Caregiving can be one of the most difficult jobs. It is not just about taking care of the sick, disabled, or old but it is also about sacrifice and discipline. There are a lot of things that a caregiver provides, such as patience, time, and effort. This career path can be rocky at first, especially for those who do not have a solid background about caregiving or do not have any knowledge about the art of it.
Moreover, not all caregivers are professionals, which mean that some can be from caregiving agencies while others are direct family members of patients. The latter may sound easy for taking care of elderly family member or sick relatives can be a piece of cake since you already knew them. However, the transition of being a normal person without much responsibility into a personal caregiver with a lot of obligations on you plate can become a little too much to handle. This might be a tough job but the fruits of this labor can be something to look forward to.
Moreover, caregiving has been one of the talks in both film and literary industry. There are plenty of books about caregiving that will definitely touch your hearts and a bunch of films that showcase caregiving that will bring you both joy and tears. Since the weekend is approaching, here are some caregiving movies that you might want to check out and add to your to-be-watched list:
Me Before You (2016)
Me Before You is a film based on the novel with the same title by author Jojo Moyes. This romantic drama movie was released last 2016, which was under the production companies New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Sunswept Entertainment and was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.. Me Before You starred the some of the best actors in the industry, such as Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin. It follows the story of William Traynor, who became disabled after being hit by a speeding motorcycle while on the phone on his way to his workplace. Because of being paralyzed, Will started to become depressed and ending his life became his new life goal. Two years passed, he met an outgoing and cheerful woman named Louisa Clark. Lou was hired by his parents to be his caregiver. She had a hard time dealing with the gloomy and cold-hearted Will. As time passed by, they developed a good friendship and, eventually, love. However, Louisa’s effort to make Will see the brighter side of life didn’t work. Even their love for each other was not enough to change his mind; thus, he continued with his plans of ending his life leaving his caregiver heartbroken but encouraging her to live.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic comedy-drama movie under and distributed by The Weinstein Company last 2012. It starred Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Anupam Kher, and Chris Tucker. This is the film adaptation of Matthew Quick’s book with the same title as the movie. This movie centers on the life of Patrizio “Pat” Solitano Jr., who was admitted to a psychiatric facility for beating his ex-wife’s other man. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was recently released from the institution. His family, especially his mother, was trying their best to keep him on shape with a healthy mind. His mom tries everything she can to take care of Pat by keep giving him advices and supporting him. His father, on the other hand, was a typically dad who is obsessed with sports and was a firm believer of jujus. Later on, Pat met Tiffany — a widow suffering with depression. She convinced Pat to be his dance partner in exchange of contacting his ex-wife. Tiffany and Pat had their ups and downs. Later on, Pat realized that Tiffany is all he needs and everything is not too late.
The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)
The Fundamentals of Caring was directed by Rob Burnett and was released last 2016. It was under the production companies Worldwide Pants and Levatine Films and was distributed by Netflix. This film starred Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, and Selena Gomez. This film was based on the novel by Jonathan Evison called The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving. It follows the story of a retired writer named Ben. He is currently suffering from writer’s block because of a personal trauma; thus, he decided to look for another job that does not require writing. He took a caregiving course for 6-weeks and was hired by a registered caregiver and a bank office manager named Elsa to provide care to his son. Trevor is the boy that Ben needs to attend to. He was suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. As Ben provided care to Trevor, they eventually developed a closer bond. Both of them went to a trip to see various roadside attractions. On their way, they stopped on a gas station and met girl named Dot whom Trevor started to fancy.
The Upside (2017)
The Upside is a comedy-drama movie released last September 8, 2017 and January 11, 2019. It was directed by Neil Burger and starred Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman, and Golshifteh Farahani. This film is a remarke of The Intouchables, a French movie by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano released in the year 2011. It revolves around the story of a wealthy man who became paralyzed named Phillip Lacasse and a newly paroled convict named Dell Scott. The billionaire hired the convict to be his caregiver, which eventually led into an unsual friendship. This film grossed a total of 125.9 million dollars from the budget of 37.5 million dollars. Although it was a box office movie, the critical response was a mixture of both positive and negative. The Rotten Tomatoes rated the film with 5.25/10 while the CinemaScore gave it an “A.”
Alex Writes 