Welcome back to Analyze Scripts, where a psychiatrist and a therapist analyze what Hollywood gets right and wrong about mental health. Today, we're analyzing one of Dr. Furey's favorite movies - the 2008 comedy "Step Brothers" starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. In this lighthearted episode, we use the comedic depiction of two 40-something year-old men living with their parents to discuss failure to launch syndrome and common difficulties encountered when blending families. We also explore the depiction of an enabling vs dismissive parent, the thrapist-patient dynamics between Brennan and Denise, and the classic narcissistic traits embodied by evil older brother Derek. We hope you enjoy!

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[00:10] Dr. Katrina Furey: Hi, I'm Dr. Katrina Fury, a psychiatrist.

[00:12] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And I'm Portia Pendleton, a licensed clinical social worker.

[00:16] Dr. Katrina Furey: And this is Analyze Scripts, a podcast where two shrinks analyze the depiction of mental health in movies and TV shows.

[00:23] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Our hope is that you learn some legit info about mental health while feeling like you're chatting with your girlfriends.

[00:28] Dr. Katrina Furey: There is so much misinformation out there, and it drives us nuts.

[00:32] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And if someday we pay off our student loans or land a sponsorship, like.

[00:36] Dr. Katrina Furey: With a lay flat airline or a major beauty brand, even better.

[00:39] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So sit back, relax, grab some popcorn.

[00:42] Dr. Katrina Furey: And your DSM Five and enjoy. Welcome back for another episode. I am personally thrilled to be talking about one of my favorite movies of all time, the 2008 smash hit Step Brothers. I feel like in rewatching it for this podcast, I didn't even need to. I know every single line of dialogue, but I still love it so much.

[01:20] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I think my husband's favorite movie of all time.

[01:23] Dr. Katrina Furey: Yes. This movie also happens to always be on every time I'm in a hotel on TBS or where they're censoring a lot of the dialogue. It's still funny.

[01:34] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Yeah. This movie is just, like, iconic. The cast is ridiculous. Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Adam Scott. We have Mary Steenbergen, who's also the mom and elf.

[01:46] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yes.

[01:46] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Which we're going to be will Ferrell. So it's just like I think he likes working with her. She likes working with him. It's just they're great.

[01:53] Dr. Katrina Furey: I love it. Yeah.

[01:54] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Her voice and her mannerisms, I just love.

[01:57] Dr. Katrina Furey: She was so good in this role. Like, all the times when her and Richard Jenkins, who plays Jobak, like, when you can tell he's trying to lay down the law, and she's like, Robert thinks we agree. It's time for you to move, know. Or like, when he's so mad they destroyed his boat with the boats and host thing. And she's like, I am so upset that you two destroyed his boat. That being said, I thought you showed a lot of enthusiasm and inventiveness. And I was like, in some ways, you're so enabling them, but in other ways, that's so loving.

[02:33] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: She reminds me a lot of the actress herself and the roles that she's playing reminds me of the wife in What About Bob?

[02:43] Dr. Katrina Furey: Yes.

[02:44] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: She plays similar roles. She has a very similar cadence.

[02:48] Dr. Katrina Furey: The way she sort of like light, airy voice. I totally agree. Totally agree. And then we have Catherine Hahn as Alice, who is Adam Scott's wife. What do you think about the scene with them in the car with their children singing?

[03:04] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I sing along every time. It is so funny. I think I sing this in the car sometimes with know, I'm not a great like, I can tell that I'm not good, so I have an ear.

[03:17] Dr. Katrina Furey: And I know you're not the little boy's role.

[03:20] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: No.

[03:20] Dr. Katrina Furey: You might be Catherine. I think I'm her.

[03:22] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And someone can yell, flat.

[03:24] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Flat.

[03:25] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: One $200 voice lessons a week. Offer this. And I was like, wow, that is so mean. So mean.

[03:32] Dr. Katrina Furey: He is so mean to everyone. Right?

[03:35] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Like, brutal, slurs aside. Like, mean.

[03:44] Dr. Katrina Furey: Do you think he is a narcissist?

[03:47] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I think that he is a not human person. I don't know. Yeah, I guess I'm trying to think of something else. I was even thinking of animals to compare him to. He's just so gross and obsessed with putting other people down and himself. And sometimes I think, too, I wonder if he is, because he's so homophobic.

[04:11] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Maybe he.

[04:14] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Pushing something down.

