Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder
Adapted from Wikipedia
... throwing tantrums when some innocent word, gesture, facial expression
or action by others sets off an emotional storm they cannot control.
The attacks can be brutal, pushing away those they care most about
The features of BPD include emotional instability, "black-and-white" thinking
intense unstable interpersonal relationships, a need for relatedness, a fear of rejection
and impulsivity. This condition is several times (the estimate is
three-four times) more frequent in women than in men. Historically the term meant "borderline insanity".
Often this is associated with childhood abuse which deeply affects a
child personality. In turn, children of borderliners suffer greatly too from the intense,
unpredictable, and volatile relationship with their mother.
There are also "borderline" in a sense that they can easily break or balance on boundaries of social acceptance and
behaviour, which few people dare to cross. In old time they were called "possessed". Colloquially
(especially in high school environment) such people are called "drama
queens" (which often implies that they are have attractive appearance). For all practical purposes this
the category (adding strong intellect, ruthlessness and lack of fear typical for sociopath) overlaps with
Female Sociopaths. there are also significant differences: classic
female psychopaths are not prone to self-harm and have a very low suicide rate.
But those differences change almost nothing
in situation when people need to confront iether a borderliner, or a female sociopath. Level of intelligence is another defining factor.
Borderlines with high or very high IQ are different from borderlines with an average or low IQ.
The titles of books about borderline personality disorder tell you a lot
about what it’s like to live with someone who has it:
Such characters as Alex in Fatal Attraction in
exaggerated form show quite vividly what such relationship is about. That means that this
personality disorder can (and should, if you are reading this page ;-) be studied in order to get some
additional insights into actual behaviour patterns of personalities in this category.
You do need to be prepared. Knowledge is power, and in this case it also helps to lessen the level of frustration and
increase the level of protection of your own personality from the negative effects of dealing with a
borderliner. Forewarned is forearmed -- if you
know about something
beforehand, you can
prepare for it and will be better equipped to analyze this highly volatile and
dynamic relationship you encounter it.
Such females are the most dangerous when this condition coincides with the stunning psychical beauty and natural artistic
abilities and charm. At the beginning of the relationship with a borderliner it is very difficult (I would frankly say impossible) to tell
that she has all those symptoms. They present a different personality to you, one tuned to your
preferences, how they understand them, not their "true" personality. And this positive personality in turn creates an
internal filter in you which automatically discards warning signs that does not fit this created by your mind image. Such filtering
should be viewed as a variant of "confirmation bias".
It's like a trap or, if you wish, entrapment. These women are
especially adept to present themselves as helpless victims, therefore gaining more sympathy and more
credibility. Often sucking victim dry financially before them abandon them. That makes stories about them a fertile source of movies scenarios.
And such movie do have great educational value, although you need to watch them several times (which is painful for some people) to
get the nuances.
While
Fatal Attraction is in many way a masterpiece of depicting
BPD, more than 15 years before, Clint
Eastwood’s directorial debut
Play Misty For Me (1971) was the first one to highlight the immense and underestimated
danger of having random affairs with women you barely know -- one of the dangers is that a flashy chick you
hit (and who for some reason is interested in you too) has a Borderline Personality Disorder.
And like in movies, in real life such female students, junior associates and secretaries represent a certain danger, because they
tend to use seduction as a tool to achieve their aims. While sexual liberation runs unabated the
recent decades, getting a sexually transmitted disease in not the only danger of such
dalliances. Both large corporations and universities now have official policies that prohibit
certain type of amorous relationship (see
Amorous Relationships - Human Resources
- University System of Georgia)
Any individual in authority who is or has been involved in an amorous relationship with a
person whom they may be called upon to evaluate must promptly report this fact to his or her
supervisor. The supervisor will then arrange to see that the individual in authority does not
evaluate nor participate in discussions and decisions that affect the compensation, evaluation,
employment conditions, instructions, and/or academic status of the subordinate involved. Any
individual who violates this policy is subject to disciplinary action commensurate with the
offense. An institution may also elect to have such matters be reported to the institution’s
department responsible for investigating matters that may relate to sexual harassment.
That's is well known "professional danger" for middle-age managers, who run into a typical
Midlife crisis, who
often became way too close with their flashy, sexual secretaries and other female subordinates without
too much thought what is hidden behind the beautiful exterior. The same is true for aging university professors and several
other categories of men professionals.
Such men typically do not ask a critical question: why this young chick invite "closer" relationship. Some already think about themselves as hunters for "easy" extramarital sex.
But they
might soon realize that actually they are the pray and need to pay a high price to escape (this is the precise
word applicable to their situation) from this relationship with minimal danger to their reputation,
career and family. Understanding that the typical corporate rule "no sex with subordinates" is
directed toward protecting managers from such situations usually comes to such 'amorous" 40 or 50 year olds way too late.
