Run Away Bride                            I am Sam                                      

The Last Song                                         The Notebook

Objectives

•         Explore developmental characteristics of the family as a unit across the lifespan.

•         Examine health patterns and practices transmitted across generations.

 

Rubric

NOTE: All assignments must be submitted on time. Assignments submitted after the deadline will be accepted with a penalty of 5 points of the total possible points for EACH DAY that the assignment is late. 

Movie Family Assessment	Target 50 points max	Acceptable At least 37 points	Unacceptable Less than 32 points
Introduction (5 points)	Introduction is present and forecasts content of the paper. (4-5 points)	Introduction is present and forecasts the content of the paper. (2-3 points)	Introduction is present , sketchy, or introduction is missing (0-1 point)
Movie Setting and Story (6 points)	Complete description of each  major character in the movie family, the setting, and the context of the story (5-6 points)	General description of  the major characters in the movie family, the setting, and the context of the story (3-4 points)	Incomplete description of  the major characters in the movie family, the setting, and/or the context of the story (0-2 point)
Assessment of Movie Family
Family processes (20 points)	Complete description of each of these processes: •        Sociocultural •        Environment •        Communication •        Power/decision making •        Roles (19-20 points)	Complete description of 4 of these processes and general description of 1: •        Sociocultural •        Environment •        Communication •        Power/ decision making •        Roles (11-18 points)	General description of at least 2 processes and complete description of up to 3: •        Sociocultural •        Environment •        Communication •        Power/decision making •        Roles (0-10 points)
Values (6 points)	Clearly describes the family values as demonstrated in the movie. (5-6 points)	Adequately describes the family values as demonstrated in the movie. (3-4 points)	Minimally describes the family values as demonstrated in the movie. (0-2 point)
Socialization and Child Rearing (6 points)	Clearly describes the family dynamics of socialization and child rearing.  (5-6 points)	Describes the family dynamics of socialization and child rearing. ( 3-4 points)	Minimally describes the family dynamics of socialization and child rearing.  (0-2 point)
Healthcare Beliefs and Practices (6 points)	Clearly depicts the healthcare beliefs and practices of the family. (5-6 points)	Somewhat depicts the healthcare beliefs and practices of the family.  (3-4 points)	Inadequately depicts the healthcare beliefs and practices of the family. (0-2 point)
Adaptation (6 points)	Clearly shows the ability of the family to adapt to new situations. (5-6 points)	Adequately shows the ability of the family to adapt to new situations. (3-4 points)	Inadequately shows the ability of the family to adapt to new situations. (0-2 point)
Genogram (10 points)	Represents a minimum of 2 generations; Uses correct symbols to demonstrate relationships; Includes symbol legend (9-10 points)	Represents 2  generations; Uses mostly correct symbols to demonstrate relationships; Includes symbol legend (6-8 points)	Fails to represent  2 generations, and/or uses incorrect symbols to demonstrate relationships, and/or symbol legend is missing (0-5 points)
Ecomap (10 points)	Identifies family relationships inside the middle circle; Uses external circles to include representation from multiple formal and informal support systems; Identifies the nature of relationships between family members and support systems; Includes legend (9-10 points)	Identifies family relationships inside the middle circle; Uses external circles to include representation from some formal and informal support systems; Identifies the nature of some of the relationships between family members and support systems; Includes legend (6-8 points)	Somewhat identifies family relationships inside the circle; Lacks representation from formal and informal support systems; Does not identify the nature of relationships between family members and support systems; Lacks legend (0-5 points)
Comparison to Beavers Systems Model (10 points)	Compares the movie family to the Beavers Systems Model addressing each of these components: •        Family structure •        Mythology •        Goal-directed negotiations •        Autonomy •        Family affect •        Global appraisal of the family’s level of development or functional competency (Severely disturbed, Borderline, Mid-range Adequate, or Optimal) (9-10 points)	Compares the movie family to the Beavers Systems Model addressing 4-5 of these components: •        Family