[04:15] Dr. Katrina Furey: Repressed energy.

[04:16] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[04:16] Dr. Katrina Furey: To be clear, we are talking about Adam Scott's character, Derek, not Scott himself.

[04:22] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right?

[04:23] Dr. Katrina Furey: Right. Who I don't think is, like, this character at I thought, you know, again, this movie is so funny. It is a comedy, clearly.

[04:32] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So they're pushing they're pushing every character to the max.

[04:36] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[04:36] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So it's so ridiculous over the top.

[04:39] Dr. Katrina Furey: And yet I still think displays some really interesting topics in a really accurate right. Like, I really think Derek meets a lot of criteria for narcissistic traits.

[04:53] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[04:53] Dr. Katrina Furey: Like, he's constantly putting other people down to make himself feel better. I loved all the family dinners where he's, like, bragging about going fishing with Jay Z or whatever he's doing. And then by the end, they have to be like, okay, Derek, that's enough. They have to cue him, let other people know.

[05:10] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: But then Robert is so enamored with.

[05:15] Dr. Katrina Furey: Derek, which people can be, and his.

[05:18] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Own son, Dale down in such a mean way that the stepmom Nancy has to tell him to stop.

[05:28] Dr. Katrina Furey: But then also, Nancy also chimes in with Brendan has a mangina.

[05:33] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I know, right?

[05:35] Dr. Katrina Furey: But this is what these sorts of people can do. They can pull this out of you.

[05:39] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[05:39] Dr. Katrina Furey: They can make you feel.

[05:42] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: When she's yeah, like and then I joined in.

[05:45] Dr. Katrina Furey: It's just like what? But the whole scene with Will Ferrell dressed like a pirate doing his dancing on the stage is just and the.

[05:54] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Fact that he is so clearly like, a middle aged man, even.

[05:58] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[05:58] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: They're playing, right? Like, you know, in real time. But, like, the flashback, it's, like, still.

[06:04] Dr. Katrina Furey: This middle aged so funny. But that's what mean. Like, these sorts of little things. I'm like you're kind of hitting the nail on the head, though. You see Derek splitting the family, right. Even his new stepdad. It's really interesting. He's so mean to his wife and kids. You can tell they all have to be perfect. They're all there to play a role and fill his own need. Of course. He's a real estate agent on the side, right? I just have my license on the side. I had one supervisor once say that. I don't know if there's any data to back this up, and I don't want to offend our listeners who are real estate agents. But she said in her clinical experience. And she's been doing this for decades and decades. There's a lot of narcissism in real estate. And I was like, that's interesting. And she's like, yeah, if you think about it, part of their job is to form relationships quickly, often superficially, and to sell things. And I was like, that's interesting. Yeah, so I just thought for him, it tracked. And I just thought, even though this is so over the top, they did depict this. I don't even know if back in 2008 this was as much of a thing, but this whole notion of failure to launch.

[07:18] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Right. Because that's a movie too, right?

[07:21] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: It is.

[07:22] Dr. Katrina Furey: And even though there's like that new Jennifer Lawrence movie, it's kind of about it. Maybe I haven't seen it yet, or maybe it's just they want to prep their son for.

[07:33] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Mean. Failure to Launch, I think is an interesting phenomenon that there's a lot of books out now and yes, like comedic movies as well, but it's really like.

[07:44] Dr. Katrina Furey: This interesting cultural, societal thing that's happening.

[07:48] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: It seems to be happening more to males than females with just like a anecdotally movies, books. It seems to be more about males that's true. Launch than females.

[07:59] Dr. Katrina Furey: Actually, in every single movie we just mentioned, the quote unquote identified patient is a male.

[08:05] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[08:05] Dr. Katrina Furey: And in this movie, they're both men.

[08:08] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Yeah. And I'm just curious what that's about. I wish I had read one of the books that I'm referencing now.

[08:14] Dr. Katrina Furey: Well, we have full time jobs and we're watching a lot of content to do this. So again, if anyone wants to sponsor us, dear Media, feel free and we could really dive into the research.

[08:25] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So it happens when the term has been coined, when your adult children are not kind of leaving the home, having independence, able to support themselves financially, emotionally. And you see a lot of I think this is kind of just like the funny end of it. Like basement dwellers who are just kind of living at home. I'd say there also is a difference in my kind of opinion, in practice with today's current housing market and so many people returning home after college or just for whatever reason, after a couple of years, because they just cannot afford to live outside the home. So I'd say, like, if you're living at home and you are working however you are, whatever that looks like, whatever field you are in and contributing to the household in any way that your family is asking you to, and maybe they're not, and that's okay, but that feels different, really. Failure to launch.

