‘Disorderly conduct’

This fall, the Molloy College Film Festival will present a free series of films, open to the public, on the theme of mental illness with screenings on three dates, each at 5 p.m., in the Hays Theatre of the Wilbur Arts Center on the school’s Rockville Centre campus, 1000 Hempstead Ave.
The three films explore how the individuals concerned, and the family and friends who surround them cope with the effects of mental illness. Each film also portrays how those considered mentally ill are affected by the social norms that define them. Together, Disorderly Conduct introduces viewers to a world of characters who exhibit courage, grace, determination and wit.
On Oct. 1 the school will screen “Girl, Interrupted” with Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie and Brittany Murphy. Directed by James Mangold, this 127-minute 1999 film portrays 19-year-old Susanna, diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, who is confined to a psychiatric institute after an attempted suicide. There she meets a group of other women including Lisa, a charismatic rebel and a diagnosed sociopath. “Girl, Interrupted” focuses on the group of inmates as they deal with their lives, their illnesses, their institutionalization and each other. It received a best supporting actress Oscar for Angelina Jolie.
On Oct. 15, the school will present “A Beautiful Mind,” the 135-minute 2001 film that is based on the biography of John Nash, a Nobel-prize winning mathematical genius and paranoid schizophrenic. The film stands out for the way it cinematically brings viewers into Nash’s mind and helps us see the world as he does. Also portrayed is the dilemma Nash and his wife, Alicia, face over the side effects and quality of life issues his prescription medications present. Directed by Ron Howard, starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany, the film won an Academy Award for best picture and best director.
On Oct. 29 the community is invited to watch “Rachel Getting Married,” the 113-minute 2008 film directed by Jonathan Demme, with Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt and Debra Winger. In and out of rehab for the past decade, Kym is given a weekend pass to attend her sister Rachel’s wedding. Her presence at the event is disturbing, fascinating and darkly humorous. She alters the dynamics, revealing each family member’s own dysfunctional attempts to cope. The film personalizes mental illness by focusing on the family interactions and relationships. Shot in a hand-held “home movie” style, the film shows the affects on all when one is unwell.
For more information, contact Trisha O’Neill, (516) 678-5000 ext. 6272 or e-mail her at poneill@molloy.edu.