For the long paper (3-5 pages), you will watch a movie that addresses/illustrates/alludes to a specific disorder or issue relevant to our discussion of abnormal psychology and write a paper. Your papers will address how accurately the movie you choose portrays your topic, including errors of omission as well as commission. Depending on the movie you choose to watch, your paper may include a discussion about portrayal of symptoms, the etiology or development of the disorder, or treatment. Any aspect of the disorder or topic in your selected movie that seems relevant can and should be included. Sources of information will come from the text and class discussion, and from your own critical thinking about the subject matter. My hope is that you will choose a movie/topic that is of interest to you. I have listed below movies from which you can choose, grouped by topic from the syllabus. In addition, if there is a movie not on this list that you are especially interested in using for this assignment, this may be possible. Please come to talk to me about using a movie not on the list and we can discuss whether this will be feasible. The long paper will count for 15% of your final grade. See the attached syllabus for exam dates and due dates for each of the papers. Papers should be type written, double-spaced, and 12-font.

Possible Movies to be used for Long Paper:

Abnormality: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Jack Nicholson’s character)

Dream Team (Michael Keaton’s character)

Crazy People (Dudley Moore’s character)

Are these characters abnormal? What psychopathology do they have?

Personality Disorders: Fatal Attraction (borderline) Kalifornia (antisocial)

Misery (borderline) Natural Born Killers (antisocial)

Anxiety Disorders: High Anxiety (fear of heights) Copy Cat (Agoraphobia)

Accused (PTSD) As Good As it Gets (OCD)

Mood Disorders: Ordinary People (depression)     Mad Love (bipolar)    Dead Poet’s Society (suicide)

Dissociative Disorders: Primal Fear (DID)     Sybil (DID)     Long Kiss Goodnight (Fugue or Amnesia)

Sexual Disorders: Crash     Sex, Lies, and Videotape    Exit to Eden

Substance Abuse: Leaving Las Vegas     Less than Zero     Clean and Sober     When a Man Loves a Women

Childhood Disorders: Outsiders (Conduct Disorder) Rebel Without a Cause (Conduct)

Schizophrenia: Shine The Fisher King

Eating Disorders: The Sweet Life Eating    The Famine Within