Abuse does not cause schizophrenia--let's all repeat--Abuse does NOT . . .

Rating: 5/10 (18 February 2005)

This is a nice story, but it is very troubling how the movie suggests that David's mental state, which is obviously schizophrenia, is somehow cause by his father's abuse. Schizophrenia is an organic brain illness. No one know exactly what causes it, but it is not caused by parental abuse. It seems that nearly every summary of the movie states outright that David's father creates David's "nervous breakdown." This belief takes us right back to Freudian psychology of the 1950s, when the belief was that schizophrenia was a reaction to "refrigerator mothers." The movie "A Beautiful Mind" was more realistic in depicting how schizophrenia strikes seemingly out of nowhere and is a diabolically difficult disease to ameliorate in any way. It is a disservice to all of us to suggest otherwise. Again, it's enjoyable to be swept along in the story, but if you take away the premise about the cause and cure of Helfgott's illness, the movie feels a little hollow.