[09:21] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[09:21] Dr. Katrina Furey: I think that's a really important distinction to make. And I feel like you're right that there's just so much economic stress for young adults these days in terms of student loans and then housing market and wages and how do you get on your feet? So that, I feel like, is a difference, right? Like sort of living at home until you can launch, but like prepping for the launch and fostering independence along the way. Very different from what we see going on with Dale Brennan. Dale, yeah. Very different. Right?

[09:57] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So childlike. Right? Like so childlike.

[10:00] Dr. Katrina Furey: Toddlers.

[10:00] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Toddlers.

[10:01] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Toddlers.

[10:01] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I was laughing with what they're eating. So, like chicken nuggets and French fries. A lot of ketchup, which is like a kid meal, right? Kids eat chicken nuggets and they really like ketchup.

[10:11] Huff & Doback: Yes.

[10:11] Dr. Katrina Furey: They just freaking love ketchup.

[10:13] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: It's like the best condiment ever. It's how kids start learning about condiments. Then we move to a balsamic vinegar.

[10:21] Dr. Katrina Furey: It's the gateway condiment. You got to be careful. It's a slippery slope getting started with that ketchup.

[10:27] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Yeah. So that was just funny, like in all ways, right? The movie is highlighting them as really just like children.

[10:34] Dr. Katrina Furey: They're like into Shark Week. Like just every single thing dealing this drum know, just like being like, you can't come over here because this is like my area. Just like so childlike. And the way that Nancy talks to them is just like how I imagine or do talk to know where she's just you just couldn't hold the fart in or what happened there. I heard you interviewed together for that job. Or maybe take the long way home. Just too much.

[11:08] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right?

[11:08] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And I just imagine her being like that in real, you know, in this kind of bad way that we're going to get to with enabling. But I just think that she's so soft and kind and open that I just feel like that's her in real life.

[11:24] Dr. Katrina Furey: Just like how everyone thinks Jennifer Aniston is who we think she is in real life. But then I'm like, what if they're like raging jerks, right? Could you imagine? What if there were all these blind items that turns out were all about Mary Steenberg? That would be shocking, right? She would tell you to F off, but in a really nice, weird way.

[11:48] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Toned. Right?

[11:49] Dr. Katrina Furey: Which is like worse, right? Like maybe even more dangerous than the people who are really in your face.

[11:56] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Right? And it's funny because Robert seems to be irritated with Dale, but it's like you still made him this way, right? And so he gets mad more easily or frustrated with them more. And it's like but you both still have 40 year old sons living with you who are not doing anything. And they both only eat chicken nuggets. They both have their own space. They both are childlike.

[12:22] Dr. Katrina Furey: They both wear chewbacca masks.

[12:24] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Why are you now getting mad? I get you're probably been frustrated for years, but it's funny, like his response.

[12:30] Dr. Katrina Furey: All of a sudden I get the sense that he checked out, right? Like that he's frustrated and he just threw his hands up and was like, I give up. Whereas she is just taking care of Brennan for her own needs, wants to be a mom, right. And is really struggling with letting him go.

[12:51] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So more like codependence there. She needs him.

[12:54] Dr. Katrina Furey: Even though right. We do see in this movie a lot of very quick and heavy romantic connections, right? Like Robert and Nancy, like, right away lock eyes at that cochlear implement conference.

[13:11] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I love to know what she's doing there.

[13:13] Dr. Katrina Furey: I was like, I wonder if she's like a rep, like a sales rep of some kind. That's the vibe.

[13:19] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I was she's not called Doctor and he is.

[13:23] Dr. Katrina Furey: He's the doctor.

[13:24] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[13:24] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: That's like, the point.

[13:25] Dr. Katrina Furey: I love Dale wanting to go into family business.

[13:29] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Yeah.

[13:30] Dr. Katrina Furey: And he's like, Trust me, I've tried to tell him that's not how it works, but it's just so funny. Like, at the beginning, they're being intimate and then she tells him, she's like, I have to get this off my chest. And then he's like, Me too. And then that's it. That seals it's like a trauma bond, right? They're like, quickly bonded. And then we see Alice, Derek's wife, fall hot and heavy for Dale very quickly. What did you think of that?

