Characters on the Couch
Film & Television Blog
by Dr. Sandra Cohen
GOOD WILL HUNTING
Whys of Robin Williams’ Suicide?
Self-Hate Must Be Healed
The heartbreak of Robin Williams’ suicide brings depression and suicide to the forefront of everyone’s mind, along with remembrances of his many film roles. Why did he do it? Ironically, Williams won his only Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1998 for his emotional performance as Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting. Maguire, a…
MAD MEN Season 7 Episode 6
Peggy & “I’ll Do It My Way…”
Doing it her way has never been easy for Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss). For subtle but understandable reasons to me as a psychoanalyst, Peggy needs Don and yet hates herself (and him) for it. She’s just not as self-assured as she thinks she should be. Then, again, neither is Don Draper (Jon Hamm). They share this.…
MAD MEN Season 7 Episode 7
Behind Every Person is a Story
What’s Jim Cutler’s?
Jim Cutler (Harry Hamlin) is a mad man full of envy. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be so bent on getting rid of Don Draper. And, he wouldn’t be making unilateral decisions to be sure no one gets in his way. Contrary to what the soon-to-be-deceased Bert Cooper suggests, Cutler’s not a leader, a team player, or anything like that. Ultimately, he wants…
