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- Starving in Suburbia (2014) This Lifetime made-for-TV film follows 17-year-old Hannah as she joins a dangerous ”thinspiration” online community where users treat anorexia as a lifestyle rather than a disorder.
- Feed (2017) Teenager Olivia is haunted by her twin brother’s death and begins seeing visions of him when she’s distressed. Matt tells her what to do and when to eat, and Olive begins thinking that she’s saving food for her brother so he can live again.
- To The Bone (2017) Most critics recommend taking this one carefully: A handful of them have claimed the film glorifies anorexia and continues the same tired trope of the typical anorexia sufferer being a privileged white woman who just wants to look like the models she sees in magazines.
- Thin (2006) This documentary follows four women receiving eating disorder treatment at The Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida. While each woman has their own “final straw” that brought them to Renfrew, they all suffer from eating disorders that profoundly affect their lives to the point of near-death, in some cases.
- To the Bone. Keanu Reeves, Lily Collins, Alanna Ubach. 3,979 votes. Exploring the harsh realities of anorexia, To the Bone provides an intimate and raw depiction of life with an eating disorder.
- Sharing the Secret. Mare Winningham, Diane Ladd, Tim Matheson. 944 votes. Sharing the Secret delves into the complex world of bulimia, with a captivating storyline that keeps viewers engaged while shedding light on the intricacies of the disorder.
- For the Love of Nancy. Tracey Gold, Jill Clayburgh, William Devane. 540 votes. Starring Tracey Gold, For the Love of Nancy presents a devastatingly realistic depiction of anorexia, delving into the psychological turmoil and physical consequences that can accompany this disorder.
- Perfect Body. Wendie Malick, Amy Jo Johnson, Cathy Rigby. 548 votes. A captivating story about a young gymnast's pursuit of perfection and the detrimental impact it has on her mental and physical health, Perfect Body offers a fresh perspective on the competitive world of sports and its potential connection to eating disorders.
- Georgia May
- The Whale (2022) Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins. Drama (1h 57m) 7.7 on IMDb — 64% on RT. After sporting biceps in The Mummy (1999), it was a surprise to see Brendan Fraser make his comeback as a 600-pound recluse in The Whale.
- The Machinist (2004) Directed by Brad Anderson. Starring Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón. Drama, Thriller (1h 41m) 7.7 on IMDb — 77% on RT.
- Precious (2009) Directed by Lee Daniels. Starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton. Drama (1h 50m) 7.3 on IMDb — 92% on RT. Gabourey Sidibe gave a shining acting debut in Precious, Lee Daniels's disarming adaptation of the 1996 novel Push.
- To the Bone (2017) Directed by Marti Noxon. Starring Rebekah Kennedy, Lily Collins, Dana L. Wilson. Drama (1h 47m) 6.8 on IMDb — 70% on RT. Lily Collins was unsure whether to take the leading role in To the Bone, in which she had to play a college dropout whose life is taken over by anorexia.
- The Best Little Girl in the World (1981) Based on the novel of the same name by Steven Levenkron ‘The Best Little Girl in the World’ deals with the sensitive and serious issue of eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa.
- Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story uses an experimental approach to dive into its narrative. Directed by Todd Haynes, the movie tells the story of Karen Carpenter, one-half of the popular 1970s musical duo The Carpenters, alongside her brother Richard Carpenter.
- For the Love of Nancy (1994) Directed by Paul Schneider and starring Tracey Gold in the lead role, For the Love of Nancy portrays the emotional and psychological turmoil that individuals with eating disorders often experience.
- 301, 302 (1995) The movie is primarily focused on the lives of two women who are neighbors in an apartment complex: Yoon-hee (played by Bang Eun-hee), who lives in apartment 301, and Seo-young (played by Im Soo-jung), who lives in apartment 302.
- The Problem with Eating Disorders in Film
- The Best Little Girl in The World
- Kate’s Secret
- The Karen Carpenter Story
- For The Love of Nancy
- Sharing The Secret
- Hunger Point
- Thin
- Starving in Suburbia
- Body of Water
Historically there have been issues with the way eating disorders are portrayed on screen, for example, only depicting the ‘typical’ image of young women who are already thin, usually white, and often from a middle-class background. There are few eating disorder movies centering on varying body types, different races, older people, or men. Men make...
Eating disorders were not officially recognised in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders until the 1980s, so they were rarely mentioned in cinema until this decade. One of the first ever to include a central storyline about an eating disorder was The Best Little Girl In The World, a made-for-TV movie. Although it is tough to fin...
Kate’s Secret was one of the next significant movies to be released in the 80s to feature a storyline purely about an eating disorder. This one broke the mould (slightly) in terms of diversity, as it depicted a mother’s struggles with bulimia, breaking away from the teenage girl stereotype and showing that the issue does not affect only young peopl...
A documentary movie aired on CBS in 1989 — The Karen Carpenter Story — was the first biopic account of an eating disorder, depicting singer Karen Carpenter’s life (famous for being in the brother-sister duo The Carpenters) and her ongoing struggles with anorexia. Although those close to the story have since claimed that elements of the movie were i...
One of the next big movies to feature a main storyline about an eating disorder was For The Love Of Nancy in 1994, which detailed a woman’s battle with anorexia. Although very similar to the previous movies, For The Love Of Nancy was significant at the time because not only did it show the accompanying Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) traits tha...
Sharing The Secret shows a fairly ‘typical’ eating disorder story from the outside; a young girl in high school becomes obsessed with her weight and controlling what she eats due to comments made by her peers. Her family (distracted with other home issues) have no idea. The movie begins with the line “the following story is inspired by actual case ...
Although several other movies about eating disorders were released between the 90s and the early 2000s, most were centred around the issue of young girls attempting to lose weight in order to achieve their dreams of being dancers, gymnasts, or something similar. While these aspirations can still play a role in a desire to lose weight, Hunger Point ...
In 2006 we saw the first mainstream documentary on eating disorders, showing issues like anorexia, bulimia and more with uncomfortably raw footage from a treatment centre in Florida. The film follows four women all battling with their own specific issues in the treatment centre, all from different walks of life ranging from a young student to a hou...
This movie has had its share of criticism due to the ‘classic’ storyline of a young, white, middle-class woman suffering from an eating disorder. However, the film displays a previously unexplored reason for the protagonist developing the disorder. The main character, Hannah, becomes entangled in a “pro-ana” forum online, which stands for “promotin...
Body Of Water was released in 2020, and wasn’t particularly well-received by critics at the time, but the British film has since been noted as an interesting take on the issue of eating disorders. It shows both a middle aged woman battling her issues and receiving treatment (a change from the typical teenage patient), as well as showing the difficu...
Oct 14, 2024 · Uncover the compelling narrative of resilience and challenge within these eight films and series that delve into the impactful and often hidden realities of eating disorders.
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Sep 17, 2024 · 11 Must-see Movies that Explore Eating Disorders. Delving into the complexities of eating disorders, these five movies offer poignant and varied narratives. "To the Bone" (2017) brings Lily Collins into focus, portraying the struggles of an anorexic young woman in a raw and heartfelt manner.