[14:00] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Well, besides feeling gross about it and just write the, like, gross open mouth, like, lapping of each other's faces was just like, making me one of them.

[14:14] Dr. Katrina Furey: Can you imagine if that's like, your job as an actor? Like, all these people around you, and they're like, okay, do it again.

[14:19] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And do it in a way that will disgust people.

[14:22] Dr. Katrina Furey: Do it more. Do it like more slobbery. Like, okay, we got to get it from this angle.

[14:29] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: The scene where they're like, in the forest, right? And she's like, running after him. She sees him, and then it's just so cringy and funny.

[14:38] Dr. Katrina Furey: But if the roles were reversed, like, if it was Dale coming onto her with that intensity, don't you think it.

[14:43] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Would feel more I also just think because of their body stature, right? She's like, small, he's really tall. And so when she kind of assaults him in the bathroom and climbs on top of him with zero foreplay and zero consent right. Asking any questions. And then they finish together after 4 seconds, it just feels like right? Like she's the girl, she's small, he could get off her, he could leave if he wanted.

[15:13] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[15:14] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: But yes, 100% the other way. If the roles were reversed, even just for body structure, I think it would be more like assaultive.

[15:22] Dr. Katrina Furey: Yeah, it would feel more I mean, it is uncomfortable to watch, but it's also a comedy. But you're like, well, Dale's kind of speaking like Attack.

[15:30] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And Dale is also like a child, right? So I don't think he knows what's going on, really, what you do in those situations. Besides, there's a lot of masturbation. They have a lot of the nudie mags. And he has this collection that's from like seventy s, eighty s and ninety s and Brennan's crinkling a page because there's three lower body parts with hair on that page. And it's like a classic and it's.

[15:54] Dr. Katrina Furey: Just like so funny. I know.

[15:56] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Oh my God.

[15:57] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And their favorite magazine to ********** to. That's not a nudie. Good Housekeeping. When they're like, aligning finally and have all of these things in common.

[16:05] Dr. Katrina Furey: Oh, my God.

[16:06] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Combining families is hard.

[16:08] Dr. Katrina Furey: It is portia.

[16:10] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: It is typically less hard for very obvious reasons. And it doesn't make it not hard, but it's less hard when your children are older.

[16:19] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[16:20] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So it's like harder to combine families. I'd say the hardest time I find is when you're in teenhood. So I'd say like ten, I don't know, eight to 18 feels because life is so hard those years.

[16:38] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[16:38] Dr. Katrina Furey: I do just want to point out, like eight to 18 is like a good chunk of childhood. So just to point out, most of the time it's hard.

[16:45] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[16:45] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So, like, babies, I would say, don't really know anything different till like three.

[16:51] Dr. Katrina Furey: That's it.

[16:53] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Three to 18. All of childhood. It's really sounding when you're aware.

[17:01] Huff & Doback: Once.

[17:02] Dr. Katrina Furey: You have awareness, it's really hard because.

[17:05] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: It is so different.

[17:06] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[17:06] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And I think one of the hardest things is really not always the siblings, but the parents. Like this guy or this girl who's an adult is coming into your house and you could have the most self aware stepparent who's doing their own work, who's so kind, who's communicative, who's asking questions, and it's still hard. There's boundaries that are supposed to be kind of coming together, but it doesn't feel good at first, and they can't tell me what to do and it feels weird. And what are the other parents? Are they around? It's very challenging, even in the best of circumstances with the best kind of adults.

[17:43] Dr. Katrina Furey: And the adults, I feel like, have.

[17:44] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: To be able to tolerate the pushback.

[17:47] Dr. Katrina Furey: From the kids and not take it personally and just be like, this is to be expected and you have to weather the storm. But I think you do have to have a degree of psychological mindedness and total awareness to be able to do that.

[18:00] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Yeah. So I think when you have adult children who are 40 plus, who a shouldn't be living in the home real.

[18:10] Dr. Katrina Furey: It shouldn't even matter.

[18:11] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: It really shouldn't matter. That's why it's so unless right. The partner, your dad is dating this woman and she's horrible.

[18:18] Dr. Katrina Furey: Take advantage of him.

[18:19] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[18:20] Dr. Katrina Furey: But I think that's what makes this movie so funny. And it's like if this movie were done with children between the ages of three and 18, you could still do it.

[18:31] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Exactly.