There is no surprise that typically people with BPD evoke intense negative emotions in those who are close to them, while
producing completely different and highly positive impression of strangers (they are often extremely
"flashy", Marilyn Monroe flashy, with strong feminine charm; she actually played such a character in
Niagara (1953)). They represent significant percentage of those woman,
who can be called "high
maintenance spouses": "impulsive", “attention seeking", “difficult,” “demanding”
and, worst of all “manipulative”
The last word is the key (and they usually are
able to hide their negative traits in social settings (at least initially), reserving the "dark side" of their personality
to family and subordinates). It is only much later you will understand that this "a very nice chick" has a real addiction to
horrible scandals provoked by even insignificant issues, and you need to "walk on egg shells" to keep her from exploding her
immense anger (aka
Borderline Rage) on you once again.
It is penchant to manipulation and deceit including artful, complete, perfect
disguise of their "dark side" traits in social settings that incline many to think of this category
of woman as a subtype of female sociopaths. Like sociopaths they are also perfect bullies with
penchant for psychical violence, and stalking (see Fatal
Attraction). They are definitely mentally and emotionally destructive to those who are close to
them: they are always liars, cheaters and deceivers, etc. Being extremely self-centered, they
also feel that they are always right, which makes then very close to narcissists.
Borderline personality disorder typically suggests presence of acute mood disorders (and first of all
Borderline Rage) making "mood
swings" important diagnostic category. An unusual degree of instability in
mood in borderliners and especially bouts of rage (See
Understanding Borderline Rage) are important diagnostic indicators.
Borderline Rage -- an inappropriate anger or
difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical
fights) is probably one of the key diagnostic criteria for BPD. As a rule such a behaviour
leads to chaotic and unstable interpersonal relationships.
Increased levels of both intensity and the conflict in romantic relationships with such individuals is typical. Rapidly decreased
satisfaction in romantic partners is also typical (that actually is a feature typical for all sociopaths), leading to partner
abuse with an interesting twist: as mood of borderlines is extremely unstable, mood swing can lead
to oscillations from rejection to frantic attempts to keep the partner by extreme measures. This is especially typical after the breakup
(often caused by their behaviour), when they suddenly change their mind, call you and say they can't live without you.
Sometimes bout of rage of such individuals occur only when they are dealing with members of you family, for example your mother.
If you withdraw from your mother they keep quite and behave nice, but instantly explode at a slight attempt to contact her. This is
a clever tactics directed on your isolation. This also often used by female sociopaths
The majority (around 96%) of hospitalized borderlines have an eating disorders
(including anorexia nervosa and bulimia). Substance abuse is another very common problem in BPD.
Due to impulsivity, or as a coping mechanism this is pretty typical problem. Many such people are also heavy smokers. 50-70% percent of psychiatric inpatients with BPD
meet criteria for a substance abuse disorder. Alcohol dependence is the most typical, but is often
combined with the abuse of other drugs., especially anti-depressants.
| The features of BPD include emotional instability, "black-and-white" thinking, intense
unstable interpersonal relationships, a need for relatedness, a fear of rejection and impulsivity.
As a result, people with BPD often evoke intense emotions in those around them.
|
Manipulation and deceit are viewed as common features of BPD by many of
those who treat the disorder as well as by the DSM-IV. Borderlines typically are
ruthless, conniving, mean, heartless, two-faced, and worse. They are perfectly able to cause
psychical harm, although unlike psychopaths they more often harm themselves than other people.
| Manipulation and deceit are viewed as common features of BPD by
many of those who treat the disorder as well as by the DSM-IV. Borderlines
typically are ruthless, conniving, mean, heartless, two-faced, and worse. |
The prevalence of BPD in the general population is 1-2%, which means that you change to encounter one are pretty high.
As we already mentioned it
is diagnosed in three times as many females as males.
| Remember BPD "troika" of traits: they are “manipulative” + “demanding” + “attention
seeking" . Recklessness, manipulation and deceit makes them almost undistinguishable
from female sociopaths |
Oscillations between idealizing and demonizing others (intense love changes to intense hate with
no "grey area") is another typical symptom (kind of bipolar relationships). This, combined with
mood swings, quickly and irrevocably undermines relationships with family, friends, and
co-workers. Threatening suicide often is the only way to keep a partner.
Suicidal or self-harming behavior is one of the core diagnostic criteria
that help to provide a differential diagnose as most listed traits are common for other
types of disorders too and first of all to female psychopaths. Female psychopaths tend not to harm themselves
and have a low suicide rate. They are kind of human Terminators. BPD
patients have high suicide rate (approximately 8-10%).
Another telling symptom is attempts to cause harm to oneself. Self-injury attempts are highly common
and may or may not be carried out with suicidal intent. Ongoing family difficulties can lead to
self-destructive behavior. Life events related to sexual abuse can be a particular trigger for
suicide attempts by adolescents with BPD tendencies. Individuals with BPD are very sensitive to the
way others treat them, reacting strongly and disproportionally to perceived criticism or hurtfulness.
