Introduction The succeeding paper discusses the family dynamics and interpersonal relationships present in the movie Stepmom. Initially, we will overlay the movie’s characters and basic story line. Following this overview, the writings will delve deeper into the environment, beliefs, and conflicts that shape the Harrison family. This paper will allow readers a depiction of the Harrison family and provide an evaluation of their level of development.
Movie Setting and Story The movie Stepmom is focused on the story of divorced parents Luke and Jackie Harrison and their two children Anna and Ben, and their integration of the father’s new girlfriend Isabel soon turned fiancé. The story then becomes complicated by Jackie’s new diagnosis of cancer …show more content…
I believe the entire family clearly communicates their needs and their feelings. When Anna and Isabel begin their rocky relationship, Anna makes it clear to both Isabel and her mother she feels discontent. Anna tells her mother, “I hate her”. As well when Anna begins to accept Isabel’s positive attributes she expresses this to her mother Jackie. They can also be seen qualifying previous speech often. While those are good points, the family does not always encourage proper feedback. Jackie does not take criticism from Luke or Isabel well regarding her attitude toward Isabel. However, another functional communication process the family possess is the ability to share emotions. An example of this is Jackie expressing how much she loves her children. Although, there was a delay in her including her family in her diagnosis and sharing her emotions regarding her impending death. A final look at communication processes of the Harrison family does show some additional dysfunctional processes. Jackie, Anna, and Isabel are often guilty of being a dysfunctional sender of communication. Jackie can be very judgmental in her responses in regards to Isabel, and she fails to see her positive attributes. Similarly, Anna and Isabel have been known to insult each other. Anna has told Isabel that she smells similar to a dog, and Isabel has called Anna a …show more content…
The Harrison family may not always exhibit these attributes, but overall, they model them well. Luke says to Jackie, “The kids will be okay if we are okay.” They understand that they are forever parents together and attempt to show kindness and friendship to each other in front of the children. Another function of the Beavers System Model is goal directed negotiations which means, “Consistently demonstrate high degrees of capable & efficient negotiation skills in dealing with their problems.” NOTES After watching Stepmom, I cannot attribute these skills to the Harrison family. Rather than consistently negotiating, they yell and place ultimatums. Isabel lost Ben in Central Park, and Jackie initiated a screaming match in a police station and threatened to hire an attorney. Next is the concept of mythology. The Harrison family is congruent with this concept. They know how they fit together as a family. However, initially in the movie Anna told some mistruths about the family’s future. She told people at school her parents were remarrying, and they were moving to Switzerland. After some discussion, the family moved past this and developed and central and truthful mythology. Moving along, the Beavers System Model describes autonomy as clear expression, acceptance of responsibility, and function and trust (NOTES). I believe autonomy is demonstrated
Movie Setting and Story The movie Stepmom is focused on the story of divorced parents Luke and Jackie Harrison and their two children Anna and Ben, and their integration of the father’s new girlfriend Isabel soon turned fiancé. The story then becomes complicated by Jackie’s new diagnosis of cancer …show more content…
I believe the entire family clearly communicates their needs and their feelings. When Anna and Isabel begin their rocky relationship, Anna makes it clear to both Isabel and her mother she feels discontent. Anna tells her mother, “I hate her”. As well when Anna begins to accept Isabel’s positive attributes she expresses this to her mother Jackie. They can also be seen qualifying previous speech often. While those are good points, the family does not always encourage proper feedback. Jackie does not take criticism from Luke or Isabel well regarding her attitude toward Isabel. However, another functional communication process the family possess is the ability to share emotions. An example of this is Jackie expressing how much she loves her children. Although, there was a delay in her including her family in her diagnosis and sharing her emotions regarding her impending death. A final look at communication processes of the Harrison family does show some additional dysfunctional processes. Jackie, Anna, and Isabel are often guilty of being a dysfunctional sender of communication. Jackie can be very judgmental in her responses in regards to Isabel, and she fails to see her positive attributes. Similarly, Anna and Isabel have been known to insult each other. Anna has told Isabel that she smells similar to a dog, and Isabel has called Anna a …show more content…
The Harrison family may not always exhibit these attributes, but overall, they model them well. Luke says to Jackie, “The kids will be okay if we are okay.” They understand that they are forever parents together and attempt to show kindness and friendship to each other in front of the children. Another function of the Beavers System Model is goal directed negotiations which means, “Consistently demonstrate high degrees of capable & efficient negotiation skills in dealing with their problems.” NOTES After watching Stepmom, I cannot attribute these skills to the Harrison family. Rather than consistently negotiating, they yell and place ultimatums. Isabel lost Ben in Central Park, and Jackie initiated a screaming match in a police station and threatened to hire an attorney. Next is the concept of mythology. The Harrison family is congruent with this concept. They know how they fit together as a family. However, initially in the movie Anna told some mistruths about the family’s future. She told people at school her parents were remarrying, and they were moving to Switzerland. After some discussion, the family moved past this and developed and central and truthful mythology. Moving along, the Beavers System Model describes autonomy as clear expression, acceptance of responsibility, and function and trust (NOTES). I believe autonomy is demonstrated