Mad Love
| Year: | 1995 |
| Production Co: | Touchstone Pictures |
| Studio: | Disney |
| Director: | Antonia Bird |
| Cast: | Chris O'Donnell, Drew Barrymore, Matthew Lillard, Joan Allen, Kevin Dunn |
It wasn't marketed as a 'depression' movie, but turns into a pretty strong one. A young man (O'Donnell) starts spying on his hot neighbour (Barrymore) across the lake with his telescope and decides to pursue here. The two fall for each other and embark on a (as the title suggests but doesn't give away) mad love affair where their passion runs high.
Trouble is, she seems increasingly unhinged. Her parents check her into a mental hospital but when he springs her, he realises they did it for a reason, finding it increasingly hard to cope with what turns out almost to be bipolar mental illness.
It's a tempering tale about how an idealistic boy thinks love is all they need for her to be alright, but how we can't escape our state of health. The character of her mother delivers the bombshell that dooms the hero to his fate and makes it a classic modern Romeo and Juliet. Sad and affecting.
Trouble is, she seems increasingly unhinged. Her parents check her into a mental hospital but when he springs her, he realises they did it for a reason, finding it increasingly hard to cope with what turns out almost to be bipolar mental illness.
It's a tempering tale about how an idealistic boy thinks love is all they need for her to be alright, but how we can't escape our state of health. The character of her mother delivers the bombshell that dooms the hero to his fate and makes it a classic modern Romeo and Juliet. Sad and affecting.