Movie Review: Drop Dead Fred

Drop Dead Fred is a film produced in America in 1991 by director Ate De Jong. The film was originally created as a jocular children’s film; however, it is heavy with adult themes such as: sexual innuendos, emotional abuse within relationships, as well as various mental illness and their oftentimes controversial treatment methods. The movie features Elizabeth, a troubled child who grows up to be an even more troubled adult. She suffers through verbal and emotional abuse from her controlling, perfectionist and eventually adultery and manipulation from her husband. During her tribulations, both juvenile and mature, she finds refuge in Fred; her fanatical and mischievous imaginary friend. Fred’s first appearance is during Elizabeth’s childhood.

Schizophrenia is a “chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves” and “people with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality” (Schizophrenia, 2016, para. 1). Symptoms generally occur between the ages of sixteen and thirty and are categorized into three categories: positive, negative, and cognitive. Positive symptoms are described at psychotic symptoms and are behaviors such as: “hallucinations, delusions, [or] unusual ways of thinking” Schizophrenia, 2016, para. 2). Elizabeth exhibited all of these during the film and the age time frame matches up, as well. Elizabeth was the only person who could ever see Fred and when they caused trouble together she always placed the blame of him and did not understand when she was the one that got reprimanded. As well, there comes a time in the movie when Elizabeth has begun medication to alleviate her symptoms that she hallucinates seeing Fred in the mall and attempts to strangle and beat him with a violin. Unfortunately, Fred is not actually there and Elizabeth is hitting the mall violinist and this behavior lands her in the security office. (De Jong, 1991). Negative symptoms are “associated with disruptions to normal emotions and behaviors” and consist of: “reduced expression of emotions via facial expression or voice tone, reduced feelings

5). While Schizophrenia has been most commonly treated with the use of anti-psychotic medications for decades, cognitive therapy provides an alternative and cognitive psychologist would undoubtedly disagree with Elizabeth’s mother’s decision to medicate her. The way a cognitive psychologist would treat Elizabeth is by the use of therapy and encouraging her to talk about her behaviors and problems as they do not believe that Schizophrenia “is a biological illness that one either has or does not have” (Freeman, 2014, para. 7) and instead the symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions simply represent the patient’s thoughts and feelings (Freeman, 2014). For example, “an individual troubled by hearing voices will be helped to understand what’s triggering these voices, and to develop a more confident, empowering relationship with them” (Freeman, 2014, para.