7. The Fisher King (1991)
Cynical, arrogant radio host - Jack Lucas - feels suicidally depressed after some on air remarks he made contributed to a mass shooting in a bar. Three years later he is drunk and tries to kill himself. Before he can commit the act, a bunch of thugs think he is a homeless man and nearly set fire to him. He is rescued by Parry - a deluded homeless man who is on the quest for the Holy Grail. With nothing better to do Jack joins him. Especially when he finds out Parry's madness was caused by witnessing the killing of his wife in the mass shooting he feels responsible for. Parry is tormented by an hallucinatory Red Knight who plagues him when he shows any confidence, plus he had been in a catatonic state for a few years after his wife died. Jack wants to help Parry find love and sets him up with Lydia, a shy accountant. They fall in love but Parry suffers from hallucinations and when trying to get away from them, he is sent upon by the same bunch of thugs who tried to beat up Jack. Parry goes catatonic again. Jack gets a trophy which serves as The Holy Grail for Parry and he comes out of his catatonic state. All ends well. Director Terry Gilliam does a fantastic job of evoking Parry's hallucinations. They are awesome and terrifying. Parry's quest to find the Holy Grail is not an unthinkable scenario for a schizophrenic to enact, especially if they are having grandiose delusions. Catatonia is another nasty symptom of schizophrenia and it tends to lead to a very negative outcome. Robin Williams does a good job with his portrayal of Parry - his cooky comic side meshes well with his serious dramatic side - to produce a man who is eccentric on one level and deeply disturbed on another level. Jeff Bridges does some fantastic acting as Jack Lucas, who through helping Parry, finds some redemption and resolution of his own mental demons.