In the film The Fisher King, Jeff Bridges’ character, Jack Lucas, meets Robin Williams’ character, Parry, decides to help and befriend Parry. It is based on the legend of the last king, who was in charge of protecting the Holy Grail. This theme is present through the film in a contemporary form. The main characters in the film display a wide range of symptoms of mental illness. Jack Lucas was the crass voice of a radio show and his career was on the rise. He unknowingly gives advice to a mental unstable listener, who opened fire in a popular restaurant. This leads to Jack losing his career, his home and one of the factors in the onset of his depression. The character Parry becomes an unlikely friend for Jack, while demonstrating a host of symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia. Supporting characters also exhibit signs of mental illness on the less severe spectrum. Jack’s girlfriend, Anne, shows dependency issues…show more content… This may be a cinematic decision to create an extremely animated character that does not follow the typical pattern of a person with schizophrenia. His character make be used to bring awareness to schizophrenia but it is not accurate. He does however, experience catatonia after his date with Lydia, when he remembers his wife. It is stated in the film that he had previously experienced catatonia after his wife’s death. Parry is placed in a mental health hospital and is in a coma-like state. He does not move nor is he able to communicate. In an unrealistic turn of events, Jack is able to break Parry’s catatonia through stealing the millionaire’s cup that Parry believes is the Holy Grail. Therefore, in the end of the film, Jack and Parry continue their friendship with each other and their relationships with Anne and Lydia. They do not mention treatment, which is highly impractical for a person with schizophrenia and
