Recovery films
ACA recovery- ACoA related films that are about dysfunctional family relationships that involve physical, sexual and emotional abuse as well as neglect. They relate to family systems theory and transactional analysis- some show the actual events, some the consequences of growing up in a dysfunctional home. These are films that have made me think, cry, laugh or understand more to advance in my ACA / ACoA 12 step recovery. It's by no means comprehensive.
Warning: Most of these films are heavy and may trigger you- so watch them when you're not feeling volatile.
Warning: Most of these films are heavy and may trigger you- so watch them when you're not feeling volatile.
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- DirectorLars von TrierStarsKirsten DunstCharlotte GainsbourgKiefer SutherlandTwo sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.A really haunting and beautiful portrayal of depression and anxiety disorders.
The message I got from it:You're not alone in feeling anxious or depressed- other people understand what it's like to act out in shame and do inexplicable things/lose control of yourself because of mental illness - DirectorCarl BessaiStarsDustin MilliganAmanda CrewRichard de KlerkThree twenty-somethings find themselves in an impossible time loop, where each day they awaken to the same terrifying day as the preceding one.Three addicts in rehab relive the day they have to make amends- each one deals with their amends differently..
- DirectorSteve McQueenStarsMichael FassbenderCarey MulliganJames Badge DaleA sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.A sex addicts journey of acting out his addiction- an accurate portrayal of what shame feels like
- DirectorCatherine HardwickeStarsEvan Rachel WoodHolly HunterNikki ReedA thirteen-year-old girl's relationship with her mother is put to the test as she discovers drugs, sex, and petty crime in the company of her cool but troubled best friend.A thirteen year old girl falls in with the wrong kind of friend and starts getting into trouble
This is one of the most powerful portrayals of a mother-daughter unconditional love that I have ever seen. AN ABSOLuTE MUST! - DirectorTamara JenkinsStarsLaura LinneyPhilip Seymour HoffmanPhilip BoscoA sister and brother face the realities of familial responsibility as they begin to care for their ailing father.Film about two siblings that have to take care of their dying father despite it having been a deeply dysfunctional home
- DirectorMark HermanStarsBrenda BlethynJane HorrocksMichael CaineA shy reclusive lady is convinced by an invisible entity to sing. Subsequently, she finds herself noticed by a sleazy talent agent and her talent being showcased on-stage. She also meets a kind but nervous man who becomes her best friend.The mother in this film is the epidemy of an emotionally abusive woman- in case you're not sure what emotional abuse looks like..
- DirectorLee DanielsStarsGabourey SidibeMo'NiquePaula PattonIn New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that she can re-route her life in a better direction.Precious is a teenager who is neglected, emotionally and sexually abused at the same time.
This is a very difficult film to watch. - DirectorLee TamahoriStarsRena OwenTemuera MorrisonMamaengaroa Kerr-BellA family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.Portrait of a dysfunctional maori family- sexual abuse, domestic violence and lots of alcohol involved.
- DirectorLukas MoodyssonStarsOksana AkinshinaArtyom BogucharskiyPavel PonomaryovSixteen-year-old Lilja and her only friend, the young boy Volodja, live in Russia, fantasizing about a better life. One day, Lilja falls in love with Andrej, who is going to Sweden, and invites Lilja to come along and start a new life.This film is about how a vulnerable young girl gets caught up in human traffic.
- DirectorJ.T. TepnapaStarsRichard HarmonGenevieve BuechnerCharlie DavidA quirk in time and space gives a failed filmmaker the chance to reshape his destiny when he visits his peculiar alma mater.A gay film director meets his younger self at a crucial moment in their history...
- DirectorFrank PerryStarsFaye DunawayDiana ScarwidSteve ForrestThe abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford, is depicted.A true story- and all the more shocking- the physical violence in this film is second only to the emotional abuse, shaming and pushing into being perfect that the mother subjects her daughter to.
- DirectorAlan BallStarsSummer BishilAaron EckhartPeter MacdissiA young Lebanese-American girl struggles with her sexual obsession, a bigoted Army reservist and her strict father during the Gulf War.An arab-american teenage girl is sent to the U.S. and here must face living alone with her father. With no-one to speak to about her emerging sexuality and facing racial discrimination, this movie embodies the "don't talk, don't trust, don't feel" ethos of dysfunctionality.
- DirectorAnjelica HustonStarsJennifer Jason LeighRon EldardGlenne HeadlyA mother and daughter find their lives adversely affected when a new man enters the picture. Will their family ever be what they expect?This film is about a woman's descent into codependency after her husband's tragic death, and the brutal consequences this has for her daughter. Very graphic.
- DirectorIcíar BollaínStarsLaia MarullLuis TosarCandela PeñaOne winter night, Pilar runs away from home. With her, she takes only a few belongings and her son, Juan. Antonio soon sets out to look for her. He says Pilar is his sunshine, and what's more, "She gave him her eyes"...Domestic abuse in Spain- this film is interesting because it shows the abuser trying to get help for his behavior, and thus his struggle, too.
- DirectorRobert GreenwaldStarsFarrah FawcettPaul Le MatRichard MasurAn abused battered wife has had enough of her husband beating up on her. Everywhere she turns for help, there's not much anyone will do. After he rapes her one night, she sets the bed on fire with him in it asleep.A classic- Farrah Fawcett portrays a mother who gets abused by her husband. What's most interesting about this film is the codependency-typical back and forth that happens until it might be too late
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsKathy BatesJennifer Jason LeighChristopher PlummerA big city reporter travels to a small town where her mother has been arrested for the murder of an elderly woman for whom she worked as a housekeeper.Don't let the title put you off- this is an excellent film about a woman who decides to fight back in her domestic abuse situation, and the daughter who doesn't remember..
- DirectorScott HicksStarsGeoffrey RushArmin Mueller-StahlJustin BrainePianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.The life of a virtuoso piano player with a mental handicap gets pushed to achievement by his perfectionist father...
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsKiefer SutherlandKevin BaconJulia RobertsFive medical students experiment with "near death" experiences, until the dark consequences of past tragedies begin to jeopardize their lives.To me this film is about trauma which has been inflicted on us or that we inflict on others
- DirectorBrian GibsonStarsAngela BassettLaurence FishburneRaéVen KellyThe story of singer Tina Turner's rise to stardom and how she gained the courage to break free from her abusive husband, Ike Turner.Tina Turner's relationship with abusive husband Ike, and her way out
- DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsAdam SandlerTéa LeoniPaz VegaA woman and her daughter emigrate from Mexico for a better life in America, where they start working for a family whose patriarch is a newly celebrated chef with an insecure wife.Don't let Adam Sandler acting in this film nor the corny trailer put you off- this is a really touching film about parenting, and a beautiful and lighthearted portrayal of motherly love.