“As Good As It Gets” Film Essay

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 discernment 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 predicament 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 play novel author, who exhibits a score of odd behaviors. During one scene Melvin visits his psychologist who states the authors diagnoses as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, Melvin also seems to struggle with the more distressful antisocial temperament disorder, prev iously known as egotistic personality disorder.David Myers (2014) defined obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as an anxiety disorder characterized by cast-off(prenominal) repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and actions (compulsions), or both. The character, Melvin Udall, certainly exhibits OCD traits. 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. otherwise behaviors Melvin Udall exhibited include his taste sensation 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 Melvins behaviors seemed connect to anxiety, his OCD only if manifested as compulsive behaviors. No e vidence of obsessive thoughts was dramatized.Melvin struggled against an undiagnosed antisocial personality disorder throughout the movie as well. Melvins narcissistic tendencies manifested in his egotistical actions and his inability to show interest in anothers point of view. This often led to verbally abusive behavior. Where do they study you to talk like this? In some Panama City Sailor wanna hump-hump bar, or is it getaway day and your last shot at his whiskey? cheat crazy someplace else, were all stocked up here. Melvin Udall, As Good As It Gets Myers (2014) described a person suffering from antisocial personality disorder as generally a man who exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members.Melvin greets each person he interacts with his own sterotyped beliefs regarding their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference and so forth. Nothing he says is considered culturally acceptable. He often hurts the feelings of those he interacts wi th and is not the least bit affected by the knowledge. At times he seems to know hurting someones feelings by his words and actions is wrong, but does not understand why what he said was improper. He has trouble understanding, for example, why his love interest Carol Connelly is offended when he refers to her carefully selected dress as a house dress. At other times, he only seeks others out for what they can do for him, but are un ordaining to reciprocate any sort of friendship. This is the case when he asks his publicist for a personal estimation from her husband to treat Carols sick child, but this is unwilling to listen or even pretend to be interested in a story about her own son.The movie, albeit entertaining, is a poor substitute for education on psychological disorders. Because the only disorder mentioned is OCD, the viewer may be go forth with the impression that the antisocial behaviors, symptoms of a personality disorder, are a product of theobsessive-compulsive disorde r, an anxiety disorder. Melvins behaviors begin to normalize toward the end of the movie as he makes closer attachments with several other characters. This may falsely imply to the movie-goer that his psychological disorders are easily treatable or curable. People with mental illnesses suffer from a stigma from the greater community. Unfortunately, this movie perpetuates the dangerous notion that mental illness is something one can take a stance against and overcome through will and action. Mental illness, just like an illness of the body, requires medical intervention.ReferencesMark, L., Sakai, R., Ziskin, L. (Producers), & Brooks, J. L. (Director). (1997) As Good As It GetsMotion Picture. United States Tristar Pictures.Myers, D. G. (2014). Exploring Psychology. New York, NY Worth Publishers