Mental Health in the Media - The Aviator (2004)

Unless someone has taken courses in mental health, psychology, or medicine, it is likely that the primary source of information regarding mental illnesses could come from the media. We’ve all watched at least a couple of movies or tv series that portray characters struggling with mental health at one point in time, but how accurate are those representations?

In many cases, representation of mental illness in the media can be inaccurate, exaggerated, or even romanticised for the sake of reaching more viewers. Characters portraying mental health struggles may be seen as dangerous, incompetent, or underserving, which worsens the already-existing stigma surrounding mental health. One of the most prominent examples is seen in the movie Split, where a man diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder turns into a violent kidnapper and (spoiler alert) turns into a supernatural human.

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How are mental disorders represented in the media?

It is also worth mentioning that, while unintentional, we may tend to generalise a certain representation of mental illnesses, while the fact is not everyone with the same illness will have the same experience. Misrepresentation does not only affect mental health stigma but also negatively impacts those who already struggle with mental health problems. Each disorder is different in each person because each one of us is unique.

While the representations are not all negative, such as Russell Crowe’s presentation of schizophrenia in A Beautiful Mind, one still needs to view the content regarding mental health with caution and educate themselves on the accurate information surrounding mental illnesses. Showcasing mental illness in movies, however, could generate positive outcomes when tackled carefully. It can challenge public prejudices, initiate conversations, and prompt interest to raise mental health awareness.

Among the movies that showcase mental illnesses is The Aviator, which illustrates the true story of renowned filmmaker and engineer Howard Hughes.

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A brief summary of The Aviator:

The movie portrays Howard Hughes’ story during his production of the film Hell’s Angels, his journey to fly all over the world in four days, and his purchase of the Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA). The movie also tackles aspects of his personal life including scenes from his childhood, his personal relationships in adulthood, as well as his battle with his obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms.

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The portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder in Howard Hughes:

The Aviator starts by presenting a scene in Howard Hughes’ childhood that alludes to one of the factors that influenced the development of his OCD, where his mother is seen to be alerting him about an epidemic and warning him that he is not safe.

We then fast-forward to his adult years, where we can see Hughes displaying mild symptoms of OCD such as always requesting unopened bottles of milk, wrapping the wheels of the aeroplane he’s flying to protect him from germs, using his own soap in public restrooms, and refusing to touch the towel in a public restroom even when a disabled man asked for his help in reaching it. He is seen washing his hands vigorously and refrains from touching a doorknob in public which causes him to wait for someone to enter the room so he could pass through the door. The movie shows how stress can affect symptoms of OCD. During particularly stressful events, Hughes’ symptoms of obsessions and compulsions appear to drastically worsen, as we see him multiply repeating words and sentences, creating increasingly strict routines, and establishing a “germ-free” zone in his house which he refuses to leave. As Hughes’ anxiety increased throughout the events of the movie, it pushed him towards performing compulsions he might not necessarily have wanted to do, which caused him to be filled with stress and discomfort.

The movie also shows Hughes repeatedly going over budget to produce a film or design an aeroplane that is precisely how he pictures it. His perfectionism and need for control are common aspects of individuals who are diagnosed with OCD and it is accurately presented in the movie.

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental health disorder that can affect people of all ages and causes them to experience obsessions and/or compulsions.

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Obsessions

Obsessions are intrusive thoughts that arise “from nowhere.” These thoughts, images, or urges are usually unpleasant and difficult to overcome. Individuals with OCD obsessions are more likely to experience intense anxiety, fear, disgust, or doubt as a result of their obsessions. These feelings are clearly shown in the scenes where Hughes is uncomfortable and disgusted by certain food or drinks, and his need to perfect his film for example. People diagnosed with OCD find it difficult to distract themselves and they frequently resort to compulsions to get rid of them or alleviate the distress caused by them.

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Compulsions

Compulsions are essentially routines, actions, or behaviours that individuals diagnosed with OCD turn to in order to reduce the anxiety brought on by their obsessions. If for whatever reason, they are unable to carry out these compulsions, they will experience great distress. However, using compulsions to deal with their anxiety only provides short-term comfort before the obsessions return. We see Howard Hughes repeating sentences or spelling the word “quarantine” as well as compulsively washing his hands until they’re wounded, which are all examples of compulsions.

While the movie heavily highlights OCD symptoms based on fears of contamination, there are other types of obsessions and compulsions commonly seen in OCD.

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Themes for obsessions include:

Fear of losing control
Fear of harming others or oneself
Perfectionism
Unwanted sexual thoughts
Religious obsessions

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Themes for compulsions include:

Washing and cleaning
Checking
Repeating certain behaviours or activities
Mental compulsions (e.g. counting, spelling, replaying events)

Mental illnesses can be seen everywhere, whether in movies or in our daily lives. It’s important to remember that one encounter with mental illness does not mean that everyone experiences it in the same way. Human beings are much more complex than we can imagine and we all experienced our share of life circumstances that shaped who we are and how we see the world. One description of mental illness does not indicate a “one-size-fits-all” representation of the condition, and it doesn’t have to look the same for everyone.

Mental Health in the Media - The Aviator (2004)

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