Christine

2016's "Christine" by Antonio Campos.
Starring Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, and Tracy Letts.

"Christine" is the true story about the Sarasota reporter Christine Chubbuck, who committed suicide live during a news broadcast in 1974. Chubbuck seemed to struggle with her mental health, coping with at least depression and suicidal ideation, and what may been un-diagnosable (for the time) bi-polar disorder. Before taking her life, Chubbuck openly resisted the news industry's shifting standards that were leading towards the ethos of, "if it bleeds- it leads".

Screenwriter Craig Shilowich does a masterful job of crafting a biopic where the protagonist continually pushes and pulls against her natural supports, occasional good fortune, and hard earned rewards. A lesser film would have had a lot more trouble creating a portrayal of a sympathetic and wounded individual who liked to keep people at arm's length.

Rebecca Hall is spectacular as Chubbuck, continually walking a tightrope of being both competent and driven while insecure and manic, at times soft but unable to be open and vulnerable. The supporting cast is also wonderful, with their characters occasionally seeing the signs, trying to support Christine, and being helpless to stop fate. It's likely not just a coincidence that Chubbuck's fate coalesced around the same time that 1976's "Network" came out, as the news at least used to be a great opportunity to keep up on current events and political ebbs and flows. Nowadays... yikes.

"Christine" is a memorable time capsule charting the eventual turn of the news tide, from community based work covering the news ideological spectrum, to the sensationalist and bipartisan Breitbart and Fox News of today.  More importantly, it’s a great example of how it takes a mentally unwell person to show us just how crazy we are.



4/5

Trailer: Click Here.