Seven Pounds Psychological Analysis
For our third quarter project, we watched Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith. There are many psychological issues dealt with in the film but we have researched two concepts that we believe were key. The first psychological concept was depression. It played a large role in the film, as it guided the main character’s actions throughout the film. The second psychological concept was post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It played a large role in the film, as it explains the main character’s aberrant behavior.
Seven Pounds is a film about a man named Tim. While in the process of reading a text message, Tim causes a car accident that causes the death of seven people, including his wife. Over the next couple of years, Tim suffers from depression and he begins to develop a plan that he believes will bring redemption. The plan consists of Tim donating parts of his body to seven other people; the catch, however, is the seven people must be “good” people. The plan begins with Tim donating a lung to his brother, an IRS employee. The next candidate is child services worker named Holly who receives part of Tim’s liver. In need of still five more candidates, Tim finds George, a hockey coach, who is given a kidney and a young boy, Nicholas, who gets a bone marrow. Contacting Holly allows Tim to come into contact with his fifth candidate, a mother of two, named Connie. Connie is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend but is unable to escape. Tim then moves into a motel and he signs over his beach home to Connie and her children, offering them a place of safety. In order to find two more deserving individuals, Tim steals his brother’s IRS credentials that give him access to many different people. The last two people are Ezra, a blind salesman, and Emily, a young woman in need of a heart. Realizing that both candidates are good people, Tim suddenly begins to fall in love with Emily. As Emily’s condition worsens, Tim decides that it is time to finish his plan. After spending a final night with Emily, Tim dumps ice into a bathtub (to preserve his vital organs), gets inside of the bathtub, and releases a jellyfish that ends his life. The closing scene consists of Ezra, who has received Tim’s eyes, and Emily, who has received Tim’s heart, meeting for the first time.
Depression is defined by Webster’s dictionary as a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies. According to Myers’ textbook, there are two depression disorders, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Major depressive disorder is present when there are signs of lethargy, feelings of worthlessness, or loss of interest in family, friends, and activities. Bipolar disorder is a disorder in which a person fluctuates between extreme feelings of hopelessness of depression and an overexcited state of mania. While a specific cause of depression is unknown, there are several factors that appear to influence the mental disorder such as biological differences, neurotransmitters, hormones, inherited traits, early childhood trauma, and life events (www.MayoClinic.com). Symptoms include feelings of sadness or unhappiness, loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities, agitation or restlessness, angry outbursts, and frequent thoughts of dying (www.MayoClinic.com).
The movie accurately depicts Smith’s character as depressed in Seven Pounds. Throughout the film, the main character Tim exhibits many of the symptoms of depression. For example, Tim is consistently sad and he loses an interest in continuing his career as a passionate aeronautical engineer. In addition, Tim has many angry outbursts and is in constant thought about death, especially as he executes his plan to donate specific parts of his body to his deserving candidates. In Tim’s case, the cause of the depression is a life event. The film pieces together a car accident in which Tim took the life of seven people, including that of his wife. It appears that Tim has never recovered from the incident. Tim appears to have a combination of both major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Major depressive disorder is present in the fact that Tim lives the last two years of his life in a depressed state with a loss of interest in his previously normal activities. Bipolar disorder appears in the rapid and intense shifts of mood Tim undergoes throughout the film. Seven Pounds paints a factual picture of depression because Tim shows definite signs of the mental disorder after a specific life experience significantly alters his life in such a way that Tim is unable to cope normally again.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined by Myers’ textbook as an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience. Such traumatic experiences range from a severe accident or physical injury to the withstanding of abuse (www.medicinenet.com). PTSD is present when one relives the trauma through memories, flashbacks, or nightmares, evades from society, or experiences hyperarousal in the form of sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, irritability, anger, blackouts or memory issues, heightened tendency of being startled, or fixation on discerning threats (www.medincenet.com). For the diagnosis of PTSD, one reliving symptom, three societal withdrawal symptoms, and two hyperarousal symptoms must be manifested (www.medicinenet.com). According to Myers’ textbook, those who have suffered often develop a heightened sensitivity to suffering and empathy for others who suffer, a deepened sense of responsibility, and a greater ability to care for others. Such symptoms must be present for at least one month and must be the impetus for significant impairment (www.medicinenet.com).
The film accurately displays Smith’s character as one who suffers from PTSD. Throughout the movie, Tim displays many symptoms of PTSD. For example, he endures the traumatic experience of causing a deadly car accident that takes the lives of seven people, including that of his wife. It is this event to which his PTSD can be attributed. The memory of this occurrence haunts Tim, as it appears in his dreams and consumes his thoughts leaving him enveloped in guilt. In addition, he exhibits a great loss of interest which is evidenced through his changing goals and relationships. After the accident, he dismisses his once passionate drive in an aeronautical engineering career. In his relationship with his brother, he seeks distance and ultimately withdraws. Tim displays symptoms of hyperarousal through irritability and anger, as is demonstrated through his abrasive treatment of others. In addition, through the accident, he develops a heightened sensitivity to suffering and empathy for others who suffer, a deepened sense of responsibility, and a greater ability to care for others. For example, because he took seven lives, he possesses a compelling conviction that it is his responsibility to drastically improve the lives of seven deserving candidates, for this is the only means by which he could make amends. He plans to accomplish this goal through the donation of his own organs. In order to fulfill such a purpose, he takes his own life. Through the donation of his own organs, he displays an empathy for those who suffer because he himself has suffered, a sense of responsibility, and a care for the condition of others. Not only do Tim’s symptoms persist in excess of one month, but he also never appears to recover from the traumatic occurrence, thus revealing that his functioning is greatly impaired. For these reasons, the movie Seven Pounds accurately depicts PTSD.
In conclusion, Seven Pounds is an accurate portrayal of depression and PTSD. The main character’s unusual behavior is characteristic of both psychological disorders. Through acquiring knowledge of the disorders, the viewer is able to identify symptoms. This enables the viewer to then better explain and understand Tim’s behavior that arose after a life-altering, traumatic event. Seven Pounds greatly adds to a student’s knowledge of the disorders because it presents a concrete example of what they may look like in the life of an everyday person.