[18:32] Dr. Katrina Furey: What would happen?

[18:33] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Maybe testing, maybe splitting.

[18:36] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[18:36] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Like I'm going to ask now, Stepdad, because he's probably going to say yes. I think it's just like it's interesting when Dale is testing Nancy about know, I like to have a lot of fresh fruit around and I like, whatever in my pancakes or something.

[18:50] Dr. Katrina Furey: And she's like, okay, that sounds great.

[18:54] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Great stepmom, if anyone's going to be a stepmom. Nancy is the way to go. So supportive.

[19:00] Dr. Katrina Furey: I know, but again, where does it tip over from support to enabling, right? And I thought it's crossed. Where do you think it got crossed?

[19:12] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Maybe at the mangina moment.

[19:14] Dr. Katrina Furey: Maybe she just feels so guilty that now from then on, whatever.

[19:19] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Maybe I don't know Dale and Robert. But I'm also curious, just as a side note, and we have no information like what happened to the other parents.

[19:28] Dr. Katrina Furey: So are they deceased?

[19:29] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And did that have anything to do right. With kind of enabling or not parenting kids anymore? Maybe, but we don't like I thought.

[19:39] Dr. Katrina Furey: They said that Nancy and her husband got divorced and she said what's harder on Brennan? I'm blanking on what happened. Know Mrs. Doback number one, or who knows if there was more than one before Nancy. Maybe she didn't, I don't know.

[19:55] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I feel like she did and I don't know why. Maybe they said that really quickly, but.

[20:00] Dr. Katrina Furey: I think she did. But again, I get the sense Brennan's younger, like Derek's doing okay and then Brennan is stuck at home. But again, I think isn't that what we see in family structures like this? That usually it is the youngest with the parent if there is some codependency.

[20:18] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[20:18] Dr. Katrina Furey: At least in my experience. That's what I've seen. Again, I'm not like a family structure expert by any means.

[20:25] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: No. I think it's hard to be in any family system who is merging with another family system.

[20:34] Dr. Katrina Furey: Yeah, and it's just like they just really touched on some of the, I would say, like common roadblocks in a really humorous way. And I think you could do it because they're like full on adults and they're hilarious.

[20:48] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Like space.

[20:49] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[20:49] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So having your own space or having conversations about space is so difficult if you're merging a family. And what if everyone can't? What if you don't have the money for a 5000 square foot home where one has their own bathroom and bedroom? It's like sometimes people do have to share and that feels there's not always.

[21:06] Dr. Katrina Furey: Enough room for activities.

[21:07] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Really difficult. And Dale's drum set should have been moved. It needed to be.

[21:15] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[21:15] Dr. Katrina Furey: And that's another place where they're enabling him and they're not helping the families merge by being like, okay, fine, you can keep your drum set. You do have to make but then again, it's like but it's also hard on Dale.

[21:28] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: This is his space. It's so delicate. And you just said but it's a comedic way of pointing out really challenging things that this happens all the time, right? Like family. Unfortunately, the divorce rate is high. And as we know, evidence says that it's better to have an amicable divorce than to stay in a bad relationship for your children. So a lot of people will stay married because they think that's what's best. Even though they're constantly fighting. It's tense, it's bad, it's like it's actually better to have. Not everyone can do this. Like an okay divorce where the parents.

[22:08] Dr. Katrina Furey: Can co parent supportively.

[22:11] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: That is great. Kids turn out great. But it's like these really messy things where there's a lot of **** talking. The other parental alienation. That's when things go really go south.

[22:26] Dr. Katrina Furey: Yeah. So then in terms of other common roadblocks, when people are merging families, what are some other things that you noticed this film depicted? And again, like a hugely ironic, funny way, but pretty accurately.

[22:45] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: It felt like Brennan and Dale hadn't met before. They just got married really quick and they both had this big reaction at the wedding. And again, because it happened really fast, which again, they should be able to do because you have two, three. But like very adult children, that should be fine.

[23:06] Dr. Katrina Furey: But for younger kids, it is nice to have a transition period where you.

[23:11] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Slow process, get to know each other.

[23:13] Dr. Katrina Furey: You don't just move right in, right?

[23:15] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: This is like mom's special friend who's coming for dinner a lot. And then there's these nice moments where there's like play and you're not in a parent role. You move slowly. Sometimes the snails pace, sometimes backwards. But it should be like friend and fun into kind of both into then like the caregiver role, right.

