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Movies about Alzheimer’s Disease- Mental Health Related Films


#Aging, #Dementia, #Mental health movies Updated on Aug 8, 2024
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Enzo Sinisi

Psychoanalyst

Cape Town, South Africa

Movies that explore, engage, or offer insight into Alzheimer’s disease and the social and psychological issues involved.

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Human lives and behaviour are far more nuanced and emotive than any psychiatric diagnostic system or symptom checklist can ever portray.

Most people recognise aspects of themselves in at least a few psychiatric diagnostic categories. The difference between normal and disorder is not straightforward and often has more to do with degree rather than kind, i.e. does it cause big problems?

While movies are not perfect depictions of reality, they often present themes in relatable, enriching, usefully challenging, and thought-provoking ways.

We invite you to explore mental health through movies that raise awareness, open dialogue, present complexity, entertain, and/or normalise experiences.

 

Click to see the Ultimate List of Mental Health Movies index

 

What is Neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease?

 

We all know what it is like to forget things and all of us will experience some cognitive slowing as we pass midlife. Dementia's (like Alzheimer's) are different in that they profoundly affect ones capacity to live a normal life. Alzheimer’s disease is caused by plaques accumulating around brain cells and causing cell death. neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease refers to the cognitive symptoms of this disease, e.g. reduction in memory.

In psychiatry, disorders are diagnosed using a book called the DSM-V (or the ICD-10). This system classifies issues into categories based on observable behaviour. A sample of the criteria for a neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease is included below for interest sake. Please see the DSM-V for the full diagnostic criteria.

 

DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria of Major or mild neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease

A. The criteria are met for major or mild neurocognitive disorder.

B. There is insidious onset and gradual progression of impairment in one or more cognitive domains (for major neurocognitive disorder, at least two domains must be impaired).

C. Criteria are met for either probable or possible Alzheimer’s disease as follows:

For major neurocognitive disorder:

Probable Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed if either of the following is present; otherwise, possible Alzheimer’s disease should be diagnosed.

1. Evidence of a causative Alzheimer’s disease genetic mutation from family history or genetic testing.

2. All three of the following are present:

a. Clear evidence of decline in memory and learning and at least one other cognitive domain (based on detailed history or serial neuropsychological testing).

b. Steadily progressive, gradual decline in cognition, without extended plateaus.

c. No evidence of mixed etiology (i.e., absence of other neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular disease, or another neurological, mental, or systemic disease or condition likely contributing to cognitive decline).

Criteria for mild neurocognitive disorder and Possible Alzheimer’s disease are omitted.

D. The disturbance is not better explained by cerebrovascular disease, another neurodegenerative disease, the effects of a substance, or another mental, neurological, or systemic disorder.

 

Movies about Neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease

If we missed an essential film about neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease, please let us know. We would love to include it.

Note: Movies may trigger painful memories and emotions. Please use your judgement and ensure support is available if need be.

 

Close-up of an eye with the text Alive Inside and festival awards, highlighting a documentary about Alzheimer's impact.

Movie Title: Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2014

Rated: 8.2

Cast: Dan Cohen, Louise Dueno, Nell Hardie

Storyline: A documentary that explores the transformative power of music in awakening memories and emotions in individuals with amnesia and other forms of memory loss.

 

 

Poster for First Cousin Once Removed, featuring a tree and typewriter, exploring life after memory.

Movie Title: First Cousin Once Removed - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2012

Rated: 7.5

Cast: Eli Berliner, Stuart Blazer, Susan Brown

Storyline: A documentary by Alan Berliner that intimately captures the poignant journey of Edwin Honig, a renowned poet and scholar who grapples with the depths of Alzheimer's disease, offering a deeply personal exploration of memory, identity, and familial bonds.

 

 

Movie poster for The Leisure Seeker featuring Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren, highlighting themes of Alzheimer’s and aging.

