Drama
United States of America
The Korean veteran in question is named Emmett Foley, played by actor Gary Oldman. After returning from the war, Foley suffers from severe PTSD, which leads to a violent outburst that sees him hospitalized. However, when he is admitted to Chattahoochee, a state-run mental hospital, he soon discovers that the facility is more of a prison than a place of care.
Patients at Chattahoochee are routinely subjected to horrific abuse, including physical and emotional torture. Foley, along with another patient (played by Dennis Hopper), decides to take action and expose the atrocities being committed at the facility.
The film is based on true events that occurred at the Chattahoochee State Mental Hospital in Florida during the 1950s and 1960s. It sheds light on the harsh realities of mental healthcare in the mid-twentieth century, and the struggle some patients faced to receive basic human rights and dignity.
Chattahoochee was released in 1989 and received mixed reviews, with praise for Oldman's performance but criticism for the film's pacing and lack of focus. Despite this, it remains an important portrayal of the history of mental health treatment in America and the fight for patient rights.