[23:38] Dr. Katrina Furey: But you don't just jump in and.

[23:40] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Expect and then make demand. Listen, right? Exactly. Never going to work.

[23:44] Dr. Katrina Furey: Right.

[23:46] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: But they should meet many times and do some fun things, right? Like go to the movies, go see a show. It's easier. And even this in general is good advice for people who are a little uncomfortable. Maybe like if you have some social anxiety, it's good to do things that you can talk about, right? Like go for a hike, go to see a movie, go get a pedicure. And don't just stare at each other and all hang out in your living room.

[24:09] Dr. Katrina Furey: Go for a walk, play with something.

[24:12] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: That'S so much easier to do than just having to talk to each other. So they should have done some events.

[24:17] Dr. Katrina Furey: And it's hard, too, right, when two parents are falling in love and creating a relationship and they have children of their own, then you're like, well, the kids, you want the kids to get along. And what if they just don't? Right? That's got to be really challenging.

[24:31] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And I think it's difficult and there's not really anything you can do about this. But when kids are really the same age so if your mom starts dating your dad and you guys are in the same grade at school and then you move in together eventually, even if it's like the grade process and it was slow, it's like all of a sudden your step brothers in your class. That's hard. I think. Again, maybe not none of this is easy, but if you're like 15 and your new stepsister is seven, it's like that feels a little bit easier because the roles are so clear. You have your own identity. You're not having to mix friend groups or these expectations.

[25:17] Dr. Katrina Furey: Right. Or like, what if you were attracted to your new stepsibling or something? Like, if you're both teenagers, I mean, that is a I feel like that happens.

[25:35] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Do we also see a therapist patient depiction in this movie?

[25:41] Dr. Katrina Furey: Which I forgot about, but then I was like, oh, this is perfect.

[25:44] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right?

[25:44] Dr. Katrina Furey: So we see that when Nancy and Robert are trying to push them out of the nest. They're like, we signed you I loved when they're talking to them and they're like, we put enough money in your account for security deposit, and we're going to give you another kind of support. We signed you up for therapy. And I was like, that was a really thoughtful way of introducing this idea. So we see Brennan in therapy with his therapist named Denise. What did you think of this, Portia?

[26:14] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: So also, just like right? Playing on this other trope of right, you you have sexual relations with your therapist. They end up falling in love with you. They come on to you. They're obsessed with you. I think it happens with other providers, too. I don't know.

[26:30] Dr. Katrina Furey: It's always a female therapist, though. I mean, this is just like such a Nick Rope or Nick with you. But I'm just thinking, like, in suits, this happened. It's just in The Sopranos, we see this. I'm like, is this like a fantasy? I think it is, because it's teacher, too.

[26:48] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: You see a lot.

[26:49] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yes.

[26:49] Dr. Katrina Furey: You see that like a woman in power. But I just thought it was so funny. Again, looking at her office pretty good. That was pretty good. She's not wearing suggestive clothing. She's in, like, a business suit. And it's just so funny that she reflects something back to him. So basic. I think she's like, that must be hard. And you see Brennan go. Yeah. Yeah. And then that's it.

[27:16] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: He loves know. He feels so seen. She's the only one who can understand him. Like, wow.

[27:23] Dr. Katrina Furey: He's like, oh my God, we're in love. And then throughout the rest of the movie, remember when Nancy's like, oh, Denise called and she said she's not your like, stop asking her. And he's like, did she say that?

[27:36] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: That rascal. And he's like, no, she's not your girlfriend.

[27:40] Dr. Katrina Furey: But then she shows up at the end.

[27:42] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Of course she does, right? And is so moved by his singing. She's like and everyone is right. I mean, his singing is excellent. And also the song choice is just so funny. Perfect. Like it had to be Italian, right? He can sing in Italian. Like, he knows all the words. Of course it had to be and Dale is an excellent know it's like, you guys are great. You're actually very talented.

[28:06] Dr. Katrina Furey: And when finally pushed lovingly or hopefully lovingly, they can rise to the occasion. They're both working on their feet.

[28:15] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[28:15] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: It seems like Brennan had planned the Catalina Wine Mixer, and Dale is working as a chef.

[28:22] Dr. Katrina Furey: Oh, my God. Mark my words. Portia, remind me when I turn 40, I want to have a Catalina wine.

[28:28] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I think that's an excellent party theme for a 40th birthday. Right. I feel like this should be normal.

