PROZAC NATION (2001) REVIEW

🦴🦴🦴🦴 4/5 BONES

I’m deeply disappointed in myself for not seeking out this movie sooner, a sigh of terrified parallels will haunt me for some time. It was like she was telling my story. Many stories. Explaining exactly what it feels like, the demons in my head, the spinning, the realistic, crawling of the skin. The logical point of view of what we know is real, but what we feel is two different things. She has this brought to life, making sense to the rest of the world what is and isn't wrong with us. I see the news, talk with the people around me, and it seems like everyone has been, or knows someone that has been on anti-depressants. They are not, and will be the quick fix, but between therapy, and anti-depressants, it has saved my life. I have heard many comments about how anti-depressants don't work, and that they are just a quick fix. It takes a lot of hard work, and therapy that goes with anti-depressants to make it work. I totally agree in the film where she said it would help her to be able to see things in a different light.

The movie Prozac is a film adaption of the members of Elizabeth Wurtzel, a psychological drama set in the mid 1980's before the prevalence of anti-depressants, it follows a young working class woman's (Elizabeth - Christina Ricci) bout with depression during her first year at Harvard. The film explores this generation's struggle to navigate the effects of divorce, drugs, sex, and an overbearing mother.

A dramatisation where the “kid” (Elizabeth) is just a "product" to be "developed" the "right" way. Observe the general root of the problem in wealthy families (and not only), where success is measured in achievement. Such people, as the parent(s) have lost touch with reality since generation upon generation have forgotten that living is only happening one day at the time regardless of possibilities or/and opportunities. That life isn’t a narrow pathway that leads in one direction, it’s messy and it’s getting messier as the world around us does spat out into this emotional hellscape, with no directions and the absence of guidance. I resonate with her resentment of her parents for not seeing (listening) of her problem, all the labels thrown around but no sought out diagnosis, yet she’s only ever seeking out their approval.

I’ve skimmed a couple reviews and most of them are of a negative perspective, purely aimed at the the entirely nude scene near the start of the film, clearly missing the point, for those who cant think further than their undeveloped prefrontal cortex this wasn’t a commercial stunt, this story is pure vulnerability exposed and as tortured and demonic she may seem, she’s human. My synesthesia triggers as the taste of metal filled my mouth.

Not an easy movie to watch by a long shot but how could it have been.
Never read the book, now I want to.