They tend to view the world as generally dangerous and malevolent.
|
Individuals with BPD are very sensitive to the
way others treat them. They tend to view the world as generally dangerous and malevolent. Ongoing
family difficulties can lead to self-destructive behavior
|
Their feelings about others often shift from positive to negative, generally after a disappointment
or perceived threat of abandonment. Self-image can also change rapidly from extremely positive to extremely
negative. Studies also have revealed a strong correlation between BPD and "insecure attachment" lifestyle.
Evidence suggests that individuals with BPD, while being high in intimacy or novelty-seeking, are hyper-alert
to signs of rejection or devaluation. They naturally gravitate toward insecure, avoidant or ambivalent,
or fearfully preoccupied patterns in relationships.
In the past borderline personality disorder was classified as a subset of schizophrenia. Today it
is considered to be a separate condition which mainly describes individuals who display high emotional
instability, with paranoid ideation or delusions being only one criterion (#9) of
a total of 9 criteria, of which 5 or more must be present for diagnosis.
Colloquial and short definition of BPD is "drama queen". The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (DSM-IV-TR) defines
the following traits of borderline
personality as significant for the uncovering this condition:
A pervasive pattern of instability of
interpersonal relationships,
self-image and
affects, as well as
marked impulsivity, beginning
by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
- Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. Note: Do not include
suicidal or self-injuring behavior covered in Criterion 5
- A pattern of unstable and intense
interpersonal
relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of
idealization
and devaluation.
- Identity
disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable
self-image or
sense of self.
- Impulsivity in at
least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g.,
promiscuous sex, excessive
spending, eating disorders,
binge eating,
substance abuse,
reckless driving).
Note: Do not include suicidal or self-injuring behavior covered in Criterion 5
- Recurrent suicidal behavior,
gestures, threats or self-injuring
behavior such as cutting, interfering with the healing of scars or picking at oneself (excoriation).
- Affective
instability due to a marked reactivity of
mood (e.g., intense
episodic dysphoria, irritability
or anxiety usually lasting
a few hours and only rarely more than a few days).
- Chronic feelings of emptiness
- Inappropriate anger
or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent
physical fights).
- Transient, stress-related
paranoid ideation,
delusions or severe
dissociative
symptoms
As an exercise in diagnosing this disorder, try to apply this list to Alex from movie
Fatal Attraction. This list should be used the following
way: for each trait you need to document behaviors for the period of at least three months that support
this notion and behaviors that contradict that notion (pay especial attention for contradicting
evidence, as people usually have strong
confirmation bias). Please
note that for any DSM-IV diagnosis of any specific personality disorder a set of
general personality
disorder criteria needs also be satisfied. In this case at least five.
Exaggerated sex drive actually is pretty typical. For many borderlines life revolves around sex.
A haunting dreams of sexual obsession. such woman are perfectly able to sacrificed everything, even
her marriage and her child for one night adventure. This is just another dimension of selfishness,
if we you wish. But they can project an image of modesty and innocence. Perfectly capable of
false accusations of rape and such (as in
Wild Things with its dynamics of breaking trust.) Deception is
a tricky thing, and it appears some of the players have it mastered. And are very believable
in that. People aren't always what they appear to be. Don't forget that.
The World Health Organization's ICD-10 defines a conceptually similar disorder as Emotionally
unstable personality disorder (F60.3) with two subtypes:
F60.30 Impulsive type At least three of the following must be present, one of which must
be (2):
- Marked tendency to act unexpectedly and without consideration of the consequences;
- Marked tendency to engage in quarrelsome behavior and to have conflicts with others,
especially when impulsive acts are thwarted or criticized;
- Liability to outbursts of anger or violence, with inability to control the resulting
behavioral explosions;
- Difficulty in maintaining any course of action that offers no immediate reward;
- Unstable and capricious (impulsive, whimsical) mood.
F60.31 Borderline type At least three of the symptoms mentioned in F60.30 Impulsive type
must be present [see above], with at least two of the following in addition:
- Disturbances in and uncertainty about self-image, aims, and internal preferences;
- Liability to become involved in intense and unstable relationships, often leading to
emotional crisis;
- Excessive efforts to avoid abandonment;
- Recurrent threats or acts of self-harm;
- Chronic feelings of emptiness.
- Impulsive behavior, e.g., speeding, substance abuse
There has been limited research on the level of family members' understanding of borderline personality
disorder and the extent of burden or negative emotion experienced by family members. Parents
of individuals with BPD often show co-existing extremes of over-involvement and under-involvement.
Please note that increased levels of chronic stress and conflict in romantic relationships, decreased
satisfaction of romantic partners, abuse and unwanted pregnancy are typical for many other personality
disorders. Ongoing family difficulties can lead to self-destructive behavior
Life events related to sexual abuse can be a particular trigger for suicide attempts by adolescents
with BPD tendencies. Individuals with BPD are very sensitive to the way others treat them, reacting strongly and
disproportionally to perceived criticism or hurtfulness. from Jane’s column.
People with the disorder are said to have a thin emotional skin and often
behave like 2-year-olds, throwing tantrums when some innocent word, gesture,
facial expression or action by others sets off an emotional storm they cannot
control. The attacks can be brutal, pushing away those they care most about.
