Mental illness is no laughing matter. However, humor can come out of very difficult and painful situations. There are comedians who have found ways of bringing their own struggles to the world in ways that entertain, but also may give us insight into the lives of people who face mental illness—perhaps even ourselves. Group Therapy, directed by Neil Berkeley, lets us into the lives of some comedians who have real understanding of mental health issues.
The main body of this documentary is a group of six standup comedians: Mike Birbiglia, Tig Nataro, Nicole Byer, Gary Gulman, London Hughes, and Atsuko Okasuka. They sit in a circle as they discuss their various connections with mental illness. The discussion is moderated by Neil Patrick Harris. The odd thing about this version of group therapy is that outside the circle is an audience. The film also has periods of two or more of the comedians talking among themselves, individual interviews, and some brief clips of their standup routines.
These are, of course, funny people. They know how to play off each other to find the humor in the stories. They also understand just how serious each person’s story is. They share what it is like to live with severe depression, ADHD, schizophrenia. They are able to laugh at themselves and their afflictions. That doesn’t mean that it has not been painful.
The fact that they are being so public with their stories is key. We often don’t want to talk about mental illness (especially if it is our own struggle). To be able to recognize mental illness in ourselves or people we love is crucial. By hearing these stories (especially in such a non-threatening, at times humorous, setting), may help people detect signs of such issues. To be able to talk about them can truly be life saving.
On one level, this documentary is voyeurism—we see the dark secrets of these people’s lives. But it moves beyond that to become a way for viewers to better understand their own struggles, or to see the pain that people they may know are dealing with each day.