[28:35] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[28:35] Dr. Katrina Furey: So just remind me in a couple of years.

[28:38] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I'll put in my calendar.

[28:39] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Thank you.

[28:39] Dr. Katrina Furey: Yeah, but oh, my gosh. I mean, it was so funny, though, when she's showing up and Nancy's like, oh, hey. And again, it's like, oh, my God, these are such inappropriate boundaries. You're all calling her by her first name. Some therapists are fine with that, but I just feel like in this situation, probably not. And she's like, I had to come. I had a legal obligation because he threatened to harm himself. Back up. That doesn't mean you as therapist, show up.

[29:04] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[29:04] Dr. Katrina Furey: Which again, this is a comedy. It's funny, but you call the police or things like that. But again, it is just depicting that Brennan has some problematic behaviors and boundary problems.

[29:18] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And then Denise gets really angry and just starts calling all out the parents.

[29:22] Dr. Katrina Furey: You're enabling.

[29:23] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And she has this moment, and you're like, wow. But yeah, guess. But maybe we could have said this in a way where everyone could have heard it in a session where you're being paid and it's like real then there's boundaries around that. Not at where I'm assuming people have had a couple wine mixers and then we see.

[29:46] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[29:47] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Derek try to be emotional with Brennan. And he can't. They're trying to hug and they're just like, leaning on each other, and it's so then, you know, Derek has this outburst, again, because he can't be nice to just it's funny, but it's so ridiculous.

[30:06] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[30:06] Dr. Katrina Furey: And it's also like derek probably does have a lot of repressed emotion, like you're talking about. He does use the F word slur a lot, which is hard to watch nowadays. Looking back at some of these old movies, we're just like, oh, gosh.

[30:21] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Because it's like the go to slur for any guy.

[30:25] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[30:25] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: It's like such a put down with.

[30:27] Dr. Katrina Furey: Like, oh, you're being this or you're being that.

[30:29] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And it's like, we don't have any.

[30:30] Dr. Katrina Furey: Other creative ways to being like you're.

[30:33] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Like a girl or you're gay. And all people said and I do think it's interesting because I think the F word is so much more shocking than like, oh, that's so gay. Right. I think that was really common. And everybody I'm not going to throw everyone under the bus, but that was something that I think most people said in the early two thousand s and.

[30:53] Dr. Katrina Furey: Ninety s too much.

[30:54] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[30:55] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: But really, I think still, the F slur was still reserved for more.

[31:01] Dr. Katrina Furey: It feels a little more aggressive. It does. It feels like more aggressive.

[31:06] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: It does.

[31:06] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And so now it feels really. Horrible, and I just think it was, like, a little bit of the times. But also, I do know that with my young adolescent clients, people still do say this. I think we're just also removed from it. I think it has changed a little bit, but I think it's still happening, and I would just love it to not.

[31:27] Dr. Katrina Furey: Yeah. No, I totally agree. All right, well, so as we start wrapping up this episode again of one of the greatest movies of all, know, slurs aside, which, again, I don't want to minimize how awful it is to.

[31:40] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Use language like some just putting this out, there like, a little bit of racism thrown in there. When Derek is showing that couple the house, and he's, like, talking to them, and they're like, Why are you saying it like that?

[31:53] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yes.

[31:53] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Just call just call us, like, mean, I just think that's not funny know?

[32:01] Dr. Katrina Furey: I don't know.

[32:02] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[32:02] Dr. Katrina Furey: No, I hear you.

[32:03] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: I don't think it ever should have been, but it feels so much more.

[32:05] Dr. Katrina Furey: Like it feels dated.

[32:07] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[32:09] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Let's be more creative.

[32:10] Dr. Katrina Furey: Yeah. Do you think they were doing that to point out this kind of behaviors from Derek?

[32:18] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Yeah, I think it was to point out that he would be like, um.

[32:24] Dr. Katrina Furey: And that it's, like, not um. Okay, but as we wrap up, I do think as budding entrepreneurs, I'm really curious to hear what you thought about their pitch to everyone at Derek's birthday party about Prestige Worldwide, because we keep talking about what can we do to get the word out about our podcast.

[32:45] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right?

[32:45] Dr. Katrina Furey: And I was like, well, this is a creative idea.

[32:47] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[32:48] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Maybe we should make a slide music video combined with a music video of a boat and show it at a party. Right. Can we do it really fast? I'm having one this weekend, and we could just show it.

