For anyone who has lived with or been around mental illness -- and who has not -- "Melancholia" is a must-see movie.
The characters are richer and better-looking than we are, but we have all been to the wedding at the center of this film. You dont need a medical degree to know that the bride, Justine, is seriously unstable; you would be, too, if youd grown up in her family.
In between bouts of acting out, Justine cleans up beautifully and tries -- really, really tries -- to be normal. She writes dazzling advertising copy. She reaches out and begs to connect with her coldas-ice mother and her alcoholic father, even after they spew tasteless toasts at the wedding dinner.
Her young nephew Leo worships her, and Justine adores him back when she is not too debilitated to get out of bed.
Justines sister Claire is the familys designated responsible adult. Every family with mental health issues has at least one, and Justine has a SEAL team of em.
Claire thinks she can cure her sisters depression with a fairy tale wedding and some homemade meatloaf. The hapless groom is convinced that all Justine needs is a house in the country and some kids of her own. Claires husband thinks his power, money and brains will protect his loved ones from any problem man or God might throw at them.
But time is running out for this co-dependent commune.
A planet called Melancholia is hurtling toward earth. All the real scientists are predicting a fly-by that will provide earthlings with great stories to tell their grandchildren, while the folks on the Internet message boards are predicting the end of the world.
We learn in the opening sequence that the Internet people are right.
In the movies, as in life, crisis reveals character.As Justine and her family come to understand that Melancholia is a death star, they -- and we -- find out who is and is not crazy.
Film critics have focused on the salacious snippets of "Melancholia," and indeed, Kirsten Dunsts breasts ought to have individual supporting cast billing. But it would be a mistake to dismiss this movie as soft-core porn for fans of the apocalypse genre.
Florida spends billions on social service programs aimed at mitigating the harm done by the crazy people among us. A lot of this money finances well-meaning but underinformed folks like Justines family who think that any problem can be fixed with love and money.
As we watch Justine rise to the ultimate occasion, we discover that crazy people may have more to teach us than sane people want to admit.
Guest column: Florence Snyder is a corporate lawyer who lives in Tallahassee. She also consults on ethics and First Amendment issues. Contact her at lawyerflo@gmail.com.
