Film Analysis Questions
Created by Brooke J. Cannon, Ph.D.
For every film analysis, answer the following questions:
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What did you like about the film?
What did you dislike about the film?
Topic: Developmental
Questions for The Squid and the Whale
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Discuss the parenting style used by each parent.
Discuss the Identity Development Stage for the older son, Walt.
Discuss the boundaries between each parent and each of the children.
Discuss the self-differentiation of Walt, his father, and his mother. Give examples to support your interpretation.
Questions for The Breakfast Club
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Discuss the identity development of the Athlete. How does it differ from the Criminal’s?
Identify examples of the 6 elements of friendship (companionship, stimulation, physical support, ego support, social
comparison, and intimacy/affection) exhibited in the movie.
Questions for Rocket Science
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Discuss the Identity Development Stage for Hal. How does it differ from Ben’s (the former debate champion)?
What of the 6 elements of friendship were missing, if any, for Hal in his relationships (companionship, stimulation,
physical support, ego support, social comparison, intimacy and affection)?
Questions for Stand By Me
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Discuss the Identity Development Stage of Gordie. How does it differ from Chris’s?
Give examples of the 6 elements of friendship demonstrated in the movie (companionship, stimulation, physical
support, ego support, social comparison, intimacy and affection).
Questions for Thirteen
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Discuss the Identity Development Stage for Tracy. How does it differ from Evie’s?
Discuss the parenting style used by Melanie and Brooke (Evie’s guardian). How were they the same? How were they
different?
Questions for Thumbsucker
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Discuss the Identity Development Stage for Justin. How does it differ from Rebecca’s?
What of the 6 elements of friendship were missing, if any, for Justin in his relationships (companionship, stimulation,
physical support, ego support, social comparison, intimacy and affection)?
Topic: Social Psychology
Questions for Rashomon
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How do all 4 stories (Bandit, Wife, Husband, Woodcutter) share the same common theme? How does this relate to
self-stereotyping?
What do you think really happened? How/who killed the husband?
In the original story, there was no baby at the end. Why do you think Kurosawa added that scene?
Questions for 12 Angry Men
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Discuss 3 different levels of moral development exhibited in the movie.
Discuss examples of Informational Social Influence and Normative Social Influence in the movie. Identify characters
who had Private Acceptance and those who had Public Compliance.
What parallels are there between this movie and the Asch Experiment (judging line length)?
Questions for Beautiful People
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Discuss 3 different stereotypes in the movies and how these were contradicted. Include as one of them the selfstereotyping of Griffin Midge (the heroin user).
Discuss the various ways that prejudice affected decision making in the movie.
Give examples of how some of the characters’ biases were changed by the end of the film.
Questions for Crash
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Almost all characters were confronted with a moral dilemma. Discuss 3 examples.
Discuss the stereotypes of “Good Cop” and “Bad Cop” in the movie. How did the plot lead to cognitive dissonance in
the viewer?
Give examples of how some of the characters’ biases were changed by the end of the film.
Questions for Lifeboat
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Give examples of how prejudice affected their decision making.
What factors of Social Impact Theory contributed to throwing the German overboard?
Discuss the concepts of in group bias and outgroup homogeneity as portrayed in the movie. Give examples.
Questions for The Ox-Bow Incident
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Discuss 3 different levels of moral development exhibited in the movie.
Discuss examples of Informational Social Influence and Normative Social Influence in the movie. Identify characters
who had Private Acceptance and those who had Public Compliance.
What parallels are there between this movie and the Milgram Experiment (shocks)?
Topic: Personality Disorders
Question for The Caine Mutiny
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Discuss the personality traits of Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart). Give several specific examples of his behavior
which support your interpretations. Which personality disorder is most likely?
Question for Adaptation
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Discuss the personality traits of Charlie Kaufman (the main character). Give several specific examples of his behavior
which support your interpretations. Which personality disorder is most likely?
Question for All About Eve
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Discuss the personality traits of Eve. Give several specific examples of her behavior which support your
interpretations. Which personality disorder is most likely?
Question for Fatal Attraction
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Discuss the personality traits of Alex Forrest. Give several specific examples of her behavior which support your
interpretations. Which personality disorder is most likely?
Question for Sunset Boulevard
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Discuss the personality traits of Norma Desmond. Give several specific examples of her behavior which support your
interpretations. Which personality disorder is most likely?
Question for To Die For
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Discuss the personality traits of Suzanne Stone. Give several specific examples of her behavior which support your
interpretations. Which personality disorder is most likely?
Topic: Stress Disorders, Depression, and Search for Meaning
Question for all mood and anxiety disorder movies:
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Give at least 5 examples of film techniques used to set mood/give insight into the character’s mood state.
Questions for Fearless
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Identify the symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder exhibited by Max (Jeff Bridges). Give specific examples from the
movie.
Was Max really “fearless” or was he fighting against his fears? Support your opinion and specifically address the end
of the movie.
Questions for American Splendor
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Both Harvey and his wife, Joyce, have depressed moods. Compare and contrast their depressions. Would they both be
given the same diagnosis?
Apply the concept of Generativity vs. Stagnation to Harvey. What crises did he experience and were they resolved? If
so, how?
