Last week, one of my best friends told me I would appreciate and enjoy a movie I never even heard of. She said it was called something relating to a polar bear, and that she had to drive a distance to see it, but it was worth it. So the next day, I drove about half an hour away to see it.
I was surprised to see Mark Ruffalo (as Cameron Stuart) and Zoe Saldana (as Maggie Stuart) starring in it because they are so well-known—how come I had never heard of this movie before? I found out afterwards that it was released back in 2014, yet it only just reached a handful of mainstream theaters. It's playing in a single theater near me, and I live outside Manhattan. Maybe it’s because of the relatively low budget and limited distribution independent films often get. Or maybe it’s because it addresses an issue that society still considers taboo to talk about: mental illness.
Mental illness is not conveyed as a life sentence or an implication of doom in this film, but rather a manageable obstacle — very difficult and overwhelming, of course, but manageable. It takes place in the late 1970s, when much less was known about treating mental disorders. From being given care at a mental health facility and trying different amounts of medication to learned moral support on the family’s part, "Infinitely Polar Bear" paints one of the most accurate and inspiring portrayals of mental illness I have ever seen in film.
"Infinitely Polar Bear" is an autobiographical story by writer and director Maya Forbes, who said upon finishing her script, “I wanted to see a humane film about the effects of mental illness on a family. I wanted to see real, resilient children. I wanted to see a movie about love and the hard choices people have to make every day.” "Infinitely Polar Bear" definitely delivers in all of those elements. This film has so much warmth, love and truth to it, but does not stray from the issue at hand at all. There are no euphemisms, hiding or shame, and it is so refreshing, too.
Ruffalo’s character, Cam, accepts his condition and is committed to learning how to handle it. Mark Ruffalo is good in any role he’s in, let’s be honest, from "The Kids Are Alright" to "The Avengers." In "Infinitely Polar Bear," when Cam has a manic breakdown he doesn’t turn into an uncontrollable, terrorizing monster like his role as The Hulk ... he is portrayed as a human who needs help. Yes, their family is scared, but for him, not of him, and that makes all the difference. They, and thus we as an audience, never lose sight of the fact that he is their father, their husband, their Cam all along.
The stigma surrounding mental illness, particularly with afflictions like bipolar disorder (i.e., manic depression), is reflected in the common misconception that mentally ill people are often violent. This film challenges that stereotype. Another aspect of the stigma is the false belief that being diagnosed with a mental disorder determines who they are and what life they lead; "Infinitely Polar Bear" is revolutionary in the film industry because it does the exact opposite. Cam is a man with bipolar disorder — his disorder does not define him.
Its focus is on Cameron’s struggle with bipolar disorder and his family’s experiences when he is tasked to care for his two young daughters for 18 months when his wife goes from their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts to New York City's Columbia University to earn her MBA on scholarship. There are also numerous other perspectives shown and challenges faced in "Infinitely Polar Bear." Cam’s wife, Maggie, is black and he is white, and the film does address the daughters’ perspectives as biracial girls as they come to form their identities. Maggie’s character also offers her perspective as a black woman working hard, in her career and emotionally, to be her family’s breadwinner. The film shows how Cam’s daughters come to understand and help him deal with his condition. Faith, his youngest daughter, mistakenly calls his disorder “polar bear,” while older daughter Amelia opens the movie with a voice-over explaining that her dad was diagnosed with manic depression years earlier. As a family near the poverty line, the issue of public education in a poor area of Cambridge is addressed in great detail.
Forbes’s goal in writing and directing "Infinitely Polar Bear" was to show how, growing up, “we became our version of a family — just like so many families out there who survive, and even thrive in unconventional ways” in a way that was “funny, sad, authentic, and warm.” She accomplished all of this with impressive skill and heart.
I highly recommend "Infinitely Polar Bear," and hope I’ve convinced you to watch and support this film as well as what it stands for.
Watch the trailer here:
