Anger Management: A Movie Analysis

Title of the Movie:                                Anger Management

Starring:                                 Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson

Summary of the Film:

The story started as the young Dave Buznik (Sandler) was about to receive his first kiss from his childhood crush. Suddenly, a bunch of young bullies humiliates him by pulling his pants down. Young Dave becomes a laughing stock of the entire neighborhood.

After some years, Dave becomes this overworked and undervalued executive assistant of an advertising company for pet clothing, who’s almost a loser. He's got a boss who just as well steps on him, as acknowledge the fact that Dave does all the work but the boss gets the credit. He’s turned into a pacifist who avoids conflict whenever possible. Although, it is evident that Dave is already angry and is only suppressing his emotions so as not to explode. His understanding and loving girlfriend, Linda is also bothered by his behavior. She feels awkward also whenever Dave tries to shake her hands instead of kissing her. Dave doesn’t kiss her in public.

During a flight, Dave had a misunderstanding with a stewardess. This caused him to be ordered by Judge Daniels to undergo anger management therapy under the odd and unconventional specialist Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson).

Dave was convinced that he does not belong with this group for his anger management session.

There, he met lots of eccentric patients of Dr. Rydell. To his disappointment, he was even paired to Chuck, a violent patient, to be his mutual support.

Dave’s therapy became more intense as he was again allegedly accused of assaulting a waitress and a blind man at a restaurant, where Chuck picks up a fight. Due to this, Judge Daniels ordered him to continue his anger management therapy or else suffer in jail. Dr. Rydell decides to move in with Dave to monitor him closely. He explained to Dave that there are two kinds of anger:

                Dr. Buddy Rydell: Dave, there are two kinds of angry people in this world: explosive and Implosive.            Explosive, which is the most common, is the type of individual you see screaming at a grocery store        cashier for not taking his coupon. Implosive, the least common, is the cashier at the store who remains quiet               at his job day after day until he then finally loses it and just shoots everyone in the store. You're the cashier.
               

                Dave Buznik: No, no, no. I'm the guy in the frozen food section dialling 911. I swear.

Living with Buddy Rydell and their continuous therapy upset Dave further. His unbearable behavior includes throwing all Dave’s CDs, sleeping in nude and sharing bed with Dave, farting, throwing food when he doesn’t want it, flirting with Dave’s girlfriend, and pissing off his boss. One time, he orders Dave to stop the car on the way to work, because he insists that Dave is angry. They end up singing together to the tune of “I feel pretty” from the Westside story, to ease his anger, while causing traffic.

Along the road, Dr .Rydell takes Dave to a street corner and pays a transvestite prostitute to get in the back seat with Dave. Dave panicked, and finally starts yelling and demanding that the gay get away from him. Dr. Rydell seems to become happy and explains to Dave that he had successfully passed the first lap of their therapy, which is to distinguish righteous anger.

Dr Rydell’s mom in Boston is sick and so he carried Dave along with him. A lot of incidents happened with this trip. First is in a bar, where Buddy Rydell asked Dave to hit a hot girl with a crude line. Dave refused but when Buddy bribed him to be released in the program if he succeeds, Dave tried to obey. To his surprise, the lady buys his line. The girl takes him home and tries to seduce him, but Dave refuse, till the lady becomes violent, started to throw things to him, and shouts him throughout the rain. When they went back home, they detoured in a monastery where Dave faced his arch enemy Arnie Shankman, the bully boy who humiliated him when he was little. Dr Rydell provoked Dave to have revenge to redeem himself.

After their trip, Dave tries to propose to Linda but he was not able to do so. Dr Rydell suggests that it will benefit them if they will separate for a while. Dave was distressed when he learns that Linda was going out with a date with another guy. He followed her in the restaurant carrying along his two hot co-patients from Buddy Rydell’s group therapy. However, he was surprised when he found out that Linda’s date was Buddy Rydell. They end up fighting and in court again with Judge Daniels. This time Judge Daniels wants him to be in jail.

Dave becomes more frustrated when he finds out that Buddy is taking Linda to the baseball game. He thought that he might steal his idea of proposing to Linda in front of the entire baseball crowd. He gathers his strength and overcomes his nerves to plead to Linda in the center of the stadium to marry him. He admitted that he is an angry man and it is wrong that people always steps on him. Linda was convinced but her consequence is that Dave has to kiss her in front of the entire crowd.

                “I want to have children with you! Children! With your eyes and my... last name! That's all I want. “                                  – Dave to Linda

At the end, Linda told Dave that all the mishaps were planted and part of the therapy starting from the airplane haywire. She admitted that she was the one who contacted Dr Rydell to help Dave. Dave graduated successfully from Dr. Rydell’s anger management program. The film ended with the cast singing, “I Feel Pretty”.

Famous Lines in the Film.

• “Temper's the one thing you can't get rid of, by losing it. “ – Dr. Rydell
• “Sarcasm is anger's ugly cousin” – Dr. Rydell
• “Flirting is the second cousin of Cheating” – Dave Buznik

Reaction to the Film

                Generally speaking, the film was extremely funny but sensible. The characters are portrayed by the artists with justice. When I first watched the film, I thought Dave was the explosive case and I haven’t paid attention with the 2 kinds of angry people. Now watching it the second time, I was enlightened with its important message. 

Dave Buznik (Adam Sandler): The Implosive Angry man

                Obviously, Dave has a behavioral problem; otherwise, his girlfriend Linda would not be interested to contact Dr. Rydell. I believe that his behavior was affected by the humiliation he had during his childhood years. He grew up wanting to please others so as not able to laugh at him again. He is kind of seeking approval from other people, that’s why even though he knows he’s right and others are stepping on him, he does not fight back. He is angry but he doesn’t show it. It is good that the film also highlights some of Dave’s gestures as symptoms that he is angry (e.g tapping of fingers, stomping his foot, etc). He is a very good patient for me. Because he doesn’t want to do these at first but he was able to cooperate at the end. His relationship with Dr. Rydell is wacky but at the end, the result is successful. He was able to graduate from Dr Rydell’s anger management program. I think that it is good that you keep your patient aware of what the therapy procedures can do to them. Because in this film, the entire therapeutic process was enveloped in a conspiracy. Anyway, a bit of exaggeration creates artistry and every film is craft of art.

Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson): The Eccentric Therapist

                In general, Dr. Rydell is still an effective therapist because he was able to fix the behavioral problem of Dave. He is still professional and ethical, though in the film, he appears to be an odd and crazy doctor, at the end; he still proves that he can serve his purpose, to cure Dave Buznik. I admire his creativity and style in treating his patient. Actually, I’m so indulged with the film that I wasn’t able to identify what kind of theory (if the script writer is serious in including a theory in this film). But I think, Dr Rydell’s technique is more of the client centered approach. Because in the movie, it was Dave who realized that he was an angry man and it was wrong that people treats him that way.

Linda: Dave’s girlfriend

                Linda’s determination to help Dave is very courageous and admirable. She really wants Dave to change his views and attitude. She is also willing to sacrifice her time and she did the extra miles to save not only their relationship but Dave as well.

Anger management is good film to watch, it gives the audience an impact that being in therapy can also means having fun..

reported by Eloi Casis