ACT Onscreen: Films for Clients
This section of Contextualpsychology.org is for practitioners looking for a film to prescribe to their clients. Along the lines of the suggestions made in Rent Two Films and Let's Talk in the Morning, by John and Jan Hesley or "The Motion Picture Prescription: Watch This Movie & Call Me in the Morning - 200 Movies to Help You Heal Life's Problems", by Gary Solomon. I've found many films contain moments or plot turns that are highly suitable as metaphors for ACT processes. I invite the ACT community to contribute to this resource so we can help our clients and learn from each other.
Here's Jason Luoma's suggested ratings format and modifications to my original proposal. Thanks Jason!
At a recent lab retreat, Steve's lab came up with the idea of each movie receiving a hexaflex point rating. This similar to the 0, 1, or 2 two thumbs up from Ebert and Roper, but instead goes from 1 to 6, depending upon the number of ACT processes illustrated. The ultimate prize goes the person who can come up with a movie that illustrates all six ACT processes. Will YOU take up the challenge? It can come from multiple scenes in one movie. The ultimate challenge would be to identify one scene that illustrates all six processes. Go fot it!
I'd suggest when you review a movie, at the start you give it a hexaflex rating according to how many processes the movie illustrates.
The six processes are:
- Contact with the present moment
- Acceptance
- Defusion
- Self-as-context
- Values
- Commitment
For example, a movie that illustrates four of these proceses would get four hexaflex points! So as a format for ratings, I'd suggest the following:
- Film name
- Number of Hexaflex Points
- Character, moment or plot point
- ACT principle illustrated and which processes it involves.
Also you might want to put the number of hexaflex points in the title section.
Julian: Here's an example (one of my favorites ;-)):
- The Matrix
- 1 Hexaflex point (but see Camilla's additional point below)
- Neo, the Keanu Reeves character, is asked to choose between the red pill or the blue pill
- Choosing and Willingness - sometimes you can't know the outcome before you choose. Are you willing to have the consequences of choosing and just choose?
Here's Jason's example:
- Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade
- 3 hexaflex points
- When Indiana is just about to get to the holy grail, he finds himself stuck at the edge of a seemingly bottomless chasm. He reads a riddle that suggests that the only way to get across the chasm is to take a leap of faith. So he steps out into mid air, seemingly to fall to his death. Instead, he finds that there is actually a hidden bridge that was built to blend seemlessly into the backdrop of the chasm and his step lands on terra firma. Whew!
- The scene illustrates committed action, in that Indiana takes a step towards his quest even when unsure of the outcome. It illustrates willingness/acceptance in that the move is leadp of faith, requiring him to make room for his fear. And it illustrates defusion in that while his mind tells him he is going to fall to his death, he is willing to suspend that judgment, and when he actually steps out into a seeming void, he finds that this was an illusion.
To contribute your film, click on add child page below. In the Body section of the Edit page, include the following:
- Your Film
- Number of Hexaflex points
- The part where the character says something
- ACT Principle represented
Simple as that!
Hope we have a lot of fun and learning with this,
Comments
The Shawshank Redemption
1.The Shawshank Redemption -pretty much a definitive ACT movie for me! (I recently watched it again within an ACT framework!!)
2. 6 Hexaflex points.
3. As illustrated by:-
CONTACT WITH THE PRESENT MOMENT: Beautifully illustrated in the scene when Andy plays Mozart over the prison and the everybody just stops and listens ( 1 point).
SELF AS CONTEXT: As a punishment for playing the music, Andy is placed into solitary confinement and after his release he tells his fellow convicts that he “had Mr. Mozart to keep me company...[points and taps his head.] It was in here …[gestures over his heart] and in here. That's the beauty of music. They can't get that from you. Haven't you ever felt that way about music?” Red (Morgan Freeman)says that he played the Harmonica as a young man, but lost interest in it and that it didn’t make much sense playing it in prison – Andy says “No, here's where it makes the most sense. You need it so you don't forget”. “Forget?” asks Red, “That there are places in the world that aren't made out of stone. That there's... there's somethin' inside that they can't get to; that they can't touch. It's yours” says Andy (self as context / pure awareness – 1 point).
