https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4BC4JGXwlE "Good Will Hunting" Written by Matt Damon & Ben Affleck Directed by Gus Van Sant INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY Lambeau stands across from Sean, seething... LAMBEAU You're wrong, Sean. I'm where I am today because I was pushed. And because I learned to push myself! SEAN He's not you! A beat. Lambeau turns, something catches his eye. Sean turns to look, IT'S WILL. He is standing in the doorway. WILL I can come back. LAMBEAU No, that's fine, Will. I was just leaving. There is an awkward moment as Lambeau gets his coat and leaves. WILL Well, I'm here. (beat) So, is that my problem? I'm afraid of being abandoned? That was easy. SEAN Look, a lot of that stuff goes back a long way. And it's between me and him and it has nothing to do with you. WILL Do you want to talk about it? Sean smiles. A beat. Will sees a FILE on Sean's desk. WILL What's that? SEAN Oh, this is your file. I have to send it back to the Judge with my evaluation. WILL You're not going to fail me are you? Sean smiles. WILL So what's it say? SEAN You want to read it? WILL No. (beat) Have you had any experience with that? SEAN Twenty years of counseling you see a lot of-- WILL No, have you had any experience with that? SEAN Yes. WILL (smiles) It sure ain't good. INT. WILL'S CHILDHOOD APARTMENT -- FLASHBACK From a child's P.O.V. we see a man, partially obscured by a doorframe. The man turns toward the P.O.V. CUT BACK TO: INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY SEAN (after a pause) My dad used to make us walk down to the park and collect the sticks he was going to beat us with. Actually the worst of the beatings were between me and my brother. We would practice on each other trying to find sticks that would break. WILL He used to just put a belt, a stick and a wrench on the kitchen table and say "choose." INT. WILL'S CHILDHOOD APARTMENT -- FLASHBACK A large, callused hand sets down a wrench next to a stick. CUT BACK TO: INT. SEAN'S OFFICE -- DAY SEAN Gotta go with the belt there... WILL I used to go with the wrench. SEAN The wrench, why? WILL Cause fuck him, that's why. A long quiet moment. WILL Is that why me and Skylar broke up? SEAN I didn't know you had. Do you want to talk about that? (beat) I don't know a lot, Will. But let me tell you one thing. All this history, this shit... (indicates file) Look here, son. Will, who had been looking away, loos at Sean. SEAN This is not your fault. WILL (nonchalant) Oh, I know. SEAN It's not your fault. WILL (smiles) I know. SEAN It's not your fault. WILL I know. SEAN It's not your fault. WILL (dead serious) I know. SEAN It's not your fault. WILL Don't fuck with me. SEAN (comes around desk, sits in front of Will) It's not your fault. WILL (tears start) I know. SEAN It's not... WILL (crying hard) I know, I know... Sean takes Will in his arms and holds him like a child. Will sobs like a baby. After a moment, he wraps his arms around Sean and holds him, even tighter. We pull back from this image. Two lonely souls being father and son together. ----------------------- Because, honestly, don't we all want therapists like this?

The President's Analyst (1967) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbf61_Fgldo Don Masters, CEA Agent: I'm a CEA agent. Dr. Sidney Schaefer: [rises from desk, walks over to read ID card] You ARE a CEA agent. And you really did kill someone! Don Masters, CEA Agent: Ahhummm. Dr. Sidney Schaefer: Fascinating, Don... I suppose it's the conditioning of motion pictures, or television, or maybe it's just it's the times we live in, but... killing is serious business, yet this little card makes it somehow less shocking... acceptable in a way! You mean to say you can actually legally kill someone? Don Masters, CEA Agent: Yeah, and it bothers me sometimes that I don't feel guilty about it. Don't you think that's psychotic behavior? Dr. Sidney Schaefer: No I don't! It explains your utter lack of hostility. You can vent your aggressive feelings by actually killing people! It's a sensational solution to the hostility problem. Don Masters, CEA Agent: Doctor, are you trying to tell me it's all right to kill people? Dr. Sidney Schaefer: It's simply a moral question. Morality is a social invention, and in this case society has decided it's not only acceptable for certain people to kill other people... it's even commendable. Don! I've got to write a paper for the Institute on this! Don Masters, CEA Agent: I don't think the CEA would like that.