Then, when the storm subsides, they typically revert to being “sweet and
wonderful,” as one family member put it.
You can join the discussion at Jane’s column, “An
Emotional Hair Trigger, Often Misread,” if you have something to tell from personal
experience.
They tend
to view the world as generally dangerous and malevolent.
|
Individuals with BPD are very sensitive to the
way others treat themThey tend to view the world as generally dangerous and malevolent.
|
Their feelings about others often shift from positive to negative, generally after a disappointment
or perceived threat of abandonment. Self-image can also change rapidly from extremely positive to extremely
negative.
Studies also have revealed a strong correlation between BPD and insecure attachment style, the most
characteristic types being "unresolved", "preoccupied", and "fearful". Evidence suggests that
individuals with BPD, while being high in intimacy or novelty-seeking, are hyper-alert to signs
of rejection or devaluation. They naturally gravitate toward insecure, avoidant or ambivalent, or fearfully
preoccupied patterns in relationships.
In the past borderline personality disorder was classified as a subset of schizophrenia. Today is
considered to be a separate condition which describe individuals who display emotional instability,
with paranoid ideation or delusions being only one criterion (#9) of a total
of 9 criteria, of which 5 or more must be present for diagnosis.
Onset of symptoms typically occurs during adolescence or young adulthood. While borderline
personality disorder can manifest itself in children and teenagers, therapists are discouraged from
diagnosing anyone before the age of 18.
There are some instances when BPD can be evident and diagnosed before the age of 18. The DSM-IV states:
"To diagnose a personality disorder in an individual under 18 years, the features must have been
present for at least 1 year."
There is some evidence that BPD diagnosed in adolescence is predictive of the disorder continuing
into adulthood.
The large majority of borderlines have mood disorders (including clinical depression and bipolar
disorder). One telling sign is that the majority (around 96%) of hospitalized borderlines have
an eating disorders (including anorexia nervosa and bulimia).
Substance abuse is a common problem in BPD, due to impulsivity or as a coping mechanism, and
50-70% percent of psychiatric inpatients with BPD meet criteria for a substance use disorder. Alcohol
dependence is the most typical, but is often combined with the abuse of other drugs.
Bipolar depression is generally more pervasive with sleep and appetite disturbances, as well as a
marked non-reactivity of mood, whereas mood with respect to borderline personality and co-occurring
dysthymia remains markedly reactive and sleep disturbance not acute.
Some findings suggest BPD lies on a bipolar spectrum and there is biological overlap between the
affective lability criterion of borderline personality disorder and the extremely rapid cycling bipolar
disorders.
Evidence further suggests that BPD might result from a combination that can involve a traumatic childhood,
a vulnerable temperament and psychological traumas during adolescence or adulthood.
Numerous studies have shown a strong correlation between child abuse, especially
child sexual abuse, and development of BPD.
Many individuals with BPD have a history of abuse and neglect as young children, having been verbally,
emotionally, physically or sexually abused by caregivers of either gender. There has also been a high
incidence of reported incest and loss of caregivers in early childhood for people with borderline personality
disorder. They were also much more likely to report having caregivers (of both genders) deny the validity
of their thoughts and feelings. They were also reported to have failed to provide needed protection,
and neglected their child's physical care. Parents (of both sexes) were typically reported to have withdrawn
from the child emotionally, and to have treated the child inconsistently. Additionally, women with BPD
who reported a previous history of neglect by a female caregiver and abuse by a male caregiver were
consequently at significantly higher risk of claiming sexual abuse by a noncaregiver (not a parent).
It has been suggested that children who experience chronic early maltreatment tend to develop borderline
personality disorder.
Some findings suggest that BPD is not necessarily a trauma-spectrum disorder, and may be biologically
distinct from the post-traumatic stress disorder. The personality symptom clusters seem to be related
to specific abuses, but they may also be related to other persistent aspects of interpersonal and family
environments in childhood.
Otto Kernberg formulated a theory of borderline personality based on a premise of failure to develop
in childhood. Writing in the psychoanalytic tradition, Kernberg argued that failure to achieve the developmental
task of psychic clarification of self and other can result in an increased risk to develop varieties
of psychosis, while failure to overcome splitting results in an increased risk to develop a borderline
personality.
An overview of the existing literature suggested that traits related to BPD are influenced by genes.
A major twin study found that if one identical twin met criteria for BPD, the other also met criteria
in 35%t of cases. People that have BPD influenced by genes usually have
a close relative with the disorder. Twin, sibling and other family studies indicate a
partially inheritable basis for impulsive aggression, but studies of serotonin-related genes
to date have suggested only modest contributions to behavior.
