In this extra-long episode of Mental Illness in Pop Culture, we examine The Soloist, featuring Jamie Foxx as the titled character, Nathaniel Ayers, Jr., a homeless musical prodigy with severe mental illness, and Robert Downey, Jr. as Steve Lopez, the L.A. Times writer whose columns about Ayers formed the film’s basis. We find the film to be an authentic portrayal of mental illness, struggle with whether or not the movie is yet another cinematic example of the White Savior Complex, conclude the portrayal of relationship (or lack of) as the core of mental health consistent William Glasser’s Choice Theory, and discuss how power/privilege plays out in mental health treatment and being homeless. In a #momentofauthenticity, podcaster Leanne discloses her personal story as a homeless adolescent being cared for by a parent with severe mental illness at 1:20:43.

In this podcast series, we focus on pop culture portrayals of mental health issues and professional helping, believing that public perception is both reflected and influenced by popular media.