Anne Taylor Robertson Blog 4: The Jacket

The 2005 film The Jacket starring Adrien Brody and Keira Knightley is the story of a Gulf War veteran who continually finds himself in mortifying experiences. Jack Starks keeps “dying”. Through a bunch of terrible situations where he is wrongly blamed for crime, Starks ends up in an insane asylum. Unfortunately, he also happens to be treated by a heartless doctor who is testing out a new treatment system, involving hallucinogenic drugs, a straight jacket and a body drawer of a morgue. Starks, not insane, understands what is going on and not only has to escape, but has to fight to get the other doctors and people he meets to believe him. The only problem is that he has forgotten his own story. The film drags viewers through a multitude of tragedies, but these ultimately lead to Starks’ full understanding of his circumstances, his escape, his reconciliation with the doctors and his experiences helping others. Unknowingly, he leads a very self-sacrifical life. His life ends up setting other families and individuals free from dangerous, hurtful lifestyles. I’m not a fan of psychological thrillers and this movie also had elements of violence, but it redeemed itself at the end when it indicated that Starks’ life was not in vain. It also had elements of self-sacrifice and learning that reminded me of Groundhog Day.