DEFUSION: is illustrated when Red says “I’ve been in here most of my life. I’m an institutional man now…just like Brooks was”. Andy replies ““you underestimate yourself” and Red says “I don’t think so” (1 point)
COMMITTED ACTION AND VALUES: Andy talks to Red about his vision of life in a little town in Mexico and life as a free man – he focuses on owning a hotel and a boat (which are goals but I’m sure we could find some values in there somewhere!!) Red (‘passenger on the bus’) says “I don’t think you ought to be doing this to yourself, Andy. I mean mexico is way down there and you’re in here and that’s the way it is”. Andy replies “Yeah right. That’s the way it is. It’s down there and I’m in here. I guess it comes down to a simple choice really…get busy living…or get busy dying”. (highlighting the reality gap between where he is and where he wants to be – within the valued domain of freedom (2 points?)
ACCEPTANCE: Spoiler alert (!) Towards the end of the movie when red is up for parole his rehabilitation officer asks red if he’s been rehabilitated. Red replies “Rehabilitated?... Well, now, let me see. You know, I don't have any idea what that means”. The rehabilitation officer informs Red that it means he is “ready to rejoin society” and Red says “ I know what you think it means, sonny. To me it's just a made-up word. A politician's word, so that young fellas like yourself can wear a suit and a tie and have a job. What do you really wanna know? Am I sorry for what I did? The rehabilitation officer asks “are you?” and Red replies “There's not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here; or because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then: a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try to talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone and this old man is all that left. I gotta live with that. Rehabilitated? It's just a bullshit word. So go ahead and stamp your forms, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don't give a shit (some acceptance in there!? – 1 point)
MORE COMMITTED ACTION: “ I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head (defusion!) I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain I hope I can make it across the border (do what it takes!).. I hope to see my friend (values), and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope”
Revolver
Great defusionwork in the end ;-)
Even with a very special guest starring...
A revolutionary road (the movie)
I just realize there is a section to put comments on movies consistent with ACT.
A revolutionary road (the movie): is ordinary life, a life without realizing existence of values?
This movie could be watch through ACT eyes (see details below for summary: attachment)
Values constructed by others (society),
Conflict between imposed values and discovering one own value,
Not following the secure road is insanity or immaturity,
Experiential avoidance of discovering his own road (and if after taking the risk, he wouldnt discover any talent????that would be too scary, hein?).
Experiential avoidance of the hopelessness of emptyness (is it the fonction of flying to Paris?)
and if ordinary life was living a life without realizing existence of values?
I don't think that was the intention of the film-maker, but thanks to him for widening my perspective of ACT through his movie.
I suggest this movie to everyone and I am curious of other's vision of it. To whoever is willing to....
http://www.revolutionaryroadmovie.com/
Cristel Neveu
Great ACT film
Yvonne Visser
The movie "Groundhog day" illustrates several core processes of ACT. It's the story of a journalist who is reporting a local event and wakes up each morning on the same day, with the same sequence of events happening all over again. The journalist eventually learns to accept his faith (1), be in the present moment (2), he finds out his values (3) and how to act accordingly (4). When he has learned all that his life finally goes on on the following day. And on top of all that great ACT stuff it's funny and entertaining!
movies
The movie Peaceful Warrior, which is an adaptation of a book by Dan Millman, contains all 6 core ACT processes.
The Matrix metaphor
Hi,
I agree with you Julian about The Matrix that I think overall is one great, comprehensive ACT-metaphor. I especially like the part when Neo (Keanu R.) realises that bad things that happen in the matrix (like e.g. bullets racing towards him) aren’t “real” but only pretend to be so (much like words and thoughts) and as he pauses to observe the bullets aimed for him, he is then able to do anything with them, or better, despite them. Apparently, the best way to bend the spoon is to realise that “there is no spoon”.
Camilla