Questions for Little Miss Sunshine
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Dwayne and Frank are experiencing depression. Compare and contrast their depressions. Would they both be given
the same diagnosis?
What role did social support play for Dwayne (the mute son) and Frank (Steve Carrell)?
Questions for Ordinary People
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Compare Conrad and his mother in their recovery after loss: Rebuilt Self, No Meaning/No Growth, Minimal
Threat/Minimal Growth.
Was Conrad depressed? How do we know? Give specific examples of diagnostic symptoms.
Questions for The Hours
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All 3 women in the movie are experiencing depression. Pick 2 and compare and contrast their depressions. Would
they both be given the same diagnosis?
Why did Richard commit suicide (fall out the window)? Consider both external and internal forces.
Questions for The Weather Man
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David (Nicholas Cage) seemed depressed. Do you think this is major depression or dysthymia, or neither?
David is in the Generativity vs. Stagnation stage of identity development. Discuss his identity crisis and whether or not
it was resolved.
Topic: Psychotic Disorders
Questions for A Beautiful Mind, Canvas, Shine, Revolution #9, and Clean, Shaven
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Discuss the presence of positive and negative symptoms. What type of schizophrenia do you think the character had?
Discuss how the symptoms of schizophrenia were presented. What film methods were used to show psychosis?
What do you think of the movie’s portrayal of schizophrenia? Did it seem accurate? Did it perpetuate stigma
associated with schizophrenia?
Topic: Dissociative Disorders
Question for two assigned dissociative disorder movies:
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Compare the portrayals of mental illness in these films. Positive? Stigmatizing? Accurate?
Question for Sybil
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What did Dr. Wilbur’s mentor mean when she said, ““Be careful – don’t fall in love with her illness, or she could be
obligated to seem just more complex than she is?”
Question for Me, Myself, and Irene
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How consistent was this portrayal with the discussion in the lecture notes (assuming that the diagnosis should be
Dissociative Identity Disorder, not the type of schizophrenia mentioned in the movie)? In particular, discuss the onset
and resolution of his dissociation.
Question for Nurse Betty
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What diagnosis should be given Betty? Was the portrayal consistent with the descriptions of this disorder in the
lecture notes?
Question for Primal Fear
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How consistent was the portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder in this movie with the discussion in the lecture
notes? What should have been Roy’s diagnosis?
Question for The Snake Pit
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What type of dissociative disorder did Virginia have? Was its portrayal accurate, as compared to the lecture notes?
Question for Three Faces of Eve
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How consistent was this portrayal with the discussion in the lecture notes? Was the trauma really kissing the
grandmother, or was in an adaptive strategy for dealing with the abusive husband?
Topic: Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors
Question for Cinemania
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Do you think the movie fans have OCD? What behaviors would support this diagnosis and what behaviors would be
less consistent?
Question for The Pickpocket
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Do you think Michel had OCD? Why or why not?
Question for As Good As It Gets, The Odd Couple, Matchstick Men, The Aviator, and Dirty, Filthy Love
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Did the primary character in the film have OCD or OCPD or both? Give sufficient examples from the movie to support
your opinions.
Topic: Memory and Addictions
Questions for Memento
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Based on what was reviewed in lecture and the assigned reading on Memento, identify accuracies in the presentation
of anterograde amnesia. Give specific examples.
Discuss how you imagine the experience is to have anterograde amnesia.
Questions for 50 First Dates
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Based on what was reviewed in lecture, identify accuracies in the presentation of anterograde amnesia Give specific
examples.
Do you think the way she was “reminded” of her life each day would really work? How might this not be effective?
Questions for Lost Weekend
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Based on what was reviewed in lecture, identify accuracies in the presentation of alcohol addiction. Give specific
examples.
Do you think that the responses of his friends and family was accurate? Why or why not?
Questions for Requiem for a Dream
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Based on what was reviewed in lecture, identify accuracies in the presentation of the illegal substance abuse addiction
(cocaine, heroin). Give specific examples.
Discuss the mother’s addiction experiences. Was this storyline surprising? Different than the others?
Questions for Rounders
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Based on what was reviewed in lecture, identify accuracies in the presentation of pathological gambling. Give specific
examples.
Do you think both Mike (Matt Damon) and “Worm” (Edward Norton) had the same motivation for gambling? Why or
why not? Give specific examples.
Questions for Safe House
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Based on what was reviewed in lecture, identify accuracies in the presentation of anterograde amnesia in the movie.
Give specific examples.
Do you think the presentation of Alzheimer’s disease was accurate? Why or why not?
Topic: Mental Health Treatment and Treating Professionals
Questions for Lars and the Real Girl
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What was your impression of the doctor in the movie? Was what she did ethical? Why or why not?
How did the community help “treat” Lars? Do you think this could really work?
Question for Cosi, Lilith, K-Pax, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Girl, Interrupted
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Was the film you watched stigma-producing, anti-psychiatry, or neither? Give examples to support your conclusion.
Questions for What About Bob?, Analyze This, The Prince of Tides, Good Will Hunting, and Antwone Fisher
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Give examples of specific ethical violations by the treating mental health professional. Use the terms from the lecture
notes.
Identify the Wedding & Niemiec theme which is consistent with the treating professional. Give examples to support
your conclusion.