Movies (series) with characters suffering from social anxiety
I have social anxiety myself. Please keep in mind it's not explicitly mentioned that these characters actually suffer from social anxiety and/or similar conditions, I'm only sure for first 15 movies. I can relate to all of them, I'm sure all people with SA also can.
If you know some more, please let me know, I'd like to see them all.
If you know some more, please let me know, I'd like to see them all.
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- DirectorMichel GondryStarsJim CarreyKate WinsletTom WilkinsonWhen their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.Character: Joel Barish (one of my favorite movie characters ever)
Writer Charlie Kaufman brings us this tale of a man who -- upon discovering that his ex-girlfriend has undergone a procedure to erase all memories of him from her mind -- decides to do the same. During the process, however, Joel (Jim Carrey) discovers that he isn't ready to let go of Clementine (Kate Winslet). The anxious aspects of Joel's personality, including his inability to speak with strangers and his near hermit-like lifestyle are emphasized in contrast with the extroverted Clementine. - DirectorJ.R. SawyersStarsTyler LangdonLaura Alexandra RamosPeter DiVitoWhen Josh agrees to be the subject of an experiment pertaining to the treatment of social anxiety, he hopes it will end his troubles - and get him closer to its pretty conductor, Aurora. Little does he know, it'll be the battle of his life.Character: Josh
If you suffer from SA, this will be your favorite movie, believe me. :) - DirectorSpike JonzeStarsNicolas CageMeryl StreepChris CooperA lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen.Character: Charlie Kaufman
This movie is about a screenplay writer played by Nicholas Cage. He is a very accomplished writer, yet has horrible social anxiety and terrible self esteem. He has a twin brother who also wants to be a writer, but doesn't have the talent. What he has is unshakeable confidence.
Actually, most of the Charlie Kaufman movies are dealing with SA (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation, Synecdoche- New York, Being John Malkovich) - DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsDebbie DoebereinerOmar CowanDustin James AshleySet against the backdrop of a decaying Midwestern town, a murder becomes the focal point of three people who work in a doll factory.One of the main characters has social anxiety and talks about it a little bit. In the special features, the actor talks about his real life SA.
- DirectorRob McKittrickStarsRyan ReynoldsAnna FarisJohn Francis DaleyYoung employees at ShenaniganZ restaurant collectively stave off boredom and adulthood with their antics.Character: Calvin
This cult classic among the restaurant crowd takes place over the course of a day at "Shenaniganz", a cookie-cutter establishment filled with anything but average staff. Calvin (Rob Benedict) is a server at the restaurant plagued by constant self-doubt and awkward social behavior -- the main defining aspect of his character being his inability to urinate in a public restroom. - DirectorCemal SanStarsSerdar OrçinBegüm BirgörenUfuk BayraktarAli is a young man whose life passes as a routine between his house and the little shop he owns. But everything changes when she meets Zeynep, a girl who's recently moved to the neighborhood. She begins to come by his shop to have some small talk with him and not surprisingly, he falls for her.
- DirectorJared HessStarsJon HederEfren RamirezJon GriesA listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.Character: Deb
Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) steals the show in this film about teenage awkwardness, apathy and angst. However, Deb (Tina Majorino) brings to the screen a social awkwardness different from that of the lead role. While Napoleon is awkward and indifferent, Deb is aware of how others perceive her and it shows in her self-conscious behavior. This is never more evident than in their first meeting when Deb nervously tries her hand at door-to-door selling. - DirectorTom HooperStarsColin FirthGeoffrey RushHelena Bonham CarterThe story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
- DirectorPetter NæssStarsPer Christian EllefsenSven NordinMarit Pia JacobsenWhen his mother, who has sheltered him his entire 40 years, dies, sensitive would-be poet Elling is sent to live in a state institution. There he meets Kjell Bjarne, a gentle giant and woman-obsessed virgin in his 40s. After two years, the men are released and provided with a state-funded apartment and stipend with the hope they will be able to live on their own. Initially, the simple act of going around the corner for groceries is a challenge. Through a friendship born of desperate dependence, the skittish Elling and the boisterous, would-be ladies' man Kjell Bjarne discover that not only can they survive on the outside--they can thrive. But as their courage grows, they find oddball ways to cope with society and strike up friendships in the unlikeliest places.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsAdam SandlerEmily WatsonPhilip Seymour HoffmanSocially frustrated Barry Egan calls a phone-sex line to curb his loneliness. Little does he know it will land him in deep trouble and will jeopardize his burgeoning romance with the mysterious Lena.Character: Barry Eagen
Adam Sandler stars as Barry Eagen, a hen-pecked entrepreneur with seven sisters, intent on exploiting a loophole in a pudding promotion to cash in on free flights. Although prone to fits of rage, Eagen may be the character who most resembles a social phobic, with his odd self-conscious mannerisms and private self-loathing. Subplots include a love interest (Emily Watson) and a soured relationship with a phone-sex operator.
