"Magnolia"

Paper Summary:

This paper states that "Magnolia", like every satisfying film, is a rich source of examples of psychology and psychopathology. The author believes that Freud was especially interested in father-son relationships, and "Magnolia" includes several fascinating affiliations. This paper explains that Erikson expanded on Freud's theory of psychosexual development, arguing that personality development is influenced more by the way the individual handles a series of psychosocial conflicts, beginning with learning how much trust to place in the world; Stanley provides interesting examples of Erikson's theory in action. The author points out that the game show, "What Do Kids Know?", plays an important role in the movie, and it becomes an interesting question to ask when considering Piaget's theory.

From the Paper:

"Donnie Smith, the quiz show star who still relies on his early fame on "What Do Kids Know?", provides an interesting example of Piaget's theory. Donnie proved so adept at being able to rattle off facts and answer complicated questions that he was unable to progress to the final stage of being able to apply his knowledge to broader questions. He is still very much the boy genius that Stanley appears to be moving beyond. Donnie has enough concrete operational knowledge to theorize that Brad the bartender will fall in love with him if he, too, gets braces on his teeth, but he has not developed the formal operational skills that would allow him to entertain the thought that Brad might be more enticed by simply getting to know Donnie."

More papers on "Magnolia":

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