Four Inspiring Movies for Caregivers
Filmakers explore the complicated relationships between caregivers and the loved ones in their care
Movies have a way of opening the mind, derailing monotony and furnishing new perspectives. In fact, “beyond being a source of entertainment, films have the power to foster social bonds and create shared experiences among individuals,” asserts self-improvement site, The Emotion Machine. If you are a caregiver looking for a great film to watch in your downtime or with your client, we’ve compiled a few inspiring recommendations.
Seeing ourselves in characters and situations on the screen can help us feel valued and avoid caregiver burnout. Whether you watch them on your own or share them with family, these films address some of the unforeseen challenges of being a caregiver and have the potential to spark discussions between generations. As the Orlando Sentinel explains, “Movies both bring us together and bridge generational divides. They help us relate to each other and understand past eras.”
The Father (2020)
“The Father” features stellar performances from Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins as Anthony and Olivia Colman as Anne. In the film, the elderly Anthony has difficulties relating to caregivers as he increasingly struggles with dementia. Anthony’s memories and even his reality become distorted, placing the viewer in the confusing mindset of a character losing his grip on his memories, his family and his world. Next Best Picture notes this disconcerting vantage, saying, “It is not just a film that you watch, it is a film that you experience — mind, body, and soul.”
The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)
After a tragic loss, Ben Benjamin (Paul Rudd) steps back from his career as a writer and enrolls in a caregiving course. The course ends up changing Ben’s life as he becomes the caregiver of a disabled teen, Trevor (Craig Roberts). Trevor and Ben go on a trip where the concepts of hope and friendship reveal their importance to both parties. Spirituality & Practice describes the film as a “dramedy about a sensitive caregiver and the teenage boy he looks after.” Helping to elevate the visibility of different types of caregiver relationships, the young man being cared for has realistically youthful attitudes even while facing the harsh realities of his degenerative condition.
Still Alice (2014)
“Still Alice” dramatically tells the tale of a decorated linguistics professor who slowly succumbs to a diagnosis that she and her family dread. In the film, Professor Alice Howland (Julianne Moore) begins showing signs of mental deterioration when she notices that she is notably forgetting words. Faced with the life-altering diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, her impending debilitation severely tests her bonds with her reality and her loved ones. “It’s the intent of this moving film to capture something … rarely attempted in memoir or movie,” observes Film Content Magazine, “the experience of the deadly disease from the perspective of the sufferer rather than the caregivers.”
The Savages (2007)
Siblings John (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) face a serious challenge as they begin to care for their ill father (Philip Bosco). Compounding the complicated situation is the fact neither John nor Wendy have spoken to their father in twenty years. Nonetheless, the pair feels obligated to care for him and decide to take on the duty. The new responsibility weighs heavily on both siblings as they also have to maneuver challenges in their lives caused by their now diminished dad. This personal story resonates on a universal level, as noted in a review in the World Socialist Web Site: “The Savages underscores in a humane manner how disposable the elderly are in America and how burdened and neglected their caregivers.”
Looking for other ideas to help remain happy and motivated during your journey as a caregiver? Check out the Resources Center at Mass Care Link, an adult foster care support organization.