I personally can relate to him a lot. - DirectorIrving RapperStarsBette DavisPaul HenreidClaude RainsA frumpy spinster blossoms under therapy and becomes an elegant, independent woman.Character: Charlotte Vale
In this 40s classic, nervous and repressed as a result of a domineering mother, Charlotte Vale is transformed into a confident and beautiful woman by a kind psychiatrist (Claude Rains). With a fresh perspective, Charlotte embarks on a cruise where she meets Jerry (Paul Henreid), an architect trapped in an unhappy marriage with a troubled daughter. Although the relationship is ill-fated, Charlotte takes solace in being able to help the daughter as she has been helped herself. Known for the line -- "Don't ask for the moon--we have the stars." - DirectorJill SprecherStarsToni ColletteParker PoseyLisa KudrowThe relationship between four female temps all working for the same credit company is threatened with the arrival of a new hire, who lands a permanent position one of the women was vying for.Character: Iris Chapman
Clockwatchers follows the lives of four office temps who become fast friends in a boring-turned-hostile office environment. This film pokes fun at the 9 to 5 work-a-day world, but it does so in the style of a black comedy. Although an ensemble cast, Iris (Toni Collette) quickly becomes identified as the lead role, which is unusual given that she is the most shy of the group, waiting timidly for two hours to be noticed on her first day of work. - DirectorJean-Pierre JeunetStarsAudrey TautouMathieu KassovitzRufusDespite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.Character: Amelie Poulain
Amelie is the story of a woman who, despite her own shyness and inability to connect with others, embarks on a voyage to bring happiness into the lives of others through arms-length manipulations. This film brings into question the impact of an isolated and sheltered childhood on later social anixety. Although capable of bringing happiness to others, Amelie struggles with her own loneliness and inability to find love. It is only with the help of an eccentric neighbor that a relationship eventually develops with an attractive stranger. - DirectorHal AshbyStarsRuth GordonBud CortVivian PicklesYoung, rich, and obsessed with death, Harold finds himself changed forever when he meets lively septuagenarian Maude at a funeral.Harold
- DirectorIrwin WinklerStarsSandra BullockJeremy NorthamDennis MillerWhen Angela Bennett, a computer programmer, stumbles upon government secrets, she finds herself on the run from an unknown enemy hell-bent on destroying her completely.Character: Angela Bennet
Sandra Bullock stars as Angela Bennett, a hermit-like computer programmer in Southern California who works out of her home and "lives" on the internet. With the exception of her ex-therapist/ex-lover (Dennis Miller) and her institutionalized mother, she has no friends and no in-person social contact. When she stumbles upon a computer program capable of world-wide security breaches and becomes a target of international computer hackers, her solitary existence becomes a terrible handicap. - DirectorCraig GillespieStarsRyan GoslingEmily MortimerPaul SchneiderA delusional young man strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.Character: Lars
Lars & The Real Girl explores aspects of Social Anxiety Disorder and other mental illness in a meaningful way. It is a beautiful, sensitive and smart movie about the origins of mental illness and how to work them through. - DirectorJudd ApatowStarsSteve CarellCatherine KeenerPaul RuddGoaded by his buddies, a nerdy guy who's never "done the deed" only finds the pressure mounting when he meets a single mother.Character: Andy
It was more about a man struggling to get with women, which is an SA problem but then again, let us not forget that guy wasn't that shy (mild SA) considering his job was on a sales floor talking to people all day. - DirectorFrank OzStarsBill MurrayRichard DreyfussJulie HagertyA successful psychotherapist loses his mind after one of his most dependent patients, an obsessive-compulsive neurotic, tracks him down during his family vacation.Character: Bob 'Bobby' Wiley
Bob makes his therapist go crazy. :)
A classic comedy voted one of the funniest movies of all time, “What About Bob?” centers around a character with phobias and a host of anxiety disorders. These fears don’t seem to stop Bob from successfully socializing with nearly everyone in the movie, which is pretty disingenuous to the disorder, but since his character is so likeable he puts a positive face on a serious mental health issue. - DirectorJames MangoldStarsWinona RyderAngelina JolieClea DuVallA directionless teenager, Susanna, is rushed to Claymoore, a mental institution, after a supposed suicide attempt. There, she befriends a group of troubled women who deeply influence her life.Character: Susanna Kaysen
Her social anxieties are not quite clear to me since they are not centre of the plot, but she often seeks to be alone; shows many social anxieties around people and had a lack of close friends on outside of the hospital. She suffers from various psychological conditionds: borderline personality disorder, spontaneous damaging behaviour, schizotypal personality disorder... - DirectorDylan KiddStarsCampbell ScottJesse EisenbergIsabella RosselliniAfter breaking up with his lover and boss, a smooth-talking man takes his teenaged nephew out on the town in search of sex.
