Reign Over Me

After watching a movie with your children or students, we encourage parents and teachers to look for education opportunities to teach with movies. Here are a few discussion topics that can help with lesson plans or teaching in the home.

How does Charlie view Alan’s efforts to help him overcome his sorrow? How does this movie illustrate the different ways people deal with grief? Is there a “best” way to work through this process? What indicators should be considered when deciding if and when professional help is needed?

In the film, Alan’s brisk refusal of sexual favors results in his patient threatening him with a lawsuit—where she accuses the dentist of being sexually inappropriate with her. How do you feel about the way he handles this situation? What could (or should) he have done to better protect himself from further false accusations?

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a serious condition that may require professional counseling. For information on the symptoms of this condition, check this page: http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html