Introduction to Psychology

Malikhao Nawinda
Movie Analysis Essay # 1

!
!

5761075
26/9/16

Benjamin Buttons Movie Analysis

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) is a movie about a man who was born in

Buttons family after The First World War has ended with an aging face, so his father decided to
abandoned him by leaving him at the nursing home. Fortunately, Queenie,a woman who works at
nursing home, decided to raise him up as her child while her be loving,Mr. Weathers, doesn't
want to take care of Benjamin. At the age of 17 Benjamin started to find his job and also his
body be more masculine continuously. Nine years later , Benjamin becomes as an adult but not
completely. After his body has fully be the same as young male he decides to marry with Daisy,a
woman he has falling in love with. Then she gave a birth of a lovely girl but Benjamin has left
his daughter since she was a baby and travel all around the world by himself and died as an
ordinary baby. This essay discusses the development of Benjamin related to psychologys theory.
The first theory which appears in Benjamins infancy life is physical development in
infancys capacity,composes of feeling,emotional expressions, and interaction without spreading
out the words. It was clear that his actions and feeling just like any other child who depends on
their parents for basic needs such as suppler, shelter, and love. As it has shown in the scene that
Mr. Weathers steps on Benjamins body and he cries loudly which implies feeling of hurt .
Another scene that shows his feeling is at 16.34 minutes of the movie that the old lady said that
hes smiling which implies that he has feelings and he can feel the changes of temperature
around himself and smile when he is happy.

The second theory that occurs in this stage is Perceptual Development Theory which
babies start to learn and know things around themselves.It begins at the age of 0 which is less
than a year and continue to the age of twelve.
Moving to his childhood, his brain and his thinking process has grown from infancy
phase in knowing what can do and what can not do by learning from mistakes he did and also
recognize things around him.His action infers to Object permanence Theory and representation
thought in realizing that object still exist when hidden from sight,play a roll in the scene that
Benjamin finds the way home after Mr. Oti left him. He knows that his home is real despite he
has to find it.
Cognitive Development Theory stage of learning starts at the age of zero to twelve
appears in this phase as he learned how to memorize and develop his brain to be more
complexed. As he grows up from infancy phase his brain can be able to cope with more
complicated information. For instance, in the scene that he is banging the folk like a child then
Queenie takes it away from him and wears a napkin for him. After his mother blames him about
banging thing he learns from his mistakes he did and not do it again.
At this phase, he has learned basic skills from perceptual person. Because he is a child, he
still need some help from people who is skillful until he can function independently. This is
related to Vygotskys Zone Of Proximal Development theory,children develop slowly in stages
until they can function independently as they can do things properly with a little more guidance
from a More Knowledgeable Other to help them success their tasks. It can be seen in the scene
that Mr.Weathers helps him to pronounce a word which helps him to say word properly, and the
scene he learns piano skill from an old lady.

Entering adolescence phase is the period following the onset of puberty during which a
young person develops from a child into an adult.changes Consequently,Benjamin starts to
communicate with other peoples instead of his mother. Before he hasnt contact to teenager at the
same age but his family.However, he starts to interact with them. In the scene that he is staying in
the ship with other crews and interacting with them which represents Social Learning Theory by
talking to other peoples despite his mother.
Commonly, his sexual and physical development has changed at this stage.His body
enhances to be more mature and masculine.This changes is related to Levisons Theory of Male
Development.In the scene that he starts to have sex with a woman which shows his puberty. Also
his body is more masculine as it can be seen in the bathtub scene that he has a shock reaction to
the changes.
He also be more independent at this stage. Significantly, in the scene he leaves his home
for work which he starts to speak with another peoples instead of his family. This represents
Social Learning Theory which can be seen in the scene that he is staying in the ship with other
crews and interact with them.
Benjamin has developed in vary way, whether physical and sexual development and
personal development. All these changes are inferred to Levisons Theory of Male Development
masculine in men at the adolescence phase appears in the scene his muscle is growing and
also his height. He starts to have sex with a woman like normal guy.
At adulthood stage,Benjamins actions or behaviors that appears in the film is develop to
be as usual as normal guy. He starts to imitate other peoples actions. Eriksons Theory of
Identity Crisis appears at this stage which is focusing on the adaptive and creative characteristic

of the ego, and expanding the notion of the stages of personality development to include the
entire lifespan. For instance, in the scene he left his home and worked with captain Mike for a
while.He tries to act like captain Mick such as drinking and have sax with prostitude. He heard
that captain Mike needs more crews to join in World War II,so he decided to dedicated himself to
the war. During the war,captain Mike was killed and he and his friend are the surviver. He has
learned about morality by looking at many dead bodies in the war. After that event he perceive
that one day he will pass away in an infant body,so he is well-prepare what is going to happen
soon.
Step forward to the last stage of his life ,old age.There are several theories that occurred.
First is Emotion Development Theory. His feeling change rapidly such as angry,depress,and sad
which caused by short term memory loss. For instance, the scene he reacts aggressively to the
black lady because he thought he didnt have breakfast yet,but actually he did.
The second theory is Kubler-Rosss 5 Stages of dying ,but only the forth and fifth
stage,depression and acceptance, are related to this phase. Normally, most people die at
depression stage,but Benjamin has already accept the death,thus he steps to acceptance stage. For
example, At the end of the movie, he has a baby with Daisy,but he realizes that his body is
continually get younger and younger.He doesnt want his daughter to see himself as her
friend,subsequently, he feels depress. Another example which show his acceptance is on the
scene he sells his fathers possession to provide money for his family then he leaves them.He
doesnt forget to send a birthday card from all country he has visited to his daughter which
implied that he accepts thing that will be happened soon,death.

In conclusion, this movie is a great depiction of stages and theories of human

development. In his infancy phase he still cant talk but cry while childhood phase he begins to
develop his thinking process to be more complex than before.His physical and sexual
development have changed rapidly at adolescence phase, before his behavior and brain act like
normal adult in adulthood phase.Then his brain immediately suffers with shot term memory
loss,resulting in the old age of his life.
In my opinion, this movie shows rare case of human disease which each stage is related
to psychologys theories that I have learned from the classes. Consequently,I can remember all
those theories easier than before and also I have learned analyzing skill from this movie because
each stage of Benjamins life has psychologys theories inside. In addition,we cant judge other
by their physical appearance,but we have to know their thought and emotion before we decide
whether they are good or bad.

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
References

1. Fincher, D. (Director). (2008, December 25). The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons [Video
file]. In The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons. Retrieved from http://fmovies.to/film/thecurious-case-of-benjamin-button.l36n/w17xk4
2. P. Grande, G. L. (2012, August 21). Psychology Reaction Paper FINAL. Retrieved from
https://www.scribd.com/doc/103474615/Psychology-Reaction-Paper-FINAL
3. McLennan, R. (n.d.). Article excerpt. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/library/
journal/1P3-3495378431/aging-adaptation-and-the-curious-cases-of-benjamin
4. McLeod, S. (2010). Zone of Proximal Development. Retrieved from http://
www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html
5. Staff, M. C. (2013, August 1). Diagnosing Alzheimer's: How Alzheimer's is diagnosed.
Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/
alzheimers/art-20048075

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!