- DirectorMarc EvansStarsAlan RickmanSigourney WeaverCarrie-Anne MossA drama focused on the friendship between a high-functioning autistic woman and a man who is traumatized after a fatal car accident.
- DirectorJon AmielStarsSigourney WeaverHolly HunterDermot MulroneyAn agoraphobic psychologist and a female detective must work together to take down a serial killer who copies serial killers from the past.Holly Hunter exhibits an issue that affects many women after they’ve been attacked by becoming agoraphobic – an issue that isn’t addressed much in today’s society, especially for victims of assault.
As usual with movie portrayals of mental health disorders, most of these movies involve a main character that manages to overcome anxiety on their own, with very little additional treatment – something unlikely for most people that suffer from anxiety related issues. Still, suspending belief is the norm for Hollywood, and the fact that these movies highlight issues with anxiety can only be a net benefit for those that are actually living through it. - DirectorMax MayerStarsHugh DancyRose ByrnePeter GallagherAdam, a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome, develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor, Beth.He actually suffers from asperger syndrome, technically this and SA are different conditions but with similar anxious symptoms around others. I'm sure all the people with Sa can relate.
- DirectorJessica SharzerStarsKristen StewartElizabeth PerkinsRichard HagermanAfter a blurred trauma over the summer, Melinda enters high school a selective mute. Struggling with school, friends, and family, she tells the dark tale of her experiences, and why she has chosen not to speak.I havent actually seen this one yet, a friend recomended it to me.
- DirectorStephen ChboskyStarsLogan LermanEmma WatsonEzra MillerCharlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
- CreatorGene RoddenberryStarsPatrick StewartBrent SpinerJonathan FrakesSet almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.Character: Lieutenant Reginald Barclay
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsJack NicholsonLouise FletcherMichael BerrymanIn the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.Character: Billy
He displays some symptoms of social anxiety. - DirectorJean-Pierre AmérisStarsBenoît PoelvoordeIsabelle CarréLorella CravottaJean-René, owner of a chocolate factory, and Angélique, a talented chocolate maker, are too shy to admit their love for each other. Will they come together thanks to their common passion?SA seems to be the focal point. Hasn't received the most flattering reviews, but worth checking out.
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsBob GeldofChristine HargreavesJames LaurensonA confined but troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.
- DirectorRobert RedfordStarsDonald SutherlandMary Tyler MooreJudd HirschThe accidental death of the older son of an affluent family deeply strains the relationships among the bitter mother, the good-natured father and the guilt-ridden younger son.
