The name Sigmund Freud often immediately comes to mind when someone says the word “psychology,” but Carl Rogers deserves attention as well. Specifically, it was his development of person-centered psychotherapy that contributed to shining more much-needed light on the antiquated approach to mental health. At the very least, lending an attentive and unbiased ear as a friend who genuinely wants to help sure sounds like a better alternative to what Jack Nicholson’s McMurphy ultimately endured in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” The upcoming film “Three Christs” seeks to put this kind of approach to the test.
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The project is based on the true story documented in the controversial and similarly-titled 1964 book “The Three Christs of Ypsilanti” by Milton Rokeach. Making a return to Hollywood—in addition to helming a couple of episodes of Amazon Prime’s “Sneaky Pete”—to direct the movie is Jon Avnet (“Fried Green Tomatoes”) who also co-produces. Additionally, Avnet co-wrote the film with Eric Nazarian (“The Blue Hour”). Richard Gere stars as the doctor looking to provide clarity to patients Peter Dinklage, Walton Goggins (“Justified” & “The Unicorn”), and Bradley Whitford (“Get Out” & “The Handmaid’s Tale”).
Here’s the synopsis:
In 1959, psychiatrist Dr. Alan Stone (Richard Gere) arrives at a mental hospital in Ypsilanti, Michigan armed with the radical belief that schizophrenic patients should be treated not with confinement and electroshock therapy but with empathy and understanding. As his first study, he takes on the particularly challenging case of three men—Joseph (Peter Dinklage), Leon (Walton Goggins), and Clyde (Bradley Whitford)—each of whom believes they are Jesus Christ. Hoping that by getting them together in the same room to confront their delusions he can break through to them, Dr. Stone begins a risky, unprecedented experiment that will push the boundaries of psychiatric medicine and leave everyone involved—including Dr. Stone himself—profoundly changed. Based on a remarkable true story, Three Christs is a fascinating and moving look at one man’s journey into the deepest mysteries of the human mind.
“Three Christs”—distributed by IFC Films—is set to be released in theaters, On Digital, and On-Demand on January 10, 2020. Check out the trailer below and believe that words can work wonders.