An incredible cellist, a confused journalist, and a troubled community were some of the components seen in the movie, The Soloist. The second day The Soloist came out on the big screen, I was given a chance to see the movie and to participate in a discussion about mental illness. The tickets were given out by Stanislaus County Behavior, Health, and Recovery Services to kick off an awareness campaign for Mental Health Month in May. I didn’t really know what to expect of the discussion. I was just excited to hear the cello music in a movie (the instrument that I play) and to see Robert Downey Jr. play the part of a journalist for the LA Times.

  The movie itself was inspiring; Jamie Foxx played Mr. Ayers who is a schizophrenic, homeless, and former Julliard student. Mr. Ayers also showed an amazing passion for music, and sensitivity in his human nature. The film not only focused on Mr. Ayers’ problems, but focused on the community as a whole and the problems that it could overcome if people would come together to conquer them. The film also focuses on Mr. Ayers’ mental illness, the challenges that arise from it, what Mr. Ayers’ was going through because of it, and what happened as a result of the illness.

  After the movie was over, two people were scheduled to speak about mental illness. I was expecting to hear from a medical doctor or a psychiatrist. Instead, both people had experienced mental illness as a major part of their lives. The first person who spoke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after she became an adult. Her main point was that she did not recover from this illness by herself. Doctors, family, friends, and even her ex-husband helped her through it, and now she effectively manages the illness.

  The second man who spoke was diagnosed with depression when he was about fifty years old. He spoke about his troubles that he went through in life and how he overcame obstacles. Although the discussion was short (about ten minutes in length), the words spoken by those two individuals were from the heart and gave us insight into what mental illness is, and made us aware that it can affect anybody.

 The movie and discussion were both insightful and offered poignant messages.