Contains spoilers, so if you haven’t seen The Soloist yet, hold off on reading this.

I saw the movie The Soloist this weekend starring Robert Downey Junior as Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez and Jamie Foxx as Nathaniel Ayers, a musically talented homeless man who has schizophrenia. The movie was pretty good overall and caused me to reflect on a couple things.

First, the movie reminded me of how important it is to be a friend. Bipolar and schizophrenia tend to drive loved ones away, unraveling the support network that’s so important in establishing and maintaining mental health. Love and friendship can have a tremendously powerful effect on a person’s brain chemistry and mental well being.

Second, the movie explored the issue of forced treatment, though I found the resolution (or more accurately non-resolution) in the movie disturbing. Allowing Ayers to remain untreated seems to me to do him a grave disservice, giving an ill mind free rein to keep Ayers captive. Sure, forced treatment would mean temporarily restraining his physical body and making him take medication against his will, but right now his dysfunctional mind is holding him captive. That’s not freedom.

I’ve had to take my wife to the hospital and listen to her beg and plea and cry not to “lock her up.” It wasn’t easy, but the doctor made the tough call. He realized that it wasn’t my wife talking but the mania. She wasn’t in a position to make a rational decision concerning her treatment. And when she became well, she realized that the hospitalization and the forced treatment had been necessary to liberate her from a brain that was misfiring.

Throughout the movie, I found myself hoping that someone would step in and get Ayers the help he needed, so he could freely develop his gifts. Never happened. I hope it eventually does.

The Los Angeles Times has a special area on its website, called “Steve Lopez on Nathaniel Anthony Ayers,” that includes a 60 Minutes video along with links to the stories that first appeared in Lopez’s column.

I’d like to know what you thought of the movie. Thumbs up? Thumbs down? Did any of the movie’s messages resonate with you positively or negatively?