How Is The Movie As Good As It Gets Related To Psychology

The film “As Good as It Gets,” starring Jack Nicholson as Melvin Udall and Helen Hunt as Carol Connelly, is about a seemingly bitter old man, Mr. Udall, who gradually works to overcome his many deeply-rooted social issues in order to eventually develop a relationship with his favorite waitress, Carol, as well as get along with his neighbor, Simon, and Simon’s dog, Verdell. The movie is not only entertaining, but also clearly encompasses many psychological principles, including self-fulfilling prophecy, the feel-good, do-good phenomenon, mere exposure effect, equity, and full disclosure. However, the three most prominent psychological principles constantly present throughout the movie are obsessive-compulsive disorder, the fundamental attribution …show more content…
Melvin Udall, has obsessive-compulsive disorder. The effects of this disorder can be seen in most of the scenes he is in, including the scene at the beginning in which upon entering his room after talking to Simon, he locks each of the two locks on his front door five times, then turns the living room light on and off five times, then turns the bathroom light on and off five times, then throws the gloves he had been wearing in his garbage can despite them being in perfect condition. Inside of his actual apartment, not a single thing is out of place; instead all of his belongings are spotlessly lined up. Another time the effect of this disorder is seen is when Mr. Udall is walking Verdell down the street and awkwardly shuffles around people in order to not step on any sidewalk cracks. He also will not touch his bedroom floor without slippers on his feet, brings his own plastic utensils to the restaurant that he dines at every day, and is very bothered and unable to focus when he goes to his psychiatrist’s office for the first time in two years and finds that the room has been changed …show more content…
This is seen many times through multiple characters, such as when Mr. Udall is frustrated about being interrupted twice by the doorbell while trying to write his book, so when he answers the door he is extremely hostile and aggressive towards Frank, Simon’s boyfriend. In the same encounter, Frank is very hostile and aggressive to Mr. Udall, even putting him against the wall, because he had found out Mr. Udall had thrown Verdell into the trash shoot and Mr. Udall was rude to Simon when Simon approached him about it. This frustrates Frank because Simon is constantly bullied and never adequately stands up for himself. The principle is also demonstrated by Carol during her road trip with Simon and Mr. Udall. She goes on a date with Mr. Udall and, while on the date, Mr. Udall tells Carol that he wanted her to come along to have sex with Simon. She is extremely angry about this and frustrated at what she perceives to be Mr. Udall’s inability to care for others. When she returns back to where they are staying after abandoning Mr. Udall in the restaurant, she encounters Simon and is strangely hostile towards