essential movies for the physiatrist

[rehab_sports_dr]

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I find that many of my residents look at me dumb-founded when I quote movies, so I think I need to compile a viewing list for them

What should be considered essential movie-viewing for the physiatrist?

The one absolute must-see, I think, is Murderball

I would also put Memento and Million Dollar Baby on the must list

I am inclined to include Barcelona on there too, but realize that might be a quirky pick because it's one of my favorite movies, but I thought the movie did a good job of portraying the struggle to get back to yourself once you are injured. It is has the one line about rehab that I quote the most often

Any others?

 

[topwise]

I was actually attempting to research this, as I wanted to give a fun presentation on "rehab in the movies." I am a total movie buff, so I've seen like everything. (Idea currently on hold, but I'll share my wisdom.)

Murderball: probably the best of them, since it's actually a documentary and a lot more realistic than others.

Memento: a great movie but not "essential" considering I've yet to meet a brain injured patient that in any way resembles the guy in the movie. (And I probably never will.)

Million Dollar Baby: good movie, but the conclusion was quite irritating from a rehab perspective! I'm surprised more physiatrists don't feel this way.

Same as Million Dollar Baby, there's Who's Life is It Anyway? (Not to be confused with Drew Carey's improv show) Good movie, but the ending bothered me.

I saw Regarding Henry (brain injury) years ago, before I was even in med school, and a neurologist relative told me it was pretty accurate from a medical perspective. I should watch it again.

(I had a lot of trouble tracking down movies about TBI. Most of them seem to be more about getting a bump on the head then ending up with some totally unrealistic deficit, like the inability to remember only the last three years and nothing else, and then possibly cured by a second head bump.)

My mother is a huge Marlon Brando fan, which is how I ended up seeing The Men, an old movie about men recovering from SCI after the war (II?). Actually a really good movie and probably pretty realistic representation of rehab at that time.

Another military-related movie is Coming Home with Jon Voight. I actually never saw this one, so not sure how realistic it is. Also, Born on the 4th of July, which was based on a guy's autobiography, so presumably realistic. (I saw that one as a kid, so once again, can't testify personally.)

I think I made a list at the time, which I recall had quite a few titles on it, but I can't remember the name of the file. Oh well.

 

[LTS6776]

In The Lookout, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character has history of TBI.
I also would definitely add the Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

 

[Ludicolo]

Agree w/ Murderball, Million Dollar Baby, and Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I would also add My Left Foot and Mask (the Eric Stoltz/Cher movie, not the Jim Carrey one). Monkey Shines was kinda freaky.

And then of course, not really a rehab movie but indirectly related, there is Pride of the Yankees. 👍

Best use of a prosthesis in the movies however, goes to Grindhouse, with Kingpin coming in a close second.

 

[topwise]

Grindhouse was indeed an awesome use of a prosthetic. Kingpin was also pretty awesome... I would be pretty shocked if an attending started quoting it though. 🙂 I guess you can also throw Forrest Gump in there for an O+P movie.

Never saw the Eric Stoltz version of the Mask, but I liked the Jim Carrey version. But that reminds me that Eric Stoltz was also in a SCI rehab movie called Waterdance, I think?

Pride of the Yankees was kind of depressing. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but it turns out the guy gets Lou Gehrig's disease.

😛

(Seriously though, did nobody else feel slightly offended by the ending of Million Dollar Baby?)

 

[drusso]

Great thread!

Johnny got his gun
One flew over the Cookoo's nest
The Deer Hunter
Ordinary People

 

[topwise]

I agree, this is a great thread. I love movies, so this is really fun. Maybe I will get around to writing that talk after all... I wanted to do something about how well (or not well) the rehab movies represent the reality.

Just read the description of Johnny Got His Gun... yikes!

Not sure about Ordinary People and ****oo's Nest though. More essential reads for psychiatrists? 🙂

 

[Ludicolo]

Just read the description of Johnny Got His Gun... yikes!

You knew it was coming…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzgGTTtR0kc

 

[oreosandsake]

darius goes west
http://www.dariusgoeswest.org/

Mr West has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. he and his friends get his ride "pimped out" by MTV.

a day in the life of richard devylder
http://www.rehab.cahwnet.gov/rd_video.htm

Mr Devylder was born without any limbs. this video is great to create discussion regarding adaptive equipment, perceived QOL, etc

both of these are free, and highly recommended

 

[PMR 4 MSK]

"Waterdance" was about a guy who had a SCI, much of the movie taking place in the rehab ward. Had Helen Hunt in it.

"Born on the 4th of July" Tom Cruise as a para.

The new movie coming out next month "Avatar" features a paralyzed marine on active duty - in the future. Previews look cool as as hell.

"The People Vs Larry Flint" - Larry is a para and even does a cameo in the movie as a judge.

Also watch South Park's episode "Cripple Fight." Timmeh!

 

[topwise]

I think Christopher Reeve filmed a version of Rear Window where the character was a quad (played by himself) rather than having a broken leg. Never saw it though, and heard it wasn't that good.

Also, they made a TV movie about a classmate of mine who was a high quad on a vent, The Brooke Ellison Story.

 

[SSdoc33]

Who's life is it anyway? -- richard dreyfuss.

the bottom line is that the guy wants to kill himself b/c he's a quad. not the best encouragement for a physiatrist, but a decent look at things, nonetheless

 

[caedmon]

Not a movie but...

The first season (and subsequent seasons) of the TV show "Friday Night Lights" was/is great. High school star QB gets C-spine injury and deals with being a tetraplegic.

 

[lobelsteve]

Midnight Cowboy

Nothing to do with Rehab, but a great movie.

 

[ColinHay]

The Wild Wild West.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

Ram Dass: Fierce Grace
"Spiritual guru Ram Dass attempts to recover from a stroke, which he dubs "fierce grace," in this documentary produced and directed by Mickey Lemle, a close friend of Dass for decades. Dass, author of the lauded Be Here Now, was felled so severely by the illness that he became paralyzed -- but in true Ram Dass fashion, he saw it as a reason to look death in the face."

Flawless
"Homophobe Walt Koontz (Robert De Niro) suffers a debilitating stroke and must take therapeutic singing lessons for his paralyzed larynx. But his teacher happens to be his neighbor, Rusty Zimmerman (Philip Seymour Hoffman) -- a florid drag queen who despises bigoted straight people. Can the pair work through their prejudices and meet in the middle? Joel Schumacher directs this comedy-drama co-starring Daphne Rubin-Vega."


These can be found on instant play on NetFlix.

 

[PMR2]

I'm new to group but like movies. Good rehab-related ones I've seen (in addition to the ones listed):The Sea Inside (Javier Bardem as man with SCI), & Talk to Her (Pedro Almodovar movie about pt with TBI and her really caring nurse). I wish I had more time to see movies nowadays...