Other research has examined whether the negative affectivity associated with BPD—that is, the tendency
to often feel anger, contempt, guilt, nervousness, and other negative feelings — can be helped by the
technique of thought suppression, or consciously trying not to think certain thoughts. The results of
this study found that thought suppression mediated the relationship between negative affectivity and
BPD symptoms. While negative affectivity significantly predicted BPD symptoms, this relationship was
greatly reduced when thought suppression was introduced into the model. Thus, the relationship of negative
affectivity to BPD symptoms is mediated by thought suppression.
Since the earliest record of medical history, the coexistence of intense, divergent moods within
an individual has been recognized by such writers as Homer, Hippocrates and Aretaeus, the last describing
the vacillating presence of impulsive anger, melancholia and mania within a single person.
the vacillating presence of impulsive anger
After medieval suppression of the concept, it was revived by Swiss physician Théophile Bonet in 1684,
who, using the term folie maniaco-mélancolique,[n 6] noted the erratic and unstable moods with periodic
highs and lows that rarely followed a regular course. His observations were followed by those of other
writers who noted the same pattern, including writers such as the American psychiatrist C. Hughes in
1884 and J.C. Rosse in 1890, who described "borderline insanity"[citation needed]. Kraepelin,
in 1921, identified an "excitable personality" that closely parallels the borderline features
outlined in the current concept of borderline.[n 1]
Adolf Stern wrote the first significant psychoanalytic work to use the term "borderline" in 1938
referring to a group of patients with what was thought to be a mild form of schizophrenia,
on the borderline between neurosis and psychosis. For the
next decade the term was in popular and colloquial use, a loosely conceived designation mostly used
by theorists of the psychoanalytic and biological schools of thought. Increasingly, theorists who focused
on the operation of social forces were recognized as well.
The 1960s and 1970s saw a shift from thinking of the borderline syndrome as borderline schizophrenia
to thinking of it as an mood disorder, on the fringes of manic depression, cyclothymia and dysthymia.
In DSM-II, stressing the affective components, it was called cyclothymic personality (affective personality).
The term "borderline" has been described as uniquely inadequate for suggesting the kinds of signs
and symptoms characteristic of BPD.
Several films portraying characters either explicitly diagnosed or with traits strongly suggestive
of mental illness have been the subject of discussion by certain psychiatrists and film experts. They
can be used as a training material to improve understanding and recognizing this disorder and they help
deeper correlate the descriptions in books and articles to the actual case you deal with. Consider them
as a valuable educational material.
The films Play Misty for Me and Fatal Attraction are two classic films
depicting BPD, as is the memoir Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (and the movie based
on it, with Winona Ryder as Kaysen). Each of these films highlight the emotional instability of
a person with such a disorder; however, the first two movies show a person more aggressive to others
than to herself, which in fact is less typical.
The 1992 film Single White Female suggests different aspects of the disorder: the character
Hedy suffers from a markedly disturbed sense of identity and, as with the first two films, abandonment
leads to drastic measures.
The character of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in the Star Wars films has been "diagnosed" as having
BPD. Psychiatrists Eric Bui and Rachel Rodgers have argued that the character meets six of the nine
diagnostic criteria; Bui also found Anakin a useful example to explain BPD to medical students. In particular,
Bui points to the character's abandonment issues, uncertainty over his identity and violent dissociative
episodes.
The film Borderline, based on the book of the same name by Marie-Sissi Labrèche, attempts to explore
BPD through its main character, Kiki. Other films attempting to depict characters with the disorder
include
-
Mad Love with Chris O'Donnell Drew Barrymore, Antonia Bird, Paula Milne, David Manson
-
Mental
illness doesn't have an ugly face
By
K. Tolbert on September 20, 2002
Drew Barrymore's performance as an overprotected, free spirit tortured by mental illness is
very real. As her character unfolded, I completely recognized myself prior to my bipolar diagnosis.
I watched the beautiful, young Casey (Barrymore) teeter between mania and depression.
I watched
her hurt the people who loved her most. I watched her ruin her life. It was difficult for me to
watch this movie, but I highly recommend it to anyone affected by bipolar disorder, whether yourself
or someone you love.
Zack H. on July 22, 2005
An
underrated gem!This film is about a high schooler named Matt (Chris O'Donnell) who has a crush on free spirited
Casey (Drew Barrymore), so he finally gets the guts to ask her out, and they go to a punk rock
concert together. They start to really like each other, and become boyfriend and girlfriend. One
night, Matt sees Casey fighting with her parents, and she tells Matt that her father thinks Matt
is a bad influence and that her father doesn't want Matt to see her anymore. Sooner or later,
Matt hears that Casey has been put in the hospital, due to the fact that she tried to commit suicide
by taking sleeping pills. Matt helps her escape, and the two lovebirds take a road trip against
parental wishes. Along their way to Mexico, they encounter a sellsman who tries to hit on Casey,
and Casey begins to experience depression episodes again. Matt learns that Casey is Bi-Polar,
and he tries to comfort her the only way he knows how. He decides his only option is to get her
help, so he decides to call her parents. She attempts to commit suicide again, telling Matt that
she doesn't want to be sick anymore and that she doesn't want to be locked up. Matt talks her
out of it, and they return home, so that Casey can recieve medical treatment. This film may or
may not sound interesting, but it's a great film nevertheless. Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell
give excellent performances. Recommended.
