First of all, Kevin Spacey.
You don’t even need to continue. But still. The film is about a psychotherapist for the rich and famous. And as it should be, every psychologist must have a psychologist of their own. Psychotherapists are not perfect people who know exactly how to live easily and happily and cope with their life difficulties on their own. What if the therapist’s problems are so complex that they can’t help others?
The protagonist is grieving the suicide of his wife. His family doesn’t try to help him. He has many clients, yet he can’t help them, despite his desire to do so.
This film shatters the myth that psychotherapists don’t have problems. The hardest part for the protagonist was admitting to himself that he, as a professional, had failed to foresee such a terrible tragedy in his own family. Kevin Spacey’s character loses faith in himself as a professional.
Marijuana.
The psychologist smokes it, and another myth crumbles. He copes with all his weaknesses and difficulties through his desire to help others, which clearly outweighs his urge to self-destruct and escape reality. Only when he acknowledges how much pain and difficulty he’s in does he begin to heal.
Recommended for psychologists, psychology students, and anyone who has faced personal issues and doubts their ability to resolve or accept them.