- DirectorMartin RittStarsJane FondaRobert De NiroSwoosie KurtzA struggling widow falls in love with an illiterate short-order cook whom she teaches to read and write in her kitchen each night.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsRussell CroweEd HarrisJennifer ConnellyA mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsRobin WilliamsRobert Sean LeonardEthan HawkeMaverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.Character: Todd
I'm not sure, but I think Todd has some SA/self-esteem issues. I just wanted to give him a hug when he was forced to read his poem in front of the class. He's terrified of speaking in class or even joining groups for school papers. - DirectorVincent GalloStarsVincent GalloChristina RicciBen GazzaraAfter being released from prison, Billy is set to visit his parents with his wife, whom he does not actually have. This provokes Billy to act out, as he kidnaps a girl and forces her to act as his wife for the visit.Character: Billy Brown
Vincen Gallo's character is one really messed up guy. I'm not sure if he suffers from SA, but I can totally relate to his social awkwardness. - DirectorAdam ElliotStarsToni CollettePhilip Seymour HoffmanEric BanaIn 1976 Melbourne, a lonely 8-year-old girl strikes up a correspondence with an unlikely pen pal: a severely obese 44-year-old New Yorker with Asperger's syndrome.Character: Aussie
About two penpals. Max is an overeating New Yorker with Asperger's while Mary is an Aussie girl who seems to have a problem with SA and an alcoholic mother. - DirectorFrank A. CappelloStarsChristian SlaterElisha CuthbertWilliam H. MacyAn unhinged office worker who planned to go on a shooting spree at his workplace struggles with his newfound status as a hero after he ends up stopping a shooting spree instead.Character: Bob
Bob Maconel (Christian Slater) endures another eight hours in a dull grey cubicle. Ignored by his co-workers, Bob feels completely invisible and out of sync with the world. On one strange day he crosses the line from potential killer to inadvertent hero when he saves beautiful Venessa (Elisha Cuthbert). They never mention he has SA, but he's very awkward socially. - DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsJack NicholsonHelen HuntGreg KinnearA single mother and waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.
- CreatorMatt OlmsteadNick SantoraStarsDomenick LombardozziBrooke NevinMalcolm GoodwinA squad of U.S. marshals team up with cons (former fugitives) to work together on tracking down prison escapees in exchange for getting time off their sentences.Character: Julianne
Julianne Sims from Breakout Kings is portrayed as having a serious social anxiety disorder and panic attacks which prevented her from working in law enforcement until she was recruited for the team. - DirectorHarold RamisStarsRobert De NiroBilly CrystalLisa KudrowA comedy about a psychiatrist whose number-one patient is an insecure mob boss.One of the few films that addresses the effects of generalized anxiety disorder, Analyze This is a comedy that does a surprisingly good job (albeit with humor) showing how living with anxiety can affect decision making, social interactions, and more.
- StarsSimon PeggJessica HynesJulia DeakinFriends Tim and Daisy, 20-something North Londoners with uncertain futures, must pretend to be a couple to live in the only apartment they can afford.Character: Brian
Very funny and kinda sad at the same time. - DirectorGreg PritikinStarsAdrien BrodyMilla JovovichIlleana DouglasAn ex-office worker becomes a ventriloquist, leading to a date with his unemployment counselor; but his quirky family and a gauche female friend may thwart his new career and love life.I'm not sure if Brody's character Steven suffers from social anxiety, but he has some SA like traits.
- DirectorPierre-Paul RendersStarsBenoît VerhaertAylin YayMagali PinglautIn the near future, a man confined to his apartment for eight years by agoraphobia and fear of human contact is prescribed remote sex therapy.Character: Thomas
Film about a guy with agoraphobia in the near future. He uses technology to do all his communicating because of crippling panic attacks. - DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsSylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungA small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.Adrian from the Rocky movies had social anxiety, especially noticeable in the first movie.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioCate BlanchettKate BeckinsaleA biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s.An excellent film adaptation about the real life story of Howard Hughes. The Aviator’s character progressively deteriorates, something that would have been likely without any successful treatments, and showcases the beginning of what happened to one of the most prominent individuals in America.
- CreatorDavid MaplesStarsMary McCormackFrederick WellerPaul Ben-VictorU.S. Marshal Mary Shannon must hunt down witnesses for federal cases in the witness protection program while also managing a rather dysfunctional family and her own personal life.One of the characters in season 2 - espisode 2 is dealing with social anxiety.
- DirectorChris ColumbusStarsJohn CandyMaureen O'HaraAlly SheedyA Chicago cop must balance loyalty to his controlling mother and a relationship with a shy funeral home worker.
