“Where do you go when you’ve gone too far?” Elizabeth Wurtzel’s memoir Prozac Nation (1994) changed the way we discussed depression and medication at a time when mental health was heavily stigmatized. Prozac Nation (2001, 99 min), the book-to-film adaptation starring Christina Ricci, for better or worse, carried this discourse further by examining privilege, access to care, and whose mental health stories are told.
This class will examine the film adaptation and analyze how Wurtzel reshaped public discourse around mental illness. We will discuss the film's portrayal of depression and its impact on relationships, cultural attitudes towards psychiatric medication, and the evolution of mental health represented in media.
This class will be taught by MMU Education Instructor, Kristina Mucker. Her previous classes include Black Southern Gothic, Absent Narratives: Black Queer Love, She’s Gotta Have It (1986), and The Blackening (2022).
Questions? Email us at education@moviemadness.org
In general, the Hollywood Theatre does not provide content advisories about the subject matter shown in our theatre. Films exhibited don’t necessarily reflect the views of the Hollywood Theatre. Information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media and DoesTheDogDie.com.