State of Mind – Movie Review
Director: Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe)
Writer: Eric Nazarian, Jon Avnet (Screenplay)
Writer: Milton Rokeach (Book)
Cast
- Richard Gere (Officer and a Gentleman)
- Peter Dinklage (Cyrano)
- Bradley Whitford (Get Out)
- Walter Goggins (The Hateful Eight)
- Julianna Margulies (Ghost Ship)
Plot: Three Christs follows Dr. Alan Stone who is treating three paranoid schizophrenic patients at the Ypsilanti State Hospital in Michigan, each of whom believed they were Jesus Christ. What transpires is both comic and deeply moving.
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: State of Mind starts when Dr Stone (Gere) states working at a State Hospital in Michigan. He is working with paranoid schizophrenic patients who all believe they are Jesus Christ. Joseph (Dinklage), Clyde (Whitford) and Leon (Goggins) are the three patients that Dr Stone has decided to treat.
He wants to step away from the more traditional aggressive methods and embrace the three and who they believe they are. However, this becomes challenging as they show signs of aggression, which could put their lives and others at risk.
Verdict on State of Mind
State of Mind is a drama following a doctor trying to think outside the box when treating three patients who believe they a Jesus. It follows his methods which challenge the normal treatment to connect in a way nobody else has ever managed before, risking his own career to do so.
This shows the challenges that need to be overcome to improve life for people in state hospitals. It shows the treatment that works the best despite others going against them. We have seen many films like this before, even if this doesn’t quite hit the same level of impact. It has strong performances from the whole cast involved.
Where to Watch
JustWatchFinal Thoughts – State of Mind is an interesting look at evolving treatment methods.