Mental Disorders In The Film Dr. Leo Marvin

This paper is written as a requirement for PSYC 410. The assignment is to view a film on the subject and write summary on how it portrays mental disorders and human abnormality.

In this film Dr Leo Marvin is a successful psychiatrist who has just had his first book published. Good Morning America decides to film a live interview of Dr. Marvin. They choose the setting of his vacation home in New Hampshire during his Labor Day retreat with his family. Shortly before Dr. Marvin heads off for the holiday he receives a phone call from another Doctor, who is visibly rustled, that requests that he takes on one of his patients. Leo agrees to take on a patient from this other doctor. Meeting with the patient , Bob Wiley, begins an odd relationship.
This film focuses on how Bob 's life is a complete wreck and how he disrupts the life of his new psychiatrist and his family. Leo begins the interview with a greeting followed by a silent inquisitive glare. Bob immediately begins asking himself the questions that we would expect Leo to. Right away Bob answers himself almost instantly in a rehearsed fashion. During this display Bob display actions that contradict his diagnoses. One example of this happens during his rundown of phobias; Bob deliberately falls from his chair and grabs the desk without using his protective handkerchief. He is described in the film as being a multi-phobic individual with separation anxiety, and a fixation with the concept of family. This interview scene between Bob and Leo introduces us to their characters and establishes the strain Bob places on Leo. This strain, inevitably, reveals traits that Leo 's character exhibits are the real cause for
The unannounced arrival of Bob put Leo in an incredibly bad position for many reasons. Social interaction with a patient outside appointments raises many ethical questions about the treatment and its effectiveness. Also Bob 's arrival shows an overwhelming concern about the stability of his mental state. At this point in the film is where Leo begins to loose control and struggle with his anger. When he first encounters Bob he makes a failed attempt to exit without being noticed and is forced to deal with this situation. Leo becomes noticeably nervous, but stays cool to handle the crisis. Throughout this film Leo is continually dealing with this dilemma incorrectly; causing him to a display of abnormal behavior that puts everyone in