50/50 - Doogie Howser scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZEJTJSZQQs During a 2011 interview with "The A. V. Club," Anna Kendrick said that, while on the set, she often referred to her character as "the worst therapist in the world." Even so, this scene shows that great dialogue (and great acting) can make the most seemingly hopeless cases--represented by both Katherine (at her job) and Adam (with cancer)--endearing characters to the audience. KATHERINE (mouth full of food) Can I help you? ADAM I have an appointment with Dr. McKay. KATHERINE Oh... please come in... Katherine removes her files from the couch, while awkwardly balancing her sandwich on top. She rises and puts her hand out to shake Adam’s - he reluctantly shakes it. KATHERINE ...and please, call me Katherine. ADAM (confused) You’re Dr. McKay? KATHERINE I am. Have a sit. (corrects herself) Sit down please. Katherine wraps up her sandwich and puts the rest away. Adam looks her up and down. ADAM Aren’t you supposed to be like sixty-five and wear earth-toned sweaters? KATHERINE (slightly defensive) Why? Did someone say that’s what I look like? ADAM No. But, if you don’t mind...How old are you? KATHERINE (put off) Twenty-four. ADAM Twenty-four? What are you like Doogie Howser? KATHERINE Who? ADAM Doogie Howser... Off Katherine’s blank look. ADAM (CONT’D) ...The teenage doctor. KATHERINE Does he work here? ADAM No. Nevermind...but aren’t you too young to be a doctor? KATHERINE (almost laughing) Oh, technically I’m not a doctor yet. I wish. I’m actually working on my doctorate. (off Adam’s look, trying to be serious) This is a training hospital. ADAM I see...So have you had many patients? KATHERINE My patient history is not-- ADAM (shocked) I’m your first patient, aren’t I? KATHERINE No. Not at all. ADAM Your second? ADAM (CONT'D) Third. Katie looks at him in silent acceptance. Adam’s eyes widen with concern: ADAM (CONT'D) How are the first two doing? Katherine doesn’t answer. She bites her tongue. KATHERINE Can’t talk about that. ADAM And this is like part of your training? KATHERINE It’ll be part of my dissertation. But, don’t worry I’m not gonna use your real name. ADAM (uncomfortable) Okay. I guess that’s fine. An awkward beat. Katherine pulls Adam’s file: KATHERINE So, Dr. Ross filled me in on your situation. This must be incredibly difficult. Adam shrugs. KATHERINE (CONT'D) How are you feeling? ADAM You know, honestly, I feel fine. I’ve actually never been more calm. KATHERINE (proud of herself) That’s a very common symptom found in patients like yourself. Right now your body is in survival mode. What you’re actually experiencing is shock... ADAM No, I think I’m fine. KATHERINE ...That’s why you feel that sense of calm. Would you describe what you’re feeling as a kind of “numbness”? ADAM I would describe it as fine. KATHERINE Because certain patients-- ADAM (defiant) I feel great.

http://youtu.be/kj4dxPZyVxM The Sessions by Ben Lewin He closes his eyes. CHERYL (CONT'D) Picture yourself as a six year old boy at the beach. Can you do that? MARK Yes, very easily. EXT. BEACH. DAY 91 91 The scene has a hazy, dreamlike reality. We see the six-year old Mark, able-bodied and full of energy, running and playing in the sand with his dog. INT. MOTEL ROOM. DAY 92 92 CHERYL Describe some of your feelings. MARK I feel very exhilarated, running next to the Atlantic Ocean, feeling the wind and the wet sand between my toes. CHERYL Do you really feel like him? MARK Yes, I really feel like him. CHERYL But can you really picture him? MARK I don't understand what you mean. I said I can feel like him. Of course I can picture him. CHERYL From the outside, I mean, as an adult, as you are now, looking at him with his crew cut and his little face? MARK Yes. CHERYL And are you mad at him? Do you blame him for getting polio? Was it his fault? 53A. Cheryl gets up and goes to the bathroom. Mark is obviously affected by her question.

I'd like to contribute with a short scene from ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. The thing that I find most fascinating with the therapy in this film, is the subtext. The true therapy comes from the unlikely source, so inherently pure and primal (McMurphy). But the supposed therapy, through Ratched, is stifling, counter-productive and murders the spirit of these voluntarily admitted men. Superb dialogue. This YouTube clip is but one example, but a very good one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRuTiExSOdY

ANALYZE THIS (1999) screenplay by Peter Tolan, Harold Ramis, and Kenneth Lonergan, story by Lonergan and Tolan Boss Paul Vitti: Whoever did that thing to you-know-who, that good friend of mine, they're trying to do that to me now, and I'm having a lot of feelings about that. And I'm... and I'm trying to get some... some... Dr. Ben Sobel: [whispering] "Closure" Boss Paul Vitti: ...closure on that, ya know? Primo: What kind of feelings? Boss Paul Vitti: I'm... I'm very angry, I'm feeling very angry about that. I'm... I'm really... uh... I'm enraged, I'm feeling very, very mad about that. Primo: So why are you telling me? Boss Paul Vitti: Why am I telling you? Like you don't know nothing about it, huh? You don't know... what? Primo: I don't know what your talking about. Boss Paul Vitti: Okay, whatever, whatever. I'm just trying to... Dr. Ben Sobel: [Whispering] "Tell you about my feelings..." Boss Paul Vitti: ...tell you about my feelings and that, uh... Dr. Ben Sobel: [Whispering] "I'm angry..." Boss Paul Vitti: ...I'm angry and... and that anger is a... Dr. Ben Sobel: [Whispering] "Blocked wish...?" Boss Paul Vitti: ...a blocked wish. And I'm looking forward to seeing you... next week at that thing, and then I can... unblock that angered wish... and then hopefully... hopefully you make one more move on me you motherfucker I'll fuckin' cut your fuckin' balls off I'll shove them up your fuckin' ass, I'll fuckin' bury you, I'll put fuckin' ice picks in your eyes, I'll chop your fuckin' eyeballs, I'll send them to your fuckin' family so they can eat 'em for dessert. You understand me? Primo: Hey Paul... Boss Paul Vitti: What? Primo: Fuck you. Boss Paul Vitti: You motherfucker! Primo: [to Moony] You get a dictionary and find out what this "closure" is. If that's what he's going to hit us with, I want to know what it is Boss Paul Vitti: [to Dr. Sobel] Yeah. How was that? Dr. Ben Sobel: It was going great until the... cutting off of the balls and shoving it up his ass.... You know what I do when I'm angry? I hit a pillow. Just hit the pillow, see how you feel. [Vitti pulls out a gun and shoots a pillow] Boss Paul Vitti: There's your fuckin' pillow. Dr. Ben Sobel: Feel better? Boss Paul Vitti: Yeah, I do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEE7xzwogMc Dialogue Takeaway: Takeaway? Takeaway? You wanna fuckin' takeaway? Fuggedaboutit, this scene is fuckin' hilarious... but the juxtaposition of therapy and mob lingo might have somethin' to do with it. You happy now?