Movie Title: The Leisure Seeker - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2017

Rated: 6.7

Cast: Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, Christian McKay

Storyline: Ella and John, an aging couple, embark on a spontaneous road trip in their Winnebago, navigating the complexities of Alzheimer's disease while rediscovering the joys of life and their enduring love for each other.

 

 

Alt text: Movie poster for 'Savages' featuring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman standing by a park bench in winter.

Movie Title: The Savages - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2007

Rated: 7.1

Cast: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco

Storyline: Wendy Savage, a struggling playwright, and her brother Jon navigate the challenges of caring for their aging father who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, exploring themes of family, responsibility, and the complexities of love in the face of adversity.

 

 

Silhouette of a person seated at a table in a dimly lit room, with the title 'Dementia' prominently displayed.

Movie Title: Dementia

Release: 2014

Rated: 5.8

Cast: Nora Aunor, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Bing Loyzaga

Storyline: A woman who has dementia begins to see ghosts of the past.

 

 

Promotional poster for The Greatest Love, featuring characters engaged in conversation around a dining table.

Movie Title: The Greatest Love (TV Series)

Release: 2016-2017

Rated: 7.6

Cast: Dimples Romana, Matt Evans, Arron Villaflor

Storyline: As Gloria struggles to keep her family together, she starts to show symptoms of dementia. She initially brushes off the symptoms until she is finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

 

 

Film poster of 'The Father' featuring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman in a heartfelt conversation.

Movie Title: The Father

Release: 2020

Rated: 8.3

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss

Storyline: An 81-year-old man Anthony suffers from Alzheimer's disease. He refuses all assistance from his daughter and as he tries to make sense of his circumstances, he doubts everything.

 

 

Alt text: Movie poster for 'A Separation' by Asghar Farhadi featuring two main characters and award details.

Movie Title: A Separation - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2011

Rated: 8.4

Cast: Payman Maadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat

Storyline: An Iranian wife wants to move out of their country in the hope that she can make a better life for her daughter. Her husband refuses to leave Tehran as he wants to take care of his father that is suffering from Alzheimer's.

 

 

Movie poster for Black, featuring a young woman and an older man in a dimly lit church, exploring themes of memory and identity.

Movie Title: Black - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2005

Rated: 8.3

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Shernaz Patel

Storyline: The story of a deaf woman and her relationship with her former teacher who lately develops Alzheimer's disease. Her former teacher brings the light into her dark world.

 

 

Movie poster for A Moment to Remember, featuring two close-up faces conveying an emotional connection.

Movie Title: A Moment to Remember (Nae Meorisogui Jiugae) - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2004

Rated: 8.2

Cast: Woo-sung Jung, Ye-jin Son, Jong-hak Baek

Storyline: A young Korean couple's enduring love is tested when Alzheimer's disease strikes the wife.

 

 

Romantic scene from The Notebook featuring a couple kissing in the rain, emphasizing their emotional connection.

Movie Title: The Notebook - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2004

Rated: 7.9

Cast: Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Rachel McAdams

Storyline: A story of the unconditional love of a man for his wife who has Alzheimer's disease.

 

 

Film poster for Amour, depicting an elderly woman gently holding hands with a man, reflecting themes of Alzheimer’s and emotional connection.

Movie Title: Amour - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2012

Rated: 7.9

Cast: Jean-Loouis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert

Storyline: An octogenarian couple's love is tested when the wife suffers from a stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Her husband is fighting his own weariness to take care of his wife.

 

 

Silhouette of a man with disheveled hair, featuring the title NEBRASKA prominently displayed.

Movie Title: Nebraska - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2013

Rated: 7.8

Cast: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb

Storyline: An ageing father, who may be in the early stages of Alzheimer's, makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim what he believes is his sweepstakes prize.

 

 

Alt text: Poster of 'On Golden Pond' featuring a family portrait with a serene pond background, highlighting Alzheimer's themes.

Movie Title: On Golden Pond - Watch now on Prime

Release: 1981

Rated: 7.7

Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda

Storyline: An old couple spends their summer at their vacation home on Golden Pond. Their daughter fixes her estranged relationship with her father. The latter is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

 

 

Movie poster for 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' featuring a gorilla, a woman in a red jacket, and a man in a blue coat.

