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The Coddling of the American Mind

Play trailer 2:09 Poster for The Coddling of the American Mind 2024 1h 33m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 6 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
In 2012, anxiety, depression, and suicide rates among young adults began to rise dramatically, and nobody knew why. THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND, based on The New York Times bestselling book by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, explores the Gen Z mental health crisis through the intertwined stories of five remarkable 20-somethings, including Kimi, a Ugandan immigrant, and Lucy, a former psych ward patient struggling with various mental health challenges. As they enter college, their bright futures are soon overshadowed by fear and despair. They're full of promise as they enter college, but the teens quickly succumb to paranoia and misery. Lucy is convinced people want to kill her simply because she's autistic. Kimi is on the brink of homelessness. From filmmakers Ted Balaker and Courtney Moorehead Balaker (LITTLE PINK HOUSE, CAN WE TAKE A JOKE?), THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND explores a global mental-health crisis that threatens an entire generation.

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The Coddling of the American Mind

Critics Reviews

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Linda Cook OurQuadCities / WHBF-TV (Illinois) Jan 21
3 stars
Regardless of where you stand, this thought-provoking film is worth seeing. Go to Full Review Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Dec 3
87/100
There's empathy here, even if yoked to a polemic... The film prods us to ask uncomfortable questions about resilience, about whether we are, in our zeal to protect, leaving young people less prepared for life's inevitable abrasions. Go to Full Review Christian Toto HollywoodInToto.com Aug 13
3.5/4
College students detail behind-the-scenes DEI indoctrination, recovery in blistering documentary. Go to Full Review Tara McNamara Common Sense Media 04/30/2025
The film's overall suggestion is that we relax and look at the intent in others' comments, yet this may very well be an example in which the intent was positive. Go to Full Review Ethan Padgett Film Threat 04/08/2025
10/10
The Coddling of the American Mind is a self-reflective humanist piece while shaping a brighter future for the next generation of Americans. Go to Full Review Stephen Silver The SS Ben Hecht 11/08/2024
These people have a point about some things, but the backlash has been much stronger than the original movement, and the film ultimately amounts to a jeremaid against a political tendency that’s already fallen out of favor. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ruth G @RT07851388 11/12/2024 Our family attended a live screening of The Coddling of the American Mind put on by our local university. The film was followed by a refreshingly open discussion, which was neither critical nor fawning, and left viewers expressing a sense of hope that people from across the political spectrum can find common ground. This documentary is a must see if you have teenagers or college-aged kids and opens a pathway for healthy, heterodox, and honest discussion! See more Read all reviews
The Coddling of the American Mind

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Cast & Crew

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Ted Balaker

Director

Jonathan Haidt

Self

Greg Lukianoff

Self

Ted Balaker

Writer

Ted Balaker

Producer

Courtney Balaker

Producer
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The Coddling of the American Mind

The Coddling of the American Mind: Trailer 1 The Coddling of the American Mind: Trailer 1 2:09 View more videos
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The Coddling of the American Mind

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 2012, anxiety, depression, and suicide rates among young adults began to rise dramatically, and nobody knew why. THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND, based on The New York Times bestselling book by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, explores the Gen Z mental health crisis through the intertwined stories of five remarkable 20-somethings, including Kimi, a Ugandan immigrant, and Lucy, a former psych ward patient struggling with various mental health challenges. As they enter college, their bright futures are soon overshadowed by fear and despair. They're full of promise as they enter college, but the teens quickly succumb to paranoia and misery. Lucy is convinced people want to kill her simply because she's autistic. Kimi is on the brink of homelessness. From filmmakers Ted Balaker and Courtney Moorehead Balaker (LITTLE PINK HOUSE, CAN WE TAKE A JOKE?), THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND explores a global mental-health crisis that threatens an entire generation.
Director
Ted Balaker
Producer
Ted Balaker, Courtney Balaker
Screenwriter
Ted Balaker
Distributor
Korchula Productions
Production Co
Korchula Productions
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 17, 2024
Runtime
1h 33m