MovieChat Forums > Prozac Nation (2003) Discussion > The message, and the title, do not fit t...

The message, and the title, do not fit the story



The title and the ridiculous add-on text that tries to make this film seem like it's presenting a case of excessive over-medication is contrary to the entire film's premise. The main character was not at all normal, and very much needed and responded to medication. Whereas the implication of the text and the title is that people are being duped into excessive drug use, or are otherwise using for reasons beyond its original intention. This has been bugging me since I watched it years ago every time I see mention of the film. I wonder was it laziness, incompetence, or some marketing ploy?

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[deleted]

Your reply has nothing to do with my post except a rant about the vagueness of normality. Normal is a normal curve. A standard deviation. It's actually entirely scientific. Not subjective. She does not behave normally, nor does she possess a normal control of her own emotions. That's what it means. And it's not the point of my post. I could switch out "not normal" with "f-d up" and my point would be the same.

My point was the title is called "Prozac Nation". This term is used disparagingly in society to describe over-medication, and a society that is convinced to take drugs that either do not help, or do further harm. In the film itself it concludes with a blurb about the number of people in America on Prozac, as if that number has any relevance to the film. The title is a contradiction, or at least entirely irrelevant to the story. The story is not about a Prozac Nation, nor is it a story about a person within a Prozac Nation, it's about someone who positively responded to medication. That would be a "Problem-Solving Nation".

Further the bit of text at the end of the film was in the style of many films that attempt to make a deeper point about the subject that was presented. A film that portrays the negative aspects of war might then conclude with some text about the casualties overall, and what impact the war had. Thus enhancing the emotional intensity of the conclusion. However in this film, the concluding text is about a bunch of people we never met, and an issue that was never presented in the film. The contrary, the whole story was about a woman who responded well to drugs.

If this isn't descriptive enough for you, I suggest you go back to school.

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[deleted]

I admit I was being an ass. And I do get too defensive on occasion. The internet is not a friendly place and I often shoot first. So sorry for that.

But you are wrong. My point is valid. And I don't have to pretend to be smart, nor do I know how anyone could go about such a thing and not actually be smart without being obviously wrong.

But I've said before, the only compliment I ever receive on the internet is people doubting what I write is reflective of my own thoughts. They either accuse me of plagiarism, or not being as smart as I write. I am actually this smart. Part genetics, part traditional education, part life-long hobby of writing while others partied and got laid.

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[deleted]

The OP actually makes great points. The person responding is just too stupid to actually explain why they think they're wrong.

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[deleted]

...in many depressed people, is because they constantly try to figure themselves out when they talk so they always make things about them. She clearly was that kind of depressed, confused person. She started off as introvert with the cutting and then extrovert with *beep* up other peoples lives because she hated herself.

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Interesting take on the movie. I actually saw the other side of the coin. I thought the movie seemed to imply that modern society, for all the "improvements" and "advances" produces a much higher incidence of mental illness, depression, anxiety disorders etc. Certainly the high divorce rate has frequently drastic affects on the children of the broken marriages. The example in this movie is probably extreme but any young child is going to be adversely affected when their parents break up at a young age.

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I suspect a marketing ploy. If it helped her, it surely is good enough to help the entire nation. Maybe the author of the novel on which this movie is based received something like a life-long subsidy of her favorite medication.

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The state has an agenda. Theyre killing us.

Thats all you need to know


There we were, minding our own business, when kids started killing themselves all over my property.

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