Story too close to home!

Rating: 5/10 (31 December 2012)

I hesitated seeing this movie because it dealt with mental illness, particularly bi-polar disorder. We have an adult son with this disorder. Unfortunately, our son doesn't work and can't afford any treatment so I don't see a happy ending for him. Other than one explosive scene (something we see daily at our home), the movie treated this mental illness with kid gloves. The two main characters were portrayed as refreshingly quirky. In real life, outsiders do not even want to be around a person who is bi-polar. Perhaps medication would make people like our son "manageable," but as is often the case, people with this disorder can't hold down a job and don't have a safety net to fall back on. Medication is unattainable and don't even think about a residential treatment program. I came out of this movie feeling very sad that our son, whom we love very much, can't have a chance at normalcy. The movie just wrapped up the situation in a pretty bow and the couple headed off to their happily ever after. The movie wasn't funny enough to be a comedy and wasn't deep or realistic enough to be a drama. It just put a glossy surface over a very real, very challenging illness.