- DirectorIsabel CoixetStarsSarah PolleyTim RobbinsSverre Anker OusdalA hearing impaired factory worker gives up her first holiday in years and instead travels out to an oil rig, where she cares for a man suffering from severe burns.Character: Hanna
Sarah Polley plays Hanna. She doesn't talk to anyone and seems to have SA and obsessive compulsive disorder. - DirectorNoah BaumbachStarsBen StillerGreta GerwigJennifer Jason LeighA man from Los Angeles, who moved to New York years ago, returns to L.A. to figure out his life while he house-sits for his brother. He soon sparks with his brother's assistant.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsOlivia de HavillandMontgomery CliftRalph RichardsonA naive young woman falls for a handsome young man her emotionally abusive father suspects is only a fortune hunter.Character: Catherine Sloper
"The Heiress" 1949, based on the 1880 novel "Washington Square" by Henry James and starring Olivia De Haveland as the main character. Also remade in 1997 as "Washington Square', starring Jennifer Jason Leigh. The 1949 version is more true to the original novel.
Set in mid-nineteenth century New York City, Catherine Sloper is a painfully shy and socially awkward young woman with a father who despises her. What she lacks in beauty and social ability, she makes up for with a rich father, which attracts the attention of a handsome, socially graceful but poor man. - CreatorHoward OvermanStarsNathan Stewart-JarrettJoe GilgunIwan RheonA group of young offenders doing community service gets struck by lightning during a storm and start to develop superpowers.Character: Simon
It's not explicitly mentioned that Simon's got SA, but he's socially awkward and feels invisible most of the time *SPOILER NOW* (which eventually led to him being actually invisible.) - DirectorDennis DuganStarsDavid SpadeJon HederRob SchneiderA trio of guys try and make up for missed opportunities in childhood by forming a three-player baseball team to compete against standard children's Little League squads.Character: Howie
- DirectorPaul NewmanStarsJoanne WoodwardJohn MalkovichKaren AllenA son longs to escape from his stifling home, where his genteel mother worries about the future prospects of his lame, shy sister.Character: Laura
- DirectorMiguel SantesmasesStarsSilvia AbascalEduardo NoriegaSalvador MadridLola's boyfriend asks her if she believes in forgiveness, hands her a card with a name on it and shoots himself in the head. This sends Lola on a quest to find out what happened as well as solve the murder of her parents. The name on the card leads her into the shadowy world of the the Chinese Triad in Spain. She is helped along the way by a fearful young man who has an odd fascination for news clippings about the Chinese. She is drawn into this world and discovers her answer and loses more than she imagined.
- CreatorHideaki AnnoStarsMegumi OgataMegumi HayashibaraKotono MitsuishiA teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots by his father.Character: Shinji Ikari
I saw a lot of my own not-so-great traits in Shinji, amplified. Self doubt and avoidance of people and responsibility.
He has many disorders, I can't even name them. - DirectorMichael ShowalterStarsMichael ShowalterElizabeth BanksPeter DinklageIn the style of a Howard Hawks comedy, Baxter follows the twists and turns of a young man's life during the two weeks before his wedding.
- DirectorTodd SolondzStarsHeather MatarazzoChristina BrucatoVictoria DavisAn awkward seventh-grader struggles to cope with inattentive parents, snobbish class-mates, a smart older brother, an attractive younger sister and her own insecurities in suburban New Jersey.Character: Dawn Wiener
The main character is a 7th grader who has no friends and gets bullied at school, very touchy and funny at times. I don't think she has SA, but she's deffinitelly what society calls "a loser", and socially awkward. One of my favorite movies. - CreatorRob LottersteinStarsMichael RapaportAnita BaroneKaylee DeFerParents struggle to raise their teens.Character: Larry
- DirectorShôsuke MurakamiStarsTakayuki YamadaMiki NakataniRyôko KuninakaThe supposedly true story of a 23-year-old otaku (Japanese geek) who intervenes when a drunk man is harassing several women on a train. The otaku ultimately begins dating one of the women, and posts on a website asking for advice every step of the way.Character: Densha otoko
Several phobias. - DirectorMike JudgeStarsRon LivingstonJennifer AnistonDavid HermanThree company workers who hate their jobs decide to rebel against their greedy boss.
- DirectorGustavo TarettoStarsJavier DrolasMiguel DedovichPilar López de AyalaMartín and Mariana are slightly damaged people who live in buildings just opposite one another. While they often don't notice each other, separation might be the very thing that brings them together.
- DirectorPatrick GibbsPaul GibbsStarsZachari Michael ReynoldsRosalie BertrandPaul GibbsA mockumentary documenting the attempts of Dr. Howard Tarkanian, an unorthodox psychiatrist, to treat a group of patients with severe phobias. The group includes a claustrophobic woman and an agoraphobic man who fall in love, and a lesbian who is afraid of women.