-
Malicious Molly Ringwald, John Vernon, Patrick McGaw, Mimi Kuzyk, Sarah Lassez, Rick Henrickson,
Jennifer Copping,
-
Interiors Diane Keaton, Geraldine Page, Kristin Griffith, Mary Beth Hurt, Richard Jordan,
E.G. Marshall
- basically, a wealthy lawyer father with a mentally ill wife and three grown children, divorces
the wife and remarries a healthy, robust widow. the mother continues to shatter and the three
daughters try to find their own lives apart from their parents' lifelong unhappiness.
there are many great performances in this ensemble piece but the world class one is geraldine
page's as the shattered ex wife. she is magnificent. she is completely unsympathetic and your
most constant wish for her is that she just die. every detail about her is perfectly rendered.
her entire life is minimalist elegance. her only real interest is interior decor but all she can
make is one cold, austere room after another. she constantly redoes rooms because she is never
satisfied with them. she obsesses about the tiniest details such as the palest and slenderest
of vases, the exact right stripping of the hardwood floors, small white lamps by which one can
barely see, and an appearance all in black or monotones with hair scraped back into the tighest
twist. she is ugly in so many ways as she tries to find beauty and art with paintings which are
empty of content.
-
Notes on a Scandal Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Tom Georgeson, Michael Maloney
- This grim drama of sexual manipulation is a story where almost everyone is a victim. Judi
Dench (Barbara) plays the chilling role of the lonely spinster teacher who befriends young women
with the goal of possessing them. Cate Blanchett (Sheba) is a dreamy, artistic young mother, who,
after years of caring for a Down's Syndrome son, goes back to work as an art teacher at a rough
London school. Barbara trains her sights on Sheba as she struggles with the chaos in the school
and helps her out, but then discovers a secret to hold over her.
Judi Dench manages to portray a woman who is despicable and pitiable at the same time, while Blanchett
draws on our sympathy despite unforgivable transgressions. The themes are very disturbing, and
there's no happy ending--Barbara moves on while the other characters pick up the pieces. Blanchett's
young art student may be the only one to emerge unscathed--but I won't say more. This film is
most definitely for adults only, and some will be offended by the subject matter. But Dench gives
a magnificent performance, as always.
-
The Cable Guy Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann, George Segal
- Thanx to Jim Carrey's funny guy professionalism this flick can raise some interests from funny
audiences. I 1st thought the movie was strange and scary when i was a kid. But now? I don't consider
it to be THAT scary but still strange. I mean it's scary to know that YOU know a spychotic man
(even though u don't have any idea about it at 1st) doing whatever it takes and i mean WHATEVER
I TAKES to be a friend and if u don't agree to an alliance with him and only him or else he'll
become like a plague or something and haunt u, even in your dreams, lol. It's spooky. That's probably
worst than a stalker=) ...I give this flick 3 stars be cause Jim DID kinda saved the movie especially
when he battled mathew on a medieval times 'play for fun' fight.
-
Mr. Nobody Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Jaco Van Dormael
- The film by itself is an intriguing proposal about what if you make a decision instead another
one. So, when you decide to make a decision a set of unchained events will undertake, but perhaps
they are very related. Reality or existential fiction. In last instance, the destiny is the way
you live.
Of course, there have been many others related films, in which "The butterfly effect" the randomness
and the destiny's trickeries are extremely united. A man close to death ponders the many lives
he might have led in this fantasy from director and screenwriter Jaco van Dormael. 117-year-old
Nemo Nobody (Jared Leto) is ill and facing his last days as he looks back on his past and a particular
crucial moment -- at the age of nine, Nemo's parents divorced, and as his mother (Natasha Little)
and father (Rhys Ifans) stood on a train platform, he had to choose who he would go with, and
whether he would live in the United States or Great Britain. Either choice would bring with it
a wide variety of possibilities regarding the sort of life he would lead, and Nemo imagines nearly
all of them, including two different wives -- sweet but emotionally blank Jeanne (Linh-Dan Pham)
and lovely but troubled Elise (Sarah Polley) -- and another woman, Anna (Diane Kruger), whom he
loves but can not marry. But as Nemo considers the many different paths his life could have taken,
his memory begins to fail him, and he finds it increasingly difficult to be certain which was
his real life and which is a product of his imagination. Mr. Nobody also stars Thomas Byrne as
nine-year-old Nemo and Toby Regbo as Nemo in his teenage years.
-
Closer Clive Owen, Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Mike Nichols
- This movie is RAW. If you want a feel good, bubble gum and lollipops type of movie, this is
not for you.
This is one of the BEST character studies I have seen in a long time. It's ugly, it's raw, but
it's REAL and that could be why some felt so ill at ease. To like this movie is to accept that
people really are this selfish and ugly-hearted. This could very well happen and that's what turns
your stomach.
