Clinical disorders are defined in class as “behavior that leads to distress, disability, or an increased risk of death, pain, or loss of freedom.” In the film Good Will Hunting, both the protagonist, Will Hunting, and his therapist Sean can be characterized as having clinical psychological disorders. Will is a mathematical genius who hides his true emotions throughout most of the film, suffering from a disorder stemming from his upbringing -- and Sean is a character who is has been battling depression for a number of years, ever since his wife passed away from cancer.
At some point during the second half of the film, Will sarcastically self diagnoses an attachment disorder and fear of abandonment, which Sean confirms as his own diagnosis of Will through his conversations with others in the film. This attachment disorder is exemplified most clearly through Will’s romantic relationship in the film. Due to his fear of being abandoned, Will breaks off his relationships before the other person has the chance to. This is exactly what he does with his girlfriend, Skylar, when she takes a big step in their relationship and he has to either commit or back out. However, given that the film Melancholia has a strong focus on depression, I will contrast the female lead Justine, who suffers from a depressive disorder, with Sean of Good Will Hunting. …show more content…
It does seem to be a film with at least a partial thematic emphasis on raising the tolerance and awareness of psychological disorders, which has even greater importance when extrapolated to our modern cultural context in which Robin Williams, the actor playing the role of Sean the psychologist/therapist and friend of Will Hunting, has committed suicide. He hung himself in August of 2014, with the suspected driving force being a form of dementia he had which is known to commonly cause
At some point during the second half of the film, Will sarcastically self diagnoses an attachment disorder and fear of abandonment, which Sean confirms as his own diagnosis of Will through his conversations with others in the film. This attachment disorder is exemplified most clearly through Will’s romantic relationship in the film. Due to his fear of being abandoned, Will breaks off his relationships before the other person has the chance to. This is exactly what he does with his girlfriend, Skylar, when she takes a big step in their relationship and he has to either commit or back out. However, given that the film Melancholia has a strong focus on depression, I will contrast the female lead Justine, who suffers from a depressive disorder, with Sean of Good Will Hunting. …show more content…
It does seem to be a film with at least a partial thematic emphasis on raising the tolerance and awareness of psychological disorders, which has even greater importance when extrapolated to our modern cultural context in which Robin Williams, the actor playing the role of Sean the psychologist/therapist and friend of Will Hunting, has committed suicide. He hung himself in August of 2014, with the suspected driving force being a form of dementia he had which is known to commonly cause