Cinema Therapy is one of my favorite shows on YouTube (find it here). The hosts, licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and professional filmmaker Alan Seawright, insightfully explore movies, breaking down story and characters through a therapy lens.
Recently, they have been looking at some famous movie relationships and asking the question: toxic or not?
I love that these Cinema Therapy episodes begin by breaking down what it means to have a “toxic” relationship–which is not a clinical term. Toxic is a word commonly used to describe unhealthy relationships, but it’s often overused or misused. Jonathan and Alan go with the Oxford dictionary definition of toxic: “poisonous; harmful or unpleasant in a pervasive or insidious way.”
They’ve applied their “toxic or not” assessment to a few movie relationships so far. I’m thrilled with their results for two of them, Forrest Gump and Grease.
Spoiler Alert: If you want to see their assessments for yourself, watch the videos below before reading on.
The Results
Of course, I love Jonathan and Alan’s conclusions on these relationships because I agree with them. Who doesn’t love being vindicated by people with professional experience to back it up?
First up, Forrest Gump. There are people online who love to say that Jenny and Forrest have a toxic relationship. It’s even in vogue to call Jenny the villain of the story. (WTF?) That “edgy” take entirely overlooks Jenny’s intensely abusive childhood. Yes, Jenny makes some bad decisions. Those decisions are based on her own pain and on the fact that she doesn’t want to hurt Forrest. Watch the video for a point by point argument.
Next, Grease. Yes, I still love the songs from Grease and the general nostalgia. And… Sandy and Danny have a very toxic relationship. While they may have had a lovely summer together, or so we’re told, they treat each other terribly once they get back to high school. That includes attempted assault in Danny’s car, followed by blaming Sandy for “hurting him real bad” by saying no. And Sandy plays her own games, dating the jock to make Danny jealous. In the end, they aren’t a good match and they think the way to fix that is to change themselves for each other. Never a good idea.
Check Out Cinema Therapy
Beyond their toxic or not series, Cinema Therapy breaks down movies in many different ways. They also make exceptions and dip into a few great TV shows, including Ted Lasso and Avatar the Last Airbender (original, not the remake).
As a writer, I love how they explore character development, relationships, and effective storylines. Bringing in psychology and filmmaking expertise gives the show an emotional depth, while their friendly banter keeps it light and engaging. Whether you’re a writer or lover of good storytelling, definitely check out Cinema Therapy!