The Daily Dig: Shattered Mind (1996)

“Shattered Mind” explores mental illness with creative cinematography, but could have been more impactful with more money for production.

A woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder struggles mentally when her father dies and threatens herself and her family. Let’s dig into 1996’s SHATTERED MIND, directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal!

As I See It

Alternatively released as The Terror Inside, it may seem like a stretch to call this a horror film, but “thriller” firmly describes this made-for-TV exposé on mental health.

Suzy (Heather Locklear) has Dissociative Identity Disorder, which used to be called split personality disorder. Her father, a doctor, passes away, and Suzy’s mental health plummets. She goes from a homely mother to a prostitute in the literal blink of an eye. Although the acting evokes the Soap Operas your mom used to watch, the whole production is commendable. There are many more positive attributes than cheesecore moments.

The cinematography, especially, is very clever. The direction of the camera movements makes it seem like someone else is there, just out of the peripheral vision, which is effective. Really well done.

We explore mental illness metastasized by grief and PTSD through the big draw: Heather Locklear. They severely tone down her biggest draw: her looks. Dressing her like a stereotypical Librarian is a ballsy move and one that deserves praise. Should she have won an Oscar for this dramatic performance? No, but you have to respect the bravado.

Inevitably, there isn’t enough to be interesting beyond the psychodrama.

P.S. Did you know that Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal’s father is a director? Now you do!

Famous Faces

Heather Locklear (Suzy) made her name as Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place—a title that is impossible to ignore from the zeitgeist of the early 1990s. For me, her appearance in the brilliant and underappreciated Chris Tucker/Charlie Sheen comedy Money Talks, as well as Abby Arcane in The Return of Swamp Thing, means more. The winner has to be her cameo in Wayne’s World 2. “Heather be thy name!”

Brett Cullen (Sean) doesn’t have many genre films on his resume, but you’ll recognize him from a slew of movies and TV shows. The one that sticks out for me is Prehysteria, the direct-to-video kids’ film from Charles Band that had dinosaur eggs hatch in suburbia. It may not hold up, but it has a deep, nostalgic impact.

Alexa PenaVega (Rosie) starred as Carmen Cortez, one of the two leads, in Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids franchise.

Kevin Dunn (Eric Silver) is a very recognizable and gifted character actor. The scene that jumps out to me the second I see him is him explaining, correctly, within the mythology of the film, how the world was going to end at the beginning of Ghostbusters 2 on Peter Venkman’s (Bill Murray) paranormal talk show. He was great on the HBO hit series Veep, and has a slew of top-notch credits from comedies to thrillers.

Maggie Gyllenhaal (Clothes Clerk) has the briefest of cameos in a film directed by her father. She is, of course, Jake’s sister and a star in her own right. Donnie Darko and The Dark Knight (Rachel) stick out.

Of Gratuitous Nature

A made-for-TV movie with a sub-character that is a “hooker” could only go so far.

Heartthrob

I’m supposed to say Heather Locklear, right? There, I said it.

Ripe for a Remake

Mental illness always has a place in horror. We know how to talk about the hard things. Sometimes we just have to include a bunch of blood and gore. I wouldn’t say a shot-for-shot remake is in order, but a story in the same spirit is always appropriate, and frequently used.

Spawns

No progeny to report.

Where to Watch

You can find the full movie on YouTube or stream it on The Roku Channel.