The Social Penetration Theory is illustrated in numerous relationships in the movie "Good Will Hunting". It is most clearly present in the relationship between Will (Matt Damon) and Sean (Robin Williams). Throughout the movie their relationship follows the idea of the Social Penetration Theory almost exactly. The two characters when they first meet have almost no interaction at all, then gradually the two begin to have superficial communication, never really delving into anything too personal.
After Will and Sean begin to see each other more and more we are able to see that their relationship is slowly progressing and we see more intimate communication. The two share stories of their pasts and we see that gradual overlapping of the two's experiences. In one scene Sean (Robin Williams) tells Will (Matt Damon) how he met his wife while he was on a trip to see Game 7 of the World Series, and goes on to tell Will how he never got to the game. The two laugh about the story and discuss the decision Sean had made by not going to the game, a good example of dyadic uniqueness in the sarcasm the two exchange about the story, further allowing us to see the relationship as it is growing to the point we will see in the video clip.
In the clip I have included in my post we witness the two characters Will and Sean at their most vulnerable point in the entire movie. In terms of the depth of communication it is at its peak in this scene. Sean discloses the information he has had at his disposal the entire time of their therapy sessions to Will, and addresses them. Sean informs Will that he was also a victim of abuse, and consoles Will and makes it a point to make sure he knows that what happened to him was "not his fault".
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3 comments:
The analysis directly related to the clip could have been more adequate and elaborated. For example, what stage is the relationship in according to SPT? What are some of the details that characterize this stage?
I liked that you used a clip from Good Will Hunting as an example of Social Penetration because we tend to think more of romantic relationships with this theory, so it was nice to see a different dynamic in the mentor/mentee kind of relationship. I'm not sure I completely agree, however, that their relationship exemplifies the social penetration theory because that theory is very linear and their relationship throughout the movie goes back and forth an awful lot. They obviously follow some kind of progression because they go from complete strangers to close friends, but I don't think they hit each of the stages of the SPT along the way. Also, I'm not sure that they have reached the stable exchange stage of complete disclosure by the end of the movie.
I think that "Good Will Hunting" is a good film to use in discussing SPT. Many of the relationships in the film address issues of depenetration, and fears that depenetration will lead to dissolution. I think that, in light of that fact, the film could very well be used to look at RDT. The tension between openness and protection is very present in the film. Will is afraid of disclosing too much of himself to anyone in his life for fear that it will make him vulnerable, but as the film progresses so does he and he manages to balance the desire for openness with a fear of vulnerability.
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