By far, Clive Owen owns this movie! You are disgusted by him from beginning to end, but find yourself
rooting for him on several occasions, then mad at yourself that you are doing so. But then when
you look at the alternative for Anna (Julia Roberts) in Dan (Jude Law), you allow yourself the
moral misstep. Dan is quietly selfish and insecure. You realize early on there's an invisible
bar that he's set that no one can meet or sustain.
At the end of this movie, you'll ask yourself (in regards to family, friends, and intimate relationships)
are you the one setting the unrealistic bar, or are you the one trying to meet one? Are you being
yourself while also allowing others to be who they are.
"Alice" was played BRILLIANTLY by Natalie Portman. She had the right balance of tough chick and
little-girl-lost. You clearly understood she was someone who wanted to be loved and accepted "as
is" flawed and all. Doesn't everyone? She was the only innocent one, so to speak, in the entire
quadrangle. She gave her body at the end masking her rejection and hurt. We all know someone whose
done this or continues to do this. Although clearly misguided, Alice is the only one who didn't
maliciously or selfishly hurt someone she claimed to love.
What makes Larry so remarkable is that he understood they were all flawed INCLUDING HIMSELF, but
unlike Dan, accepted it. He knew Anna was a depressive. She didn't have to stay "up" and perfect
for him. Larry allowed her to have her blue funks because he knew exactly what made her function
comfortably. He was quite content in lifting and supporting her in her art of "photographing sad
people beautifully" as Alice said, hitting the Anna nail right on the head. Anna was beautiful
to the world, but was sad upon closer inspection. Dan never even realized her condition because
it was all about him. Larry understood 'you are what you are,' anything better than that was a
great moment. Because he understood this, he knew how to manipulate and orchestrate them all into
ultimately getting what he wanted. Dan never got "it" in regard to his relationships because again,
it was about him and distracting from his own securities. He had lived and supposedly loved Anna,
but didn't really know her - same for "Alice." Any revelations as to who they really were, came
from outside sources.
Alice told Larry hidden truths about herself because he was totally open with her - nothing hidden
which in turn made her comfortable enough to talk.
Julia gave a great understated performance. She wasn't overly emotional, she didn't rely on her
sexuality, she simply existed from moment-to-moment as a depressive does.
I challenge anyone who hated the ugliness of this movie to rewatch it with new eyes.
-
Cracks Eva Green, Maria Valverde, Jordan Scott
- Jordan Scott, niece of director Tony Scott who with his brother Ridley Scott serve a executive
producers of this film, makes and impressive debut as a director/writer (with Ben Court and Caroline
Ip) in this intensely interesting and well crafted adaptation of Sheila Kohler's novel CRACKS.
This is a period piece (1934) that takes place in St. Mathilda's School in Stanley Island, England,
an isolated all girl British boarding school. The mood is one of gothic evil where rich young
girls participate in the cloistered rigid education imposed by the matrons of the school -Miss
Nieven (Sinéad Cusack), Matron (Helen Norton), and Miss Lacey (Deirdre Donnelly) - whose chief
concern is to guard the reputation of the school at all costs, and lightened only by the presence
of the swimming/diving coach Miss G (Eva Green) whom the girls admire for her exotic beauty, worldliness,
supposed travel around the world, and her possessiveness of her brood.
One of the girls, Di (Juno Temple in a brilliant performance), is the team captain and the apparent
favorite of Miss G - until the sudden arrival of a beautiful Spanish girl Fiamma (María Valverde)
who tends to set herself apart form the rest of the claque (Di, Poppy (Imogen Poots), Lily (Ellie
Nunn), Fuzzy (Clemmie Dugdale), Laurel (Adele McCann) and Rosie (Zoë Carroll). Fiamma is an expert
diver and her gifts as a sportsman as well as her beauty attract Miss G, replacing Di as her favorite.
In jealous rage Di gathers the claque and plans the exit of this unwanted intruder. How this backfires
and increases Miss G's attraction to Fiamma leads down another path of evil that pulls this little
tale of terror to a surprising end.
Eva Green manages to make Miss G a fascinating character and her gradual obsession with Fiamma
and the direction that takes her is a very fine performance. But the entire cast - girls and teachers
- is superb, especially Juno Temple in a career making role. The cinematography by John Mathieson
finds both the haunting beauty of the isolated St. Mathilde's School and the splendid panoramas
of nature add immeasurably to the film as does the musical score by Javier Navarette - a score
that combines Anglican hymns with gentle piano music. This is a triumph for all concerned and
bodes well for the career of Jordan Scott. Grady Harp, October 11
-
Crash
The memoir Songs of Three Islands by Millicent Monks is a meditation on how BPD affects several
generations of the wealthy Carnegie family. In Lois McMaster Bujold's science fiction novel Komarr,
Tien Vorsoisson has BPD; his disorder drives a large part of the story.
The diagnosis of BPD has been criticized from a feminist perspective. This is because some of the
diagnostic criteria/symptoms of the disorder uphold common gender stereotypes about women. For example,
the criteria of "a pattern of unstable personal relationships, unstable self-image, and instability
of mood," can all be linked to the stereotype that women are "neither decisive nor constant".
