12 Films To Watch During Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this disease continues to be a serious issue in the United States. According to the American Breast Cancer Association, 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. This past year there were almost 300,000 new cases of breast cancer and it is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. This whole month asks us to raise more awareness and to help raise funds for more research on this fatal disease.
12 Breast Cancer Awareness Films To Watch This Month
There are various ways to educate yourself and become more aware of the impact of breast cancer, such as reading, doing online research, or even conversing with friends and family. However, if you enjoy watching movies and documentaries to receive new information, below are 12 recommended documentaries and movies to check out during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
TIG (2015)
Image: Netflix
TIG is a documentary about breast cancer and the real-life events of Tig Notaro’s diagnosis. It follows the trials and struggles of Notaro’s life of breast cancer, while trying to get pregnant with her fiance, Stephanie Alynne. The film captures major life events boldly and transparently, which gives you a new understanding of what it is like being a woman, comedian, pregnant, and living with breast cancer all at the same time.
Where to Watch: Netflix or Hulu
RX Early Detection: A Cancer Journey With Sandra Lee (2018)
Image: HBO Max
RX Early Detection: A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee is a 40-minute, Emmy-award-winning film sharing the breast cancer diagnosis of famous chef, Sandra Lee. After scheduling her annual mammogram, her doctor later shared her detection of breast cancer. The film displays her courageous story of treatment and her experience with the cancer diagnosis affecting thousands of women every year.
Where to Watch: HBO Max
Miss You Already (2015)
Image: Amazon
Miss You Already is another can’t-miss movie to watch during Breast Cancer Awareness month. It tells the story of two friends, Milly and Jessica, played by Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore respectively, as one of them is diagnosed with breast cancer. They are childhood friends that have gone through practically everything together, including trying to beat breast cancer. In the movie, Milly must get a double mastectomy to prevent cancer from spreading. One can only imagine this procedure being a very emotional and enduring procedure for a woman. In addition to the physical and emotional struggles shown in the movie, Milly and Jessica display the strength and value of their "best-friendship" in very trying times. Miss You Already is a drama that shows the not-so-easy parts of friendship, the realistic and painful thoughts when fighting breast cancer, but also what you do for the people you love.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV
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Decoding Annie Parker (2013)
Image: IMDB
Decoding Annie Parker is a great mix of drama, science, sickness, love, and comedy. Depicting mostly true events, the movie shares the life of a breast cancer patient, played by actress, Samantha Morton, and a research scientist, played by award-winning Helen Hunt, with their process to discover an “almost” cure to cancer. The movie can have your emotions in for a ride, so this is a movie you want to watch at home, while snuggled up with a nice glass of red wine. The film also has an all-star cast, including Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad and Rashida Jones from Parks & Recreation.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Ma Ma (2015)
Image: Amazon
Ma Ma is a Spanish film, released in 2015, starring and produced by Penelope Cruz, which made its debut at the famous Cannes Film Festival. Cruz is also the protagonist, Magda, who is diagnosed with breast cancer. The film highlights her struggle with the disease, including being an unemployed school teacher in Spain, being in the middle of a love triangle, and raising a 10-year-old son. It is described as an “intimate and emotionally intense drama” worth taking the time to watch. The movie gives a unique cinematographic perspective of a breast cancer battle and, although she is dying, her day-to-day routine eventually becomes more full of life. Ma Ma was also nominated for multiple awards, including Best Actress and Best Original Soundtrack.
Where to Watch: FlixLatino, available on Amazon Prime Video
Five (2011)
Image: Amazon
Five is a mini-series of five different breast cancer stories, directed by Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston, with a notable cast. Throughout the anthology, you’ll see Rosaria Dawson, Tracey Ellis Ross, Ginnifer Goodwin, and many more. As a set of five short films, Five is something that you can spread throughout October. In regards to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it helps the viewer to understand the dynamics and complexities of living with this life-threatening disease. One might say it is more lighthearted to watch in comparison to the others on this list, but when learning about something new, it’s always important to see from various perspectives. Five also received over 25 Emmy nominations including, Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Casting for a Mini-series.
