Panic

#panicmovie

Spoiler alert!

According to family systems theory individual psychotherapy can result in dysfunctional triangulation in which the psychotherapist and identified patient become very close while another family member remains distant from the psychotherapist. The distant family member may resent the closeness of the psychotherapist to the identified patient. If the two family members happen to be hitmen the psychotherapist may want to reconsider the treatment plan.

Psychologist Dr. Parks tells hitman Alex, "We've been through this before Alex. You suffer from mood swings. You're depressive." (0:02)

Patient Sarah tells Alex in waiting room, "I think Dr. Leavitt's got a potential suicide on her hands or something."
"The shrink I'm waiting for..." (0:03)

Parks tells Alex, "I'm a therapist Alex. Therapy is as common as gasoline. It's what we need to keep us going. It's not a mental ward." (0:04)

Alex tells Parks, "No notes." (0:05)

Alex tells Parks, "I've never been to a shrink before. I don't believe in shrinks." (0:07)

Alex' father Michael asks Alex' mother Deidre, "Why is my son avoiding me?" (0:08)

Alex tells Deidre, "I've been seeing a shrink."
Deidre:"What are you seeing a shrink for? You're not crazy."
Deidre tells Michael, "He's seeing a shrink."
Michael: "Alex is seeing a shrink?"
"Shrink. They talk, right?" (0:09)

In the waiting room: Dr. Leavitt says, "Hi Sarah."
Parks asks Alex, "Does Martha know what you do?"
Alex: [no]
Parks tells Alex, "What you say in here about the past is completely protected by doctor-patient confidentiality, but if I think a crime is going to be committed I'm under obligation to report it to the authorities." (0:13)

Sarah's session Dr. Leavitt. (0:15)

In the waiting room Sarah asks Alex, "How's therapy going Alex?" (0:22)

Alex looks at photos of his next job: Dr. Parks. (0:24)

Alex asks Sarah, "How's therapy going?"
Sarah : "My sister Eileen's anorexic."
"What about therapy?" (0:31)

Alex tells Martha, "I was seeing a shrink"
Martha: "a shrink..."
"as in psychiatrist?"
Martha: "psychologist."
Martha: "You've always been unhappy." (0:38)

Deidre tells Alex' wife Martha, "You're being paranoid."
Martha: "I'm never paranoid except when I do coke and I haven't done coke... What, do you think I'm having a paranoid coke flashback?" (0:39)

Gun dealer Eddie tells Alex, "The truth is I'm kind of depressed." He says his wife's "Dr's been HMOd..." (0:41)

Alex stalks Dr. Parks. (0:42)

Alex in psychotherapy session with Dr. Parks. (0:47, 0:52)

Alex follows Dr. Parks as he walks his dog. He rescues him from muggers. (0:51)

Alex in psychotherapy session with Dr. Parks: "You're lying to your own therapist Alex." (0:58)

Michael tells Alex, referring to Alex' son Sammy, "The kid's a retard." (0:59)

Michael tells Alex, "It comes from that... shrink"
Alex: "You know about my shrink?"
Michael: "You can't tell anyone what we do."
Alex: "Trying to get me to kill my own... shrink." (1:00)

Ambivalent about what he wants to do, Alex parks in front of Dr. Parks' house, drives away. (1:02)

Sarah tells Alex, "Looks to me like you're stalking me."
Alex: "Stalking you? No. I'm not... Why would I be stalking you?" (1:04)

Sarah tells Alex, "I'm hysterical." (1:07)

Dr. Parks talks to a detective about Alex: "He's been following me."
Parks: "Delusional?" (1:08)

Martha, waiting for Sammy to finish his session with Dr. Parks, chats with Sarah. (1:19)

anorexia | Bereavement | boundaries | confidentiality | family secrets | hysteria | psychologist | psychotherapist | psychotherapy | stalking | suicide | triangulation

John Ritter, William Macy, Neve Campbell, Tracy Ullman, Donald Sutherland 2000