subject: Re: shallow critique of psychiatry
Date: Oct 25, 2005
Garden State is a movie about self-discovery (or rather the avoidance of self-discovery). This movie champions indifference in the face of tragic circumstance byway of over-medication. This activity of over-medicating is neither good nor bad in value, but STOIC in its volition. Joy and sorrow can become distractions. In this regard, one could choose to focus on those distracting moments within the plot of Garden State that are imbued with overt sentimentality, thus incite tear jerking, but what good would that do?
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Response to this comment:
shallow critique of psychiatry
I understand that there is a perhaps justified backlash agains the overuse of psychiatric drugs, but as a person with two close family members that suffer from serious mental illnesses, I felt insulted by this film's treatment of the subject.
First, it is ridiculous to suggest that someone who has been heavily medicated for over a decade can quit cold turkey, gradually start to "feel things" again, and have only headaches as a withdawal symptom. More likely severe withdrawal would put such a person in the hospital.
Secondly, I was frustrated that the film did not acknowledge that mental illness exists, and instead suggested that coping is just a matter of facing up to your life and being willing to feel 'both happy and sad'. For those who are truly ill with schozophrenia or manic-depression or another serious mental illness, this will simply not work and such a pat critique of psychiatry is insulting.
I also found myself groaning at the whole 'what is family' rumination (gee, so family is about the people??) and the awful 'screaming into the infinite abyss' scene. You have to admit that Braff lays it on a bit heavy.
All this said, the movie does have some hilarious parts early on as well as good acting, so I was quite disappointed that it headed downhill so rapidly in the second half.
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Comment index:
» Re: shallow critique of psychiatry « from stoic, Oct 25, 2005
love from anna, Jan 16, 2005
Genius. from Christina, Jan 28, 2005
» Re: shallow critique of psychiatry « from stoic, Oct 25, 2005
love from anna, Jan 16, 2005
Genius. from Christina, Jan 28, 2005
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