Premiere Date: August 19, 2003
Synopsis
Mental illness is a topic rife with stereotypes and misunderstanding. Made with depth and compassion, West 47th Street is an intimate cinéma vérité portrait of four people struggling to recover from serious mental illness. They've all come to Fountain House, a renowned rehabilitation center in New York City's Hell's Kitchen. Over three years, the film follows its subjects as they deal with drug regimens, health issues, group homes and work programs with courage and humor. Epic in scope, West 47th Street offers an unprecedented window onto the lives of people who are often feared and ignored, but seldom understood. An Active Voice Selection and a PBS Program Club Selection.
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August 19, 2003
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Reviews & Reactions
Average Review
| based on 1 review
Humanizes homeless & mental illness
I have shown this film to my Introduction to Psychology students, and I would also recommend it to Abnormal Psychology students, social workers, and anyone with an interest in homelessness or chronic mental illness. The respectful way it was filmed genuinely humanizes the people involved. It is good to show both successes and failures. And to show how one of the people got involved with the political system to win an important financial benefit for people with psychiatric disabilities.
by Nancy Winningham from Bloomington, Indiana
October 22, 2009, 1:58 PM