Psychological Analysis Of Kevin In The Movie Parenthood

In the film Parenthood the child that stands out to the most as having a diagnosable mental illness is Kevin, who is the oldest child of Gil and Karen Buckman. Though both their younger children exhibit behavior that may be seen as concerning (their daughter kissing all of the boys in her class, and their youngest son putting buckets on his head) their behavior is seemingly acute and with proper parental guidance will most likely dissipate as the children develop and get older. Kevin has long struggled in school and has frequent emotional overreactions as well as extreme sensitivity. Indicative of Kevin’s problems are his avoidance of confrontation during a birthday party and subsequent meltdown when he realizes he has lost his retainer. I would diagnose Kevin with an anxiety disorder and an intellectual delay because of the behavior exhibited and his difficulties in school.

Kevin problems in school are likely inherent and part of his nature, as well as his anxiety to a degree. Though his anxiety may partially be a natural state Kevin’s manifestation of his anxiety is most likely a learned behavior from his observations of his father. Though his father doesn’t directly state his …show more content…
Seeing as Kevin’s father Gil is a source of his anxiety as well as suffering from his own neurosis I think it would benefit the family as a whole if they regularly attended family therapy sessions. Although they are already a loving and supportive family it I important that they work together with a professional to find the most effective ways of supporting Kevin and work through issues of their own. In an academic setting Kevin would benefit greatly from receiving a more individualized approach of his education that is tailored to his learning style while also not isolating him from his peers