Fascinating Movies About Psychotherapy In the 20th Century

by Lewis Robinson

Psychotherapy has been one of the greatest innovations in the history of mental healthcare. It seems novel now that giving people an opportunity to talk through their problems, traumas, and stressors with a highly skilled professional was once a breakthrough. Even so, the taboo surrounding seeking help and the stigma associated with mental health issues was and still is very real. Hollywood’s depictions of therapists in the 20th century went a long way towards normalizing the experience of talk therapy. Of course, there were some movies that “got it right” more than others. Here are a few examples of movies from the 1900s that center around therapists and their relationships with their patients.

Ordinary People

Let’s start with a film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1980: Robert Redford’s Ordinary People. While it certainly didn’t depict modern techniques like red light therapy, this movie showed a sympathetic and effective therapist at the heart of a family drama. In an Oscar-nominated performance, Judd Hirsch helps Timothy Hutton navigate the trauma of losing his brother in a boating accident and uncovers the guilt he assigns himself. The process also reveals the blame and resentment his family places on him for not being able to save his sibling. 

Hirsch’s performance is nuanced and realistic, deeply rooted in the affirming positivity that most therapists use to make their clients feel welcome and safe. While it may seem like a classic template now, Ordinary People was a tour de force at the time. This was thanks to Redford’s subtle and sympathetic direction, and masterful performances from not just Hirsch and Hutton, but also Donald Sutherland and the incomparable Mary Tyler Moore.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Moving from a sympathetic approach to a cold, clinical one, we can look at another Best Picture winner: 1975’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Based on a now-classic novel by Ken Kesey, this movie takes us inside a treatment facility, with Randall McMurphy as our guide. McMurphy is a hot-tempered, impulsive man, who sees the facility as a preferable alternative to prison. What he finds, however, is a nemesis in the form of Nurse Ratchet, a strict “by-the-book” administrator who believes in tough love, even when it results in tragic outcomes.

A key feature of Cuckoo’s Nest is its depiction of controversial techniques like electroshock therapy and lobotomies. It also examines living conditions in treatment centers for the mentally ill. While very heavy, this film is an undisputed classic, winning Oscars for both its leads, Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, as well as director Milos Forman.

The Road to Wellville

Not every cinematic approach to depicting therapy is dramatic. Alan Parker’s 1994 oddity The Road to Wellville, is a truly strange and fascinating movie about a truly strange and fascinating person. Anthony Hopkins plays Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in this based-on-reality satire. Kellogg was obsessed with removing impurities from the body and ran a health farm that employed “laughing therapy” and bizarre techniques involving colon cleanse enemas and sexual abstinence. Unlike the other films on this list, The Road to Wellville was a financial and critical failure, but it is worth a watch for those curious about the strange material it puts on screen.

Good Will Hunting

1997’s Good Will Hunting is known for several things. It was a bit of a comeback for director Gus Van Sant. It’s also famous for its Academy Award-Winning screenplay by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The heart of the movie, however, is Will Hunting’s therapist Sean, played by the late, legendary Robin Williams. Williams deservedly won a best supporting actor Oscar for this role which, like Hirsch in Ordinary People, shows the power of connecting sensitively with patients. Sean has a huge impact on Will’s life, and the performance is masterfully crafted, drawing from Sean’s grief as a widower.

Conclusion

Therapists deal with trauma, depression, and anxiety. They often see people at their worst and must think on their feet. It’s an ever-evolving science, and these films represent a great cross-section of how it is shown to film audiences through the power of cinema.