Psychoanalysis Perspective of Liar Liar
Psychoanalysis Perspective of Liar Liar In Lois Tyson’s book Critical Theory Today: A User Friendly Guide, Tyson explains psychoanalytical concepts in her second chapter titled “Psychoanalytic Criticism.” Influenced by Sigmund Freud, psychoanalytic criticism is an approach to criticism or a critical technique that applies the principles, theories, and practices of psychoanalysis to literature (books, plays, films, etc.) in both the analysis of the author and the work itself (Tyson 11-12). The film “Liar Liar” directed by Tom Shadyac will be analyzed by using the psychoanalytical film theory. What exactly is the psychoanalytical film theory? It is focusing on and getting to the root of all phenomenon’s of a cinema in general, and figuring out the elements of specific films in particular, and in which are both shaped by the unconscious. “Whose unconscious?” you may ask. That storehouse of all of those painful experiences and emotions, wounds, fears, guilty desires, and unresolved conflicts we choose not to deal with because we become overwhelmed by them (Tyson 12). The unconscious can be recognized in four different categories: the filmmaker, the characters of a film, the film 's audience, and the discourse of a given film. In this movie, the main character Fletcher Reede will be psychoanalyzed.
- Habitual Lying - Jim Carrey, playing the role of Fletcher Reede, is a very successful lawyer due to the fact that he is a habitual liar and has built his career upon that foundation. A habitual liar, (otherwise known as a pathological or compulsive liar) is defined as somebody who is constantly lying out of habit. Lying is their normal and reflexive way of responding to questions. Everything, large or small is bent way out of proportion and lying eventually becomes as easy as breathing. In Fletcher Reede’s case, that happens to be very true. I feel as if this disorder could be a reflection of Fletcher’s relationship with his father. Possibly have being a workaholic,
- Habitual Lying - Jim Carrey, playing the role of Fletcher Reede, is a very successful lawyer due to the fact that he is a habitual liar and has built his career upon that foundation. A habitual liar, (otherwise known as a pathological or compulsive liar) is defined as somebody who is constantly lying out of habit. Lying is their normal and reflexive way of responding to questions. Everything, large or small is bent way out of proportion and lying eventually becomes as easy as breathing. In Fletcher Reede’s case, that happens to be very true. I feel as if this disorder could be a reflection of Fletcher’s relationship with his father. Possibly have being a workaholic,
Cited: Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today: A User Friendly Guide. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print. Liar Liar. Dir. Tom Shadyac. Perf. Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Justin Cooper. Universal Pictures, 1997, DVD "Pathological Liar, Impulsive, Compulsive Lying, Self-Deception." D for Depression Depressive Psychological Disorders. DepressionD.com, 2010-2011. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.