Where to Watch: Available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video
Life Interrupted (2017)
Image: Amazon
Life Interrupted is a documentary sharing real breast cancer stories from women of various ages and backgrounds. It is intimate look into how each woman goes through this life-altering process. The film includes the stories of women as young as 27 to 68-year old women with various ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. It shines a bright, beautiful light on the strength and grace of women battling a fatal disease. If documentaries are more your cup of tea, Life Interrupted is a surefire recommendation. It came out in theaters in 2017 and, to this day, receives raving reviews for its authentic accounts of raw, breast cancer stories.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Sign up: 30 Day Free Trial Amazon Prime Video
Mondays At Racine (2012)
Image: IMDB
Mondays at Racine is a short breast cancer documentary that shares the story of two sisters who have opened up their Long Island hair salon to help the fight against this serious cancer, offering free haircuts, makeup services, manicures, and pedicures to breast cancer patients. Their goal is to help women feel some sense of normalcy and remind them of their beauty and strength. The film highlights the stories of the various women, filmed through the lens of the organic storytelling that only comes when sitting in a salon chair—a little vulnerable, a little sassy, but very authentic.
Where to Watch: HBO Max
Family Stone (2005)
Image: Amazon
Family Stone is a holiday film released in 2005 with an all-star cast including: Diane Keaton, Dylan McDermott, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rachel McAdams. So, why is it on this list? Without giving too much away, it shows how the mother and kind-hearted matriarch, played by Diane Keaton, decides to handle her breast cancer battle in secret. Keep in mind, she is not the protagonist of the film, but Keaton remains positive, leading, and loving, while her children go through their issues during the holidays. The film displays family dysfunction during Christmas in a comedic, yet heartwarming way. As we get deeper into fall and closer to winter, this is a good movie to consider watching and understand a different thought process when battling breast cancer.
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video
1 A Minute (2010)
Image: IMDB
“Every 3 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.” These are two statistics from this celebrity-packed documentary sharing various breast cancer journeys. It is directed by Numrata Singh Gujral and includes features from Oliva Newton-John, the Baldwin brothers, Jaclyn Smith, and select celebrities who have survived—or been closely affected by—breast cancer as they share their stories. The film also discusses research and statistics about breast cancers and other cancers that affect women. The documentary is a call to action to understand the impact of cancer as a universal disease.
Where to Watch: Stream for free on TubiTV, Amazon Prime Video (rent or purchase), YouTube, or iTunes
The Long Goodbye: The Kara Tippetts Story (2019)
Image: Amazon
The Long Goodbye: The Kara Tippett’s Story is another highly rated and reviewed documentary. Kara Tippett shares the complete story of her breast cancer journey where she finds the light in dying and suffering. The documentary shares a more spiritual outlook and what gave her peace, while showing the ins and outs of her daily life with stage-four cancer, how her husband and children experienced it with her, and how she found grace while living through this hardship. Reviews share that, “it is a heart-wrenching documentary that must be watched.”
Where to Watch: Stream free on YouTube, available for purchase on Amazon
Cristina (2016)
Image: Cristina
Cristina is a short documentary, released in 2016, following the breast cancer journey of 37-year old Cristina. It is an intimate breast cancer story, giving you an in-depth view of how cancer impacted Cristina's life from her point of view, as well as how it impacted the ones close to her. It begins with her original diagnosis, her chemotherapy treatment, and how she tries to continue living her life to the fullest while fighting for her life. Her fight to be positive and her passion for everyday life throughout her breast cancer journey is humbling to see during the short film.
Where to Watch: Kanopy
Research and Donate For Breast Cancer Awareness
If you’d like to do more research on breast cancer and donate, please check out the following links for more information.
Breastcancer.org
Breascancer.org helps readers find more information about symptoms, treatment, and day-to-day matters. Donating to Breastcancer.org funds more research and spreading awareness.
Susan G Komen Foundation
The Susan G Komen Foundation was founded in 1982 and is the largest breast cancer organization in the United States. Donating to the Susan G Komen Foundation assists research, education, screening, treatment, and helps create equal access to health care for those battling breast cancer.
National Breast Cancer Foundation
Founded in 1991, the National Breast Cancer Foundation is a leading provider of breast cancer information and assisting patients with early detection. Donating to the National Breast Cancer Foundation helps fund early detection programs, free mammograms, and financial aid for those in need.
