Lean on Me: Support Groups in Movies

We all need someone to lean on… or a shoulder to cry on, or someone to pass the tissue. Take a sympathetic look at support groups in the movies.

Renee Zellweger hosts a support group for divorced women who have lost their faith in men… until Tom Cruise enters and tells Renee that she “completes” him.

Sigourney Weaver leads the Surrogate Support Group, which helps an impatient Tina Fey learn to deal with her annoying “baby mama” friend, Amy Poehler.

It’s hard to form a meaningful relationship with someone, especially when you're struggling with sex addiction.

At Bad-Anon, video game baddies own their antagonist roles by reciting a mantra at every meeting: "I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me."

When Dr. Evil attends a support group, he shares, “My childhood was typical, summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets.” Sometimes it is possible to overshare.

What’s more alarming, having to attend a support group to witness other people’s suffering, or being hugged by a sweaty Meatloaf?

In an attempt to meet potential dates, Hugh Grant attends a SPAT (Single Parents Alone Together) support group.

Fighting, swearing, screaming... the hospital’s therapy group, run by Nurse Ratched, is anything but supportive.

Robin Williams may be just a member of the hospital support group, but you know with his out-there personality, he’s going to take charge and lead… to the dismay of the humorless, impatient doctor.

Don Cheadle plays a doctor in charge of running a therapy group for teens in a mental institution, including a baby-faced Joseph Gorden-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.

Vince Vaughn attends Brothers Anonymous, a support group for brothers of famous people, including Stephen Baldwin, Frank Stallone and Roger Clinton.

Isla Fisher stars in this movie based on the hugely successful book series by Sophie Kinsella. But in her shopaholic support group, the only thing she succeeds at is riling up the other members into a desire-to-shop frenzy.

A poofy-haired, fringed jacket-clad Will Farrell attends a support group for sex addiction therapy… and finds himself lusting after other members of the group.

In this therapy group, the Fury Fighters raise their voices, swear and verbally attack each other.

Okay, so technically it’s detention, not group therapy, but when the Brat Packers sit around and confess their feelings… they give each other total support.