On Golden Pond, Stepmom, And Educating Rita

Families in Film: The Beginning The English author, Dodie Smith once said, “the family – that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to” (Goodreads, 2017). Smith illustrates a significant picture: a family is an octopus which an individual will never really be let go of. While individuals believe they have cut ties with their family, their family members, experiences, relationships, and overall dynamics will forever touch them. Within the family tentacles, families are unique with their own systems, structures, hierarchies, bonds, alliances, and so forth. Throughout the films, On Golden Pond, Stepmom, and Educating Rita, the families present similar and contrasting functioning amongst the family members. The Spectrum: Differentiation of Self Ultimately, Murray Bowen defines the differentiation of self as an individual’s ability to separate emotions and thoughts as well as the skill to “think and reflect” versus impulsively emotionally responding to a pressure (Nichols, 2014, p. 19, 71). On the other side of the spectrum, this is where a person may be undifferentiated or enmeshed …show more content…
Bowen claims how differentiated individuals have the ability to decide what they believe, and then act on those beliefs” (Nichols, 2014, p.71). In the beginning of the film, Frank questions Rita why she “suddenly [decided]” to pursue getting a college education and Rita responds, “It’s not sudden. I’ve been realizing for ages that I’m out of step” (Gilbert, 1983). This response demonstrates that the decision to go back to school was not an emotional or rash decision in response to the family’s views. Overall, whether an individual believes they are separated from their family, their family always plays a factor in whether differentiation of self is