Movie Title: Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2011

Rated: 7.6

Cast: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto

Storyline: A scientist is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his father's Alzheimer's but he failed. A chimpanzee who was exposed to the drug shows unusual intelligence and becomes a threat to mankind.

 

 

A couple embraces on the poster of Away From Her, exploring themes of Alzheimer's and emotional connection.

Movie Title: Away From Her - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2006

Rated: 7.6

Cast: Julie Christie, Michael Murphy, Gordon Pinsent

Storyline: A couple's marriage is tested when his wife, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, moves into a nursing home and begins to develop a close relationship with a fellow resident.

 

 

Illustration from Wrinkles featuring three elderly characters, highlighting themes of aging and memory loss related to Alzheimer's.

Movie Title: Wrinkles - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2011

Rated: 7.6

Cast: Tacho González, Àlvaro Guevara, Mabel Rivera

Storyline: A Spanish animated film about the friendship between two elderly men. One of them has early Alzheimer's and the other one is a geriatric con artist who prevents his friend from being transferred to the upper floor.

 

 

Julianne Moore portraying a woman with Alzheimer's in the film Still Alice, highlighting the emotional impact of the disease.

Movie Title: Still Alice - Click to watch

Release: 2014

Rated: 7.5

Cast: Julianne More, Alec Baldwin Kristen Stewart

Storyline: A linguistics professor at Columbia University faces early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Her children witness her suffering from the disease with each passing day.

 

 

Elderly couple dancing in the snow, representing themes of love and memory in Alzheimer’s disease-related films.

Movie Title: Lovely, Still - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2008

Rated: 7.2

Cast: Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks

Storyline: A story of an elderly man who finds love with a woman. The film portrays the emotional ups and downs of the old man with Alzheimer's and his family members.

 

 

An elderly man interacts with a robot against a bright yellow background, highlighting themes of companionship and aging.

Movie Title: Robot and Frank - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2012

Rated: 7.1

Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, Frank Langella, Susan Saradon

Storyline: A retired burglar, who is in the early stage of Alzheimer's, received a robot from his son to look after him. He falls back into his old life with the robot as his criminal sidekick.

 

 

Film poster for Iris, featuring Judi Dench and Kate Winslet, focusing on the life and struggles with Alzheimer’s disease.

Movie Title: Iris - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2001

Rated: 7.1

Cast: Judi Dench, Jim Bradbent, Kate Winslet

Storyline: The film is about the enduring relationship between John Bayley and his wife British novelist Iris Murdoch, from their student days through Iris' battle with Alzheimer's disease.

 

 

Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, featuring layered imagery of London landmarks.

Movie Title: The Iron Lady - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2011

Rated: 6.4

Cast: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant

Storyline: The film is about the life of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Some scenes depict her life with Alzheimer's disease.

 

 

DVD cover for What They Had, featuring Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster, and Blythe Danner.

Movie Title: What They Had - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2018

Rated: 6.6

Cast: Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster

Storyline: Bridget Ertz travels back to her hometown to help her brother convince their father that their mother who has Alzheimer's needs to be put in a nursing home.

 

 

References and Links

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

More on neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/hvcc-abnormalpsychology/chapter/neurocognitive-disorder-due-to-alzheimers-disease/

What is Alzheimer's disease?: https://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/article/alzheimers-and-dementia-whats-difference

Alzheimer's disease according to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alzheimer%27s_disease

 

Acknowledgements

The above article was written under my close direction and supervision. However, much credit goes to Charlene Poliquit (my right-hand man) and Andri Eigenberger (my beloved aunt) for their huge efforts in bringing this task to life.

 

Vincenzo Sinisi

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay






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Important:

TherapyRoute does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes and cannot replace consulting a healthcare professional. If you face an emergency, please contact a local emergency service. For immediate emotional support, consider contacting a local helpline.





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