In the film, “Ordinary People,” the Jarrett family suffers from several problems due to a fatal accident in which they lose their older son, Buck. The death of Buck causes several problems in their relationships, turning them into a highly dysfunctional family that constantly struggles to get along. Throughout the film, Beth, Calvin and Conrad engage in acts of “silence or violence,” barely attempting to address most of their problems, which could have been fixed using conflict management skills. Beth, the mother, and Conrad, the younger son, have struggled to communicate to each other ever since the accident, while Calvin, the father, seems to be in the middle, trying to put their family back together.
Conrad, who was there during the boating …show more content…
In some cases, Calvin seems to be trying to act as the mediator between the two, but most times they just start fighting and ignore his suggestions. For example, the scene where Calvin is trying to get them together to take a nice picture ends in Conrad getting frustrated and yelling at his father, making everything awkward between the family. Although for the most part Calvin treats both with respect and is understanding, he does have a few episodes where he acts out in “violence.” Towards the end of the film, Beth finds Calvin sitting at the kitchen table crying, and when she asks him what is wrong, he starts to explain, playing the “helpless” story. He labels her, saying things like “You can’t handle mess...,” “You can’t love anybody...,” “I don’t know who you are anymore…” etc. This ends in Beth walking away, not saying a word, and leaving to live somewhere else until she feels ready to sort out their problems. Calvin could have better attempted to mend their problems by asking himself if he is also willing to work on their relationship, and not just making it seem like it is entirely her fault. Also, he first needed to create emotional safety, then use AMPP to talk out their communication problems, and use STATE to better express their emotions. They could then create mutual purpose, or working toward a common goal and considering each other’s interests and
Conrad, who was there during the boating …show more content…
In some cases, Calvin seems to be trying to act as the mediator between the two, but most times they just start fighting and ignore his suggestions. For example, the scene where Calvin is trying to get them together to take a nice picture ends in Conrad getting frustrated and yelling at his father, making everything awkward between the family. Although for the most part Calvin treats both with respect and is understanding, he does have a few episodes where he acts out in “violence.” Towards the end of the film, Beth finds Calvin sitting at the kitchen table crying, and when she asks him what is wrong, he starts to explain, playing the “helpless” story. He labels her, saying things like “You can’t handle mess...,” “You can’t love anybody...,” “I don’t know who you are anymore…” etc. This ends in Beth walking away, not saying a word, and leaving to live somewhere else until she feels ready to sort out their problems. Calvin could have better attempted to mend their problems by asking himself if he is also willing to work on their relationship, and not just making it seem like it is entirely her fault. Also, he first needed to create emotional safety, then use AMPP to talk out their communication problems, and use STATE to better express their emotions. They could then create mutual purpose, or working toward a common goal and considering each other’s interests and