[33:02] Dr. Katrina Furey: I think, though, the thing is that they showed it at a party with new people. Like, these weren't people they knew. Right. I think all of the people we know are already supporting us, which is great. So I'm like, okay, so what entrepreneur tips can I take from this video presentation? A music videos with a catchy song stick in your head. Like, I know all the words. The Santa, the Zena Maria do in the back while I'm drinking sangria. Like, we all know the words. Okay, so maybe that's an interesting tactic. Again, like, you keep saying we got to go viral. It's kind of similar. Right. And then pitching it to strangers with money, I guess, and wanting investments.

[33:44] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: And I think that they just do such a good job of being bold. They are unashamed of who they are and what they're promoting. And at the end of their Know serenade at the Catalina Wine Mixer, I love how Dale in the background is saying potent hose, and then it's like Prestige Worldwide. So we have to do things like that.

[34:06] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah, we do.

[34:07] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Maybe we should do it at the end. This is a joke for people listening. At the end of our sessions, I'm just going to start saying, analyze Group.

[34:15] Dr. Katrina Furey: I'll see you next week. Because people are leaving, like, their hands on the door. You know how in our field there's always like the doorknob comment we talk about when people are leaving therapy and they're like, by the way, you're never going to make me cry.

[34:28] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right?

[34:29] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: By the way, I'm getting divorced.

[34:30] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Yeah.

[34:30] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: By the way, this by the way.

[34:32] Dr. Katrina Furey: I had this repressed memory. Come back and then, bye, see you in two weeks. I hope you enjoy your vacation. But this could be ours where people leave my script.

[34:40] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: What?

[34:40] Dr. Katrina Furey: And you're like, oh, nothing.

[34:41] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Yeah, psychologically, which is not ethical. I'm going to implant these little whispers.

[34:48] Dr. Katrina Furey: Of the podcast, like subliminal messaging.

[34:50] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Like you're going to play in the.

[34:51] Dr. Katrina Furey: Waiting room, but like, backwards somehow.

[34:55] Dr. Katrina Furey, MD: Right.

[34:55] Dr. Katrina Furey: So it just gets in your head. Our theme song. Oh, my God. I just love it.

[35:03] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Speaking of being supportive, because we are entrepreneurs, we would love for you to follow us on Instagram at Analyze Scripts, on TikTok, at Analyze Scripts podcast and just follow along. Give us some recommendations like this. Rate us subscribe. Thank you for subscribing. We do have a lot of subscribers. It's awesome and we are so thankful for you. It's going up every week and we're reaching for the ride.

[35:24] Dr. Katrina Furey: I think we've reached every continent, which is like, wild. We have at least one fan in Kazakhstan, like, who knew? What's up, Kazakhstan? So, yeah, we love the interaction. Let us know what you want to hear. Let us know what you think about this movie. Let us know. Do you enjoy throwback movies like this? Or current stuff? Just let us know.

[35:44] Portia Pendleton, LCSW: Yeah, we'd love to hear from you.

[35:46] Dr. Katrina Furey: And hopefully if we can find it, we'll send you out with some boats and hose. See you next time.

[35:52] Huff & Doback: Boats and hose I got to have me my boats and holes boats and hose boats and holes I gotta have me my boats and hose boats and hose boats and hose I gotta have me my boats and holes I'll do you in the bottom while you're drinking sangria Nachos lemon heads my dad's boat. You won't go down cause my **** can float. We sail around the world and go port to port? Every time I come I produce a quad put on your life best lunch jump anchor there's a nice lady who I like to swank boats and holes boats and holes I got to have me my boats and hose boats and hose boats and holes I gotta have.

[36:35] Dr. Katrina Furey: Me my boats and HODcast and its.

[36:45] Speaker E: Contents are a copyright of analyzed scripts all rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited unless you want to share it.

[36:56] Dr. Katrina Furey: With your friends and rate review and subscribe, that's fine.

[36:59] Speaker E: All stories and characters discussed are fictional in nature. No identification with actual persons, living or deceased places, buildings or products is intended or should be inferred. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. The podcast and its contents do not constitute professional mental health or medical advice. Listeners might consider consulting a mental health provider if they need assistance with any mental health problems or concerns. As always, please call 911 or go directly to your nearest emergency room for any psychiatric emergencies. Thanks for listening and see you next time. Don't.

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