Psychopathology Analysis of the Film “Matchstick Men”

Abstract

This research paper aims to provide a psychopathology analysis of a popular Hollywood film called “Matchstick Men”. Matchstick Men was released in 2003 and was directed by Ridley Scott. This movie is based on the book written by Eric Garcia. Moreover this paper also discusses the mental disorder issues portrayed in the movie like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourette syndrome.

Table of Contents

Psychopathology Analysis of the Film “Matchstick Men”1

Abstract2

Psychopathology Analysis of the Film “Matchstick Men”4

Introduction4

Discussion4

The Film5

Scenes Portraying OCD and Tourette Syndrome6

Character under Discussion8

Diagnosis with Specific Reference to and Discussion of DSM-IV Criteria8

Positive Changes9

Insights9

Conclusions11

References12

Psychopathology Analysis of the Film “Matchstick Men”

Introduction

Emotional health problems range from normal psychological reactions and distress following stressful life situations to severe mental disorders. The movie “Matchstick Men” released in 2003 revolves around the character of Roy, played by Nicolas Cage who has every possible phobia, tendency of obsessive compulsive, Tourette syndrome and anxiety.

Discussion

Matchstick Men, directed by Ridley Scott, is derived from the book called Matchstick Men: A novel about Grifters with Issues by Eric Garcia. This film is about confidence cheaters in which the major protagonist, a swindle artist known as Roy, is persuasively played by Nicolas Cage as a person who suffers from Tourette syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome where Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by the presence of multiple motor tics and at least one vocal/phonic tic. TS is increasingly recognized as a relatively common disorder, with a privileged position at the borderlands of neurology and psychiatry: both clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that associated behavioral problems are common in people with TS, and it seems likely that the investigation of the neurobiological bases of TS will shed light on the common brain mechanisms underlying movement and behavior regulation and Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that affects 2 to 3 percent of the U.S. population and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD is characterized by consuming thoughts and beliefs that typically lead to the uncontrollable performance of behaviors. For a person to be diagnosed with OCD, his or her obsessions and/or compulsions must significantly negatively impact his or her life, such as an inability to work. There are four types of OCD: (1) contamination/cleaning, characterized by overwhelming thoughts of filth and the need to remove the filth by cleaning; (2) obsessions/checking, characterized by a fanatical need to check on things (like making sure a stove is off or a door is locked); (3) symmetry/ordering, where a person visually requires items to be as symmetrical as possible and will arrange or rearrange things so that they are precisely and symmetrically ordered; and (4) hoarding, which is characterized by a compulsion to keep items that may be old, spoiled, out of date, or otherwise unused as a result of a fear that once discarded an item may be needed. Studies have found that each type is characterized by a unique distribution of symptoms. The most common obsession is fear of contamination and the most ...