Review Of Psychological Disorders In 'As Good As It Gets'
A Review of Psychological Disorders in
As Good As It Gets
Patricia A.Chambers
Chattahoochee Technical College
A Review of Psychological Disorders in
As Good As It Gets
Hollywood film producers and authors of fictional novels destined for the big screen have often given their characters psychological disorders. Producers and writers seek ways to add depth to their characters’ personalities and give them something to struggle against during the course of the story. The average movie-goer does not necessarily have the knowledge to determine if the disorder displayed on the big screen is accurate. To understand the dilemma of the average movie watcher, this paper reviews As Good As It Gets (Mark, Sakai, Ziskin, Producers, 1997) in the context of Melvin Udall, the protagonist, who suffers from at least two psychological disorders. The film followed Melvin Udall, a romance novel author, who exhibits a score of odd behaviors. During one scene Melvin visits his psychologist who states the …show more content…
His behaviors are compulsive and are often triggered by anxiety. For instance, he compulsively locks his door and flips the light switch in groups of five. He washes using extremely hot water and several bars of soap per washing. These are typical compulsions for those with OCD and are notable as those attributed to evolution and natural selection. Other behaviors Melvin Udall exhibited include his preference for a particular table at a restaurant, his organizing of items by color and hyper-organized packing, and his refusal to step on the cracks of New York sidewalks. While Melvin’s behaviors seemed linked to anxiety, his OCD only manifested as compulsive behaviors. No evidence of obsessive thoughts was
As Good As It Gets
Patricia A.Chambers
Chattahoochee Technical College
A Review of Psychological Disorders in
As Good As It Gets
Hollywood film producers and authors of fictional novels destined for the big screen have often given their characters psychological disorders. Producers and writers seek ways to add depth to their characters’ personalities and give them something to struggle against during the course of the story. The average movie-goer does not necessarily have the knowledge to determine if the disorder displayed on the big screen is accurate. To understand the dilemma of the average movie watcher, this paper reviews As Good As It Gets (Mark, Sakai, Ziskin, Producers, 1997) in the context of Melvin Udall, the protagonist, who suffers from at least two psychological disorders. The film followed Melvin Udall, a romance novel author, who exhibits a score of odd behaviors. During one scene Melvin visits his psychologist who states the …show more content…
His behaviors are compulsive and are often triggered by anxiety. For instance, he compulsively locks his door and flips the light switch in groups of five. He washes using extremely hot water and several bars of soap per washing. These are typical compulsions for those with OCD and are notable as those attributed to evolution and natural selection. Other behaviors Melvin Udall exhibited include his preference for a particular table at a restaurant, his organizing of items by color and hyper-organized packing, and his refusal to step on the cracks of New York sidewalks. While Melvin’s behaviors seemed linked to anxiety, his OCD only manifested as compulsive behaviors. No evidence of obsessive thoughts was