Beyond Therapy

What does this film say, or try to say, about psychotherapy?

Excerpts from psychotherapy sessions: Prudence tells psychotherapist Stuart Framingham, “... I just don’t think you’re a very good therapist.” 
Bruce tells psychotherapist Charlotte Wallace: ”I tried to be emotionally open with her.” 
Prudence: ”... I had that Catherine the Great dream again...”
Stuart: ”You associate it with National Velvet?” (0:00)

Woman: "Ginsberg, don’t make a fool out of yourself..." (0:05)

Bruce tells Prudence, "... Crazy people." 
”... I swing both ways...” 
”... I’m a bisexual...” 
Prudence: ”Bi and homosexual is quite...” Bruce: "I’m deeply emotional..."
Prudence: "... I can’t identify with men that cry. I want them to be strong."
"... I think you’re insane..." 
Bruce: ”... afraid of feeling emotions. Did you see Equus?...” 
”You missed the metaphor.” 
Prudence: ”No, I didn’t miss the metaphor...” 
Bruce: ”... missed the metaphor.... who misses metaphors.” 
Prudence: ”... have you committed?”
Bruce: ”... see The Tree of Wooden Clogs...” 
Prudence: ”... You’re a first-class idiot.” 
Bruce: ”... frigid bitch.” (0:07)

By telephone, Charlotte tells her son Andrew, "... I’m with a patient... when I’m with a patient..." 
”... allow your own personality to...” (0:14)

By telephone, Bruce’s lover Bob tells his mother Zizi, "... Maybe I’ll kill myself..." (0:18 )

Charlotte tells a patient, "... When in doubt, overcompensate..." (0:18)

Bob, referring to Bruce: "... gonna crack his little coconut open." (0:21)

In a psychotherapy session, Charlotte asks Bob, “Now, why don’t you just take a deep breath?...”
"... drawn by an emotionally disturbed three-year-old. His parents beat him..." 
”... a new patient.” (0:22)

Stuart: "The next patient now, please." 

Prudence: ”... for emotional satisfaction...” 
”... Every man... turns out to be crazy... that aren’t crazy...” 
Stuart: ”... What do you think therapy’s for?...” 
Prudence: "... Do you suppose that I blocked out...?"
”... you’re so insensitive...” 
"... stay in therapy with you." 
”... seduced by their psychiatrist...” 
”... I must be out of my mind... can’t be my therapist...” 
”... wrong for therapists and patients to have sex together.” (0:22)

Cindy tells Bob, "... It’s a therapy..." (0:24)

Bob tells the trainer, “... sort of like a nightmare..." (0:33)

Bruce tells Prudence, "You ought to be in therapy." 
Prudence: ”I am in therapy.”
Bruce, referring to Bob: ”Aw, he’s kind of grumpy...” 
Prudence: ”I just wasn’t prepared for a bisexual.” 
Bruce, referring to his wife Sally: “... she found out I was sleeping with the man...”
Prudence: ”... this film called Every Girl Should Be Married... played by Cary Grant... a drugstore...” 
”... marry Cary Grant... he was insane and did LSD.”
”... I was just curious...” (0:38)

In session, Stuart tells Prudence, "... this is therapy." 
Prudence, referring to Bruce: ”He’s bisexual.
”... homosexuals make far more...” 
Stuart: ”... as out of date as Sigmund Freud...” 
Prudence: ”... this man’s supposed bisexuality a little confusing...” 
”You call this therapy?...” (0:47)

Andrew in session with Charlotte (0:50)

Bruce tells Prudence, "... Don’t be so shy or nervous." 
”... Some members of Bob’s group therapy...” 
”Bruce is a really conflicted person...”
”... Did you ever see Sunday Bloody Sunday?” 
”... a very silly movie... I don’t think that bisexuality exists...” 
”... I have to be more patient and understanding...” 
Bruce: ”Mother acts like a transvestite..” 
Prudence tells Bruce, referring to Bob, “... jealous about you seeing women...”
Bruce tells Bob, ”Your mother acts like a transvestite...” 
Prudence: ”No, I never liked transvestites.”
Bob: “My mother is not a transvestite.”
Prudence: “... Jack Lemmon as a woman in Some Like it Hot...” 
Bob: ”I think it’s silly...” 
Bruce tells Prudence, ”... You’re too sensitive.” 
Prudence: "... This is very silly... see a marriage counselor...” 
Bob: ”... jumping out the window...” 
Bruce: ”I’m calling my therapist, unless you think your therapist is better?” 
Bob: ”What about my group therapy?” 
Prudence: ”I slept with my therapist.” 
Bruce: “... slept with your therapist?” (0:56)

Prudence: “You can ask for my therapist..."
Zizi: “I never was in need of therapy...” (1:06)

Prudence answers Bruce, “Dr. Framingham, my therapist." (1:06)

Bruce tells Bob, "... that would be group therapy..." 
Charlotte tells Bob: "... drawn by an emotionally disturbed three-year-old, whose parents beat him..."
Bob asks Charlotte, ”Are you a child psychologist?" 
Referring to Bruce: ”... talk about me in his therapy?” 
Charlotte: ”... homosexual...” 
Referring to Bruce: ”... he doesn’t even look homosexual...” 
”... Patients act out some of their deepest conflicts... a clue to the trained psychotherapist...” 
”... I don’t repress things... anti-homosexual epithets...” 
”... the beginning of mental health.” (1:07)

Bruce tells Prudence, "... the possibility with your psychiatrist..." 
”... Act on instinct.” 
”... They move on sheer adrenaline... like, Towering Inferno and Terms of Endearment. Think of instinct and adrenaline...” 
Referring to Stuart: ”It’s my therapist.” (1:13)

Prudence asks Stuart, “What, are you insane?”
Stuart: "... give you a sedative..."
”I care about my patients...” 
Prudence: ”I am discontinuing my therapy with you.”
”... I discontinued my therapy...” 
”... a lousy therapist...” 
Stuart: ”... what happens to you without therapy...” 
Prudence: ”You are talking utter gibberish... to the mental institution where you’re gonna be locked up...” (1:18)

Stuart tells Bob, referring to Zizi, "... She’s a patient of mine." 
Stuart answers Charlotte: ”... a well-known psychotherapist...” 
Prudence: ”He’s a terrible therapist.” 
Charlotte: ”... a patient of mine...” 
Bruce tells Bob, ”I thought you were gonna kill yourself.”
Bob: “... this whole silly thing...” 
Bob tells Andrew, ”... the therapy group...” 
Prudence: ”Would you please shut up about therapy... hearing about therapy. I hate therapy...” 
Charlotte: ”You must stop this self-destructive behavior.” 
Stuart: ”... you are a very bad therapist...” 
Bruce tells Prudence, ”... It’s instinct...”
”On instinct...” 
”Uh, do you need therapy?” 
Bruce tells Charlotte, ”... being insane...” 
”... I can’t worry...” 
”Besides being decent and honest...” 
”... or only insane...” 
”Silly song.” 
Prudence: ”Very silly.” (1:24)