Elisabeth LaMotte
THE FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS Edward Burns , 2012, 99 minutes Navigating the holiday season with divorced parents is somewhat like walking a tightrope: at any moment one can plunge into dangerous territory, and it requires tremendous balance, skill and practice to avoid disaster. People with divorced parents spend countless holidays practicing this precarious act. Sadly,…
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Exploring sibling relationships is often an important dimension of the therapeutic process. Understanding the dynamics between siblings sheds light on one’s historical roles in the family. Understanding family roles from childhood can be key to understanding current patterns in romantic, professional and social relationships. Jhumpa Lahiri’s riveting new book, “The Lowland”, begins with a beautiful narrative…
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Pieces of April (2003, Peter Hedges, 80 minutes) Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with many traditions — Grandma’s cranberry sauce, mom’s holiday decor and marathon football viewing fall into the category of expected traditions celebrated by the media and popular culture. A lesser publicized truth is that, for many families, there is an unspoken tradition…
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(2007, Zoe Cassavetes, 93 minutes) When you are single, it can seem like absolutely everyone is in a relationship. It can also seem like everyone expects you to find a relationship. People can say and do the most hurtful and insensitive things to convey the message that you are somehow less than those who are…
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(2013, Nicole Holofcener, 93 minutes) In his final film, James Gandolfini is extraordinary. For years, Gandolfini mastered the portrayal of the ultimate bad-boy that women fell for against all better judgement. In Enough Said, a new film by Nicole Holofcener, Gandolfini portrays Albert, a warm-hearted, middle-aged, television historian. With his large and gentle heart, this anti-Tony Soprano embodies the ultimate…
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(2012, Noah Buschel, 81 minutes) This quiet, intimate love story offers a sensitive look into the rare but real mental illness, agoraphobia. Filmed entirely in the apartment of an agoraphobic actress, Sparrows Dance paints a portrait of the contained and controlled life this illness demands. Agoraphobia is a form of panic disorder in which…
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(2010, Elizabeth Gilbert, Viking) As a therapist practicing since 1995, one of the most common requests I receive is for a good book about marriage. This request is especially common among newly engaged couples and people who are struggling to decide whether to marry their current partner. There are some interesting self-help books about…
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THE WAY WAY BACK (2013, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, 103 minutes) Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s heartwarming, psychologically astute film The Way Way Back has all of the elements of a perfect end-of-summer film. The luring beach, the breezy boat rides, the classic water park, the welcoming summer cottage and the festive outdoor dinners remind us…
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GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997) 126 minutes, directed by Gus Van Sant Many people enter therapy because they are struggling to make a decision about commitment. Sometimes, deciding to commit to a romantic partner can produce tremendous anxiety, especially for those who have not been exposed to healthy, intimate relationships. Directed by Gus Van Sant, Good Will…
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LAST NIGHT (2010) 1 hour, 32 minutes, Written and Directed by Massy Tadjedin As a therapist, one truth I witness again and again is that infidelity is much more common, and much more complicated, than it seems. Affairs that take place on an emotional level are often more difficult to recover from than those involving a physical…
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