Interpersonal Communication and Relationship Development
Relationship Development 1
Running Head: RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Interpersonal Communication and Relationship Development
Relationship Development 2 Communication is the process of gathering meaning from the world around us and using verbal and non-verbal messages to share this meaning with others. (Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond, 2005) More specifically, interpersonal communication can be defined as; “a distinctive, transactual form of human communication involving mutual influence, usually for the purpose of managing relation ships.” (Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond, 2005, p. 6) Interpersonal communication is extremely complex and encompasses many different themes and issues that affect many aspects of our daily lives. These themes and issues are found not only in our daily lives but are also intertwined in all movies and shows on TV. To examine these complex themes I will compare and contrast relationships and interpersonal communication in the movie Garden State and the TV show House. The movie Garden State is about Andrew Largeman, an emotionally detached young man who, after being gone for nine years, returns to his home town for his mother’s funeral. When Andrew was nine, a freak accident which he felt was partially his fault, put his mother in a wheelchair for life. After this incident his father, a practicing psychiatrist, put Andrew on so many medications to control his anger and depression he could hardly keep track of them all. When Andrew returns home he is reluctant to talk to his father and does his best to avoid him. As he reunites with old friends and tries to reconnect with his past he has a series of encounters with Sam, a free-spirited, life loving girl who is every thing he is not. As he spends more time with Sam and gets to know her, his self-image, as well as his out look on life, begin to change.
Relationship Development 3
Andrew realizes that he does not have depression and anger problems and that
Running Head: RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Interpersonal Communication and Relationship Development
Relationship Development 2 Communication is the process of gathering meaning from the world around us and using verbal and non-verbal messages to share this meaning with others. (Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond, 2005) More specifically, interpersonal communication can be defined as; “a distinctive, transactual form of human communication involving mutual influence, usually for the purpose of managing relation ships.” (Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond, 2005, p. 6) Interpersonal communication is extremely complex and encompasses many different themes and issues that affect many aspects of our daily lives. These themes and issues are found not only in our daily lives but are also intertwined in all movies and shows on TV. To examine these complex themes I will compare and contrast relationships and interpersonal communication in the movie Garden State and the TV show House. The movie Garden State is about Andrew Largeman, an emotionally detached young man who, after being gone for nine years, returns to his home town for his mother’s funeral. When Andrew was nine, a freak accident which he felt was partially his fault, put his mother in a wheelchair for life. After this incident his father, a practicing psychiatrist, put Andrew on so many medications to control his anger and depression he could hardly keep track of them all. When Andrew returns home he is reluctant to talk to his father and does his best to avoid him. As he reunites with old friends and tries to reconnect with his past he has a series of encounters with Sam, a free-spirited, life loving girl who is every thing he is not. As he spends more time with Sam and gets to know her, his self-image, as well as his out look on life, begin to change.
Relationship Development 3
Andrew realizes that he does not have depression and anger problems and that
References: Abdy, P. (Producer), & Braff Z. (Director). (2004). Garden State [Video Tape]. Fox Searchlight Pictures. Beebe S.A., Beebe S.J., Redmond M.V. (2005). Interpersonal Communication Relating to Others (4th ed.) Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Jacobs K., Shore D., Attanasio P., Singer B. (Producers), (2004 December, 16), House [Television Show], Tempe, AZ: FOX