Film Analysis

Several studies have found a link between children’s antagonistic behavior and their exposure to violence depicted on television. This means that violent or aggressive behavior can be influenced by violence in movies and on television. Children who are severely exposed to violence on television may become insensitive to it, according to research, compared to children who have seen slight or no violence on television (Robertson, Helena, and Robert 441). This would imply an emotional diminishing of the individual’s response to violence or even a possible turning off of principles and anxiety in the face of violence. Standby apathy is a recently identified phenomenon in which people willingly stand by and watch as others are killed, tortured, or injured while doing nothing to assist the victim (Robertson, Helena, and Robert 445). Parenthood is the film I’ve chosen (1989). I’ll discuss three development theories that are relevant to the film, as well as how the scene illustrates the theories.

Erikson’s Psychology Theory is the first development theory I discovered. According to Erikson’s development tasks, the challenge for the elderly is to resolve the conflict between despair and integrity. Accepting the messiness of life and the confines of being a human being without falling into a hopeless hole is the key to successful resolution (Mayseless and Einat 66). The emotional challenges frequently begin with a midlife crisis, when one realizes that half of one’s life has passed them by. Depression, irrational decisions, and anxiety are all possible outcomes. The mental tasks usually begin with a life review (Derdaele et al. 242). To make sense of it, one tries to re-evaluate and collect bits of experience. It aids in the regeneration of buried dreams that are used to revitalize a more authentic self.

Based on Erikson’s developmental task, Gil exhibits sluggishness in the 1989 film Parenthood. Sluggishness is defined as self-absorption and grows when people believe they have done nothing to help the next generation, according to “Essentials of life-span development” (Santrock). Gil appears in the film as an executive salesman. His job was extremely demanding, and he is constantly attempting to strike a balance between his family and his career, frequently weeding out issues with both. His ethics were frequently overlooked at work, and office politics favored workers with playboy personalities over those who worked hard. Kevin felt like a failure when his son was diagnosed with a learning disability because he realized how insecure he was as a child. Creating a new life story, according to the theory, necessitates the courage to experience emotions that we may have avoided for the majority of our lives (Derdaele et al. 244). We must forgive ourselves and mend the broken relationship from the past. Gil made a concerted effort to avoid being the distant and uncaring father that his father, Frank, had been and decided to spend more time as a family having fun together. This reduces the likelihood of feelings turning into anxiety or depression.

The second theory is Baumrind’s Parenting style, a developmental principle that looks at parenting in four types, authoritative parenting, which is best described as a demanding and responsive parent (Kooraneh and Leili). Regarding the movie Parenthood (1989), this kind of parenting is depicted in Gil, the husband to Karen and father to Justin, Tylor, and Kevin. Gil was a very interactive and active parent. He tries his best not to be as neglectful as his father frank. Next is neglectful parenting, which is a parent that is neither demanding nor responsive. And for this, it poses twice from Frank Buckman and his son Larry Buckman. Firstly, Frank was a very neglectful parent, as in the scene where he often takes his son Gil to games every year on his birthday and later on pays an usher to watch over his son as he disappears to his ventures. Larry Buckman is another neglectful parent to his half-racial son Cool. He has been consumed with his withering lifestyle that he has no idea of taking care of his son and resolves to take him to his parents and later on disappeared. It is evident in the scene where Marilyn, Larry’s mother, tells him to talk to the child, and he suggests the boy watches tv as he goes to admire his father’s exotic car.

Helen Weist, Gil’s s sister, a divorced woman with two abandoned children, demonstrates a case of permissive parenting, a less demanding parent but very responsive. For instance, when her daughter, Julie, ran away from home, Hellen was so frustrated that he told her not to return home, yet again she changes her mind and tells her to come home anytime she feels like. Another instant is in another Gil’s sister, Susan, married to a brilliant scientist. The husband portrays authoritarian parenting, referred to as a demanding and unresponsive parent (Kooraneh and Leili). For example, he teaches his less than five-year-old chemistry periodic table.

Lastly, emotional development in adolescence is the development of emotions regarding self-realization, identity, self-esteem, pride in accomplishment, understanding, or reading other peoples’ feelings (Israelashvili, Ersilia, and Michal 793). In this movie, the first instance is by Gil’s younger brother, Larry. He’s even termed as the family’s black sheep and expresses this principle further with his behaviors. He has a gambling problem, which could have been because of maybe his bad decisions during adolescence, or just perhaps being a victim of peer pressure during his early stages of finding his identity or self-realization.

Another example is with Gil’s children, Kevin, Tylor, and Justin. Kevin has serious emotional problems. He tends to cry even with little provocation, and his teacher claims he needs special attention because he is withdrawn or just ever sad. For Tylor and Justin, Gil is concerned because of their recent behaviors of knocking things down with their heads. Helens Daughter, Julie, becomes rebellious and more interested in her boyfriend, Tod, than about her education. They start making love in Helen’s house and even documenting it with cameras which led Helen to this realization when she came across their photos. Julie runs away from home after she was confronted with her mother. She later came home after marrying Tod. Garry also stresses some emotional development when his dad denies him the opportunity to stay with him. He starts resenting his mother and sister silently. He even breaks into his father’s dental clinic and destroys everything in sight. Garry even starts acquitting himself with pornographic materials in his quest to identify himself.

To summarize, motion pictures and television have enormous educational potential. As early as the age of three, children become purposeful TV viewers. As a result, they can determine viewing times and patterns for their favorite shows. As a result, the children spend more time in front of the television. Imitative learning aids in the extinction and strengthening of responsiveness to specific stimuli, the induction of long-term attitude changes, and the acceleration of social changes. People’s behavior, conscience, and values can all be engineered and manipulated in this way. Movies and television shows play a more significant role in instilling values, modeling antisocial lifestyles, contributing to social breakdown, and inciting violence. As a result, we see the courage that the modern movie ethic associates with violence and rash aggressive actions to solve problems. As a result, if the current films’ themes indicate the future, we may need to be concerned about future generations.

Reference

Derdaele, Elke, et al. “Forgiveness and late-life functioning: The mediating role of finding ego-integrity.” Aging & mental health 23.2 (2019): 238-245.

Israelashvili, Moshe, Ersilia Menesini, and Michal Al-Yagon. “Introduction to the special issue on ‘Prevention and Social-Emotional Development in Childhood and Adolescence.” European Journal of Developmental Psychology 17.6 (2020): 787-807.

Kooraneh, Ahmad Esmali, and Leili Amirsardari. “Predicting early maladaptive schemas using Baumrind’s parenting styles.” Iranian journal of psychiatry and behavioral sciences 9.2 (2015).

Mayseless, Ofra, and Einat Keren. “Finding a meaningful life as a developmental task in emerging adulthood: The domains of love and work across cultures.” Emerging Adulthood 2.1 (2014): 63-73.

Robertson, Lindsay A., Helena M. McAnally, and Robert J. Hancox. “Childhood and adolescent television viewing and antisocial behavior in early adulthood.” Pediatrics 131.3 (2013): 439-446.

Santrock, John. Essentials of life-span development. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2015.