Infinitely Polar Bear

As someone who dated a few people with mental issues, this film first stroke me with the dynamics of a family with a father who struggled with bipolar disorder, a.k.a. maniac depression. 

Although based in the 70s, I would say the film deserves much more attention for its broad coverage of important topics which are still prevalent at modern times. The outstanding performances of the actors in the film were equally important in contributing to this brilliant work. 

Bipolar disorder

The film portrayed the difficulty to live intimately with a person with bipolar disorder. Despite all the psychotic medication such as Lithium (which was never taken by the husband), it was really hard to achieve full recovery, especially when the individuals have substance-abuse problems. 

The male protagonist also showed another common issue among people with mental challenges — a lack of empathy. They do not understand why others dislike them; or why their relationships/marriages stopped working. The wife, even though eventually did not get back with the husband, offered her best support by having faith in the husband’s capability to take care of himself and their daughters. The kind of support, I would say, is so precious that could only be developed based on a lot of trust.

Further education

The wife’s relentless pursuit of further education touched me deeply. In fact, this line took away some tears from me. 

With the faith in bringing the best education to her daughters, the wife decided to do an intensive MBA course in 18 months. Such a path appears the only twilight to the poor family which cannot afford private schooling for the children. The moment when the protagonist typed her application letters, I was already in tears. I have a soft spot for any scenes related to further education and offers, for probably very personal reason. 

Back in the 70s in U.S., it was really a great achievement to be enrolled into an MBA course. Yet as the film went by, the value of education was subtly challenged with the presence of other issues in the society.

Fairness

The wife was mocked when she decided to leave her family in Boston and head to New York for the MBA. The parents-in-law strongly objected, raising the question: “is this all about feminism?” A female neighbour also appreciated the husband for his “coolness” to let his wife to be the breadwinner without feeling bad — perhaps with plenty of sarcasm.

As one might expect bright changes upon completing the MBA, the film also explored discrimination against women and races. During a job interview, the interviewers were at first impressed by the wife’s qualification. However, they immediately sent the interviewee away after learning that she’s a mother of two. Later in a hostile conversation between the couple, the wife also revealed her failure to seek a job because she’s “black”. 

This film really hit me because it has touched base on quite a few of issues that I have been through or worked on. It reminded us of some issues that we thought have been resolved. Through questioning social unfairness, the value of education and biases on people with major mood disorders, the film presented an encouraging story of a bipolar patient giving his best for redemption. In the fight for a better world, we have only just begun.