Let’s go to the movies and forget about living with chronic illness for a day

It’s kind of a big day for me. Don’t worry, I’ll share more about it in an upcoming column. Today, however, I’m stuck with the anticipation. What do I do while I wait for this big thing to happen?

One of my favorite distractions is watching movies.

You may have clicked one of the links I sprinkle throughout my columns, only to discover a ridiculous scene from Monty Python, a Rob Reiner film, or a Taylor Swift video. I have an entire movie library stored in my head that apparently kicks out useful information to make room for random quotes from obscure and classic films. I suppose it’s another affliction I suffer.

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As a child, ‘Pollyanna’ carried me somewhere else

Today, I started thinking about movies that help us cope with chronic illness. After all, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, is a chronic illness loaded with unknowns, new symptoms, difficult choices, and, thankfully, plenty of hope.

So I’m sharing a few films that might offer comfort, giggles, or some much-needed tears. Sometimes those tears wash away feelings about our own diagnoses that have been lurking beneath our tear ducts, waiting for permission to escape. I’m here for you.

When I was 3, a pickup truck ran over my knees. I spent months recovering, watching sadly from the window as other children played outside. I was confined to a tiny wheelchair in the house with my loving, chain-smoking grandmother, who did her best to entertain me.

This was before streaming services and even VHS. The best she could do was consult TV Guide, the family bible in many 1970s and ’80s homes, and turn on whatever movie happened to be scheduled.

By a stroke of delicious irony, it was “Pollyanna.”

The 1960 Disney film follows a relentlessly cheerful orphan sent to live with her joyless, controlling aunt. Pollyanna sneaks out to attend a carnival, then falls while climbing back into her attic bedroom. I won’t give away the rest, but honestly, who ever thought locking a child in an attic was a good idea?

The movie carried me somewhere else. I knew my injuries weren’t permanent and that I would mostly heal, but “Pollyanna” helped me reframe my pain, even at 3. It also made me grateful that my cigarette-loving granny was generally positive and not inclined to imprison children for wanting to attend carnivals.

Long-term illness takes toll on mental health

Long-term illness can take a toll on our mental health. Sometimes caring for ourselves means briefly turning our attention away from our own problems and toward the imagined, or real, struggles of someone else.

Though it isn’t about chronic illness, I find inspiration in “Erin Brockovich.” Julia Roberts stars as the real-life legal clerk and single mother who helped residents of Hinkley, California, challenge a powerful utility company over groundwater contaminated with hexavalent chromium. Her fire, persistence, and refusal to be intimidated make it one of my favorite cinematic prescriptions.

Most recently, my daughter and I saw Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” based on Homer’s epic poem. It is brutal, beautiful, and filled with moments of grace that keep the story rowing toward home. Despite its nearly three-hour runtime, I never checked my watch or phone. Neither did my daughter, who recently read the poem in her high school English class.

My mind had been heavy with thoughts about recent life events, but the film spirited me away for a few hours. That is filmmaking at its finest.

I don’t know whether Hollywood will ever introduce us to a character living with MASH, but I’d happily consult if that movie gets made.

Until then, I’ll be the woman near the back of the dark theater, eating overpriced boxed candy and trying to think about anything except my current state of affairs.

Note: Liver Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Liver Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to liver disease.