Some think that people with BPD commonly have a history of sexual abuse
in childhood.
One feminist critique suggests that BPD is a stigmatizing diagnosis that can sometimes evoke negative
responses from health care providers, and additionally, that women who have survived sexual abuse in
childhood are therefore sometimes re-traumatized by any such abusive mental health service. The question
has also been raised of why women are three times more likely to be diagnosed with BPD than men. However,
other stigmatizing diagnoses, such as Antisocial Personality Disorder are diagnosed three times as often
in men than women.
Some feminist writers have suggested it would be better to give these women the diagnosis of a post-traumatic
disorder as this would acknowledge their abuse, but others have argued that the use of the PTSD
diagnosis merely medicalizes abuse rather than addressing the root causes in society.
Women may be more likely to receive a personality disorder diagnosis if they reject the female role
by being hostile, successful or sexually active; alternatively if a woman has psychiatric symptoms but
does not conform to a traditional passive sick role, she may be labeled as a "difficult" patient and
given the stigmatizing diagnosis of BPD.
Softpanorama Recommended
Society
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Two Party System
as Polyarchy :
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Bureaucracies :
Understanding Micromanagers
and Control Freaks : Toxic Managers :
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Diplomatic Communication
: Surviving a Bad Performance
Review : Insufficient Retirement Funds as
Immanent Problem of Neoliberal Regime : PseudoScience :
Who Rules America :
Neoliberalism
: The Iron
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Libertarian Philosophy
Quotes
War and Peace
: Skeptical
Finance : John
Kenneth Galbraith :Talleyrand :
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Otto Von Bismarck :
Keynes :
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Skeptics :
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quotes : Language Design and Programming Quotes :
Random IT-related quotes :
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Bulletin:
Vol 25, No.12 (December, 2013) Rational Fools vs. Efficient Crooks The efficient
markets hypothesis :
Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2013 :
Unemployment Bulletin, 2010 :
Vol 23, No.10
(October, 2011) An observation about corporate security departments :
Slightly Skeptical Euromaydan Chronicles, June 2014 :
Greenspan legacy bulletin, 2008 :
Vol 25, No.10 (October, 2013) Cryptolocker Trojan
(Win32/Crilock.A) :
Vol 25, No.08 (August, 2013) Cloud providers
as intelligence collection hubs :
Financial Humor Bulletin, 2010 :
Inequality Bulletin, 2009 :
Financial Humor Bulletin, 2008 :
Copyleft Problems
Bulletin, 2004 :
Financial Humor Bulletin, 2011 :
Energy Bulletin, 2010 :
Malware Protection Bulletin, 2010 : Vol 26,
No.1 (January, 2013) Object-Oriented Cult :
Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2011 :
Vol 23, No.11 (November, 2011) Softpanorama classification
of sysadmin horror stories : Vol 25, No.05
(May, 2013) Corporate bullshit as a communication method :
Vol 25, No.06 (June, 2013) A Note on the Relationship of Brooks Law and Conway Law
History:
Fifty glorious years (1950-2000):
the triumph of the US computer engineering :
Donald Knuth : TAoCP
and its Influence of Computer Science : Richard Stallman
: Linus Torvalds :
Larry Wall :
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CTSS : Multix OS Unix
History : Unix shell history :
VI editor :
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: Programming Languages History :
PL/1 : Simula 67 :
C :
History of GCC development :
Scripting Languages :
Perl history :
OS History : Mail :
DNS : SSH
: CPU Instruction Sets :
SPARC systems 1987-2006 :
Norton Commander :
Norton Utilities :
Norton Ghost :
Frontpage history :
Malware Defense History :
GNU Screen :
OSS early history
Classic books:
The Peter
Principle : Parkinson
Law : 1984 :
The Mythical Man-Month :
How to Solve It by George Polya :
The Art of Computer Programming :
The Elements of Programming Style :
The Unix Hater’s Handbook :
The Jargon file :
The True Believer :
Programming Pearls :
The Good Soldier Svejk :
The Power Elite
Most popular humor pages:
Manifest of the Softpanorama IT Slacker Society :
Ten Commandments
of the IT Slackers Society : Computer Humor Collection
: BSD Logo Story :
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: ARE YOU A BBS ADDICT? :
The Perl Purity Test :
Object oriented programmers of all nations
: Financial Humor :
Financial Humor Bulletin,
2008 : Financial
Humor Bulletin, 2010 : The Most Comprehensive Collection of Editor-related
Humor : Programming Language Humor :
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Greenspan humor : C Humor :
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Real Programmers Humor :
Web Humor : GPL-related Humor
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IDS Humor :
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2011 : Financial
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Viruses Humor : Bright tomorrow is rescheduled
to a day after tomorrow : Classic Computer
Humor
The Last but not Least Technology is dominated by
two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage and those who manage what they do not understand ~Archibald Putt.
Ph.D
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