Beyond a beautiful mind: film choices for teaching schizophrenia

For psychiatric educators interested in using film to teach professional and lay audiences about schizophrenia, the 2001 release of A Beautiful Mind has made the process much easier. The movie shows a range of symptoms and complications, and it gives viewers-especially patients and families-hope for recovery. However, many other commercial films depict various aspects of the illness, and the choice of which one to use is determined by the audience, the pedagogical focus, and the time available. Clean, Shaven (1995), for instance, may be more challenging for professional audiences. Psychiatric educators should familiarize themselves with the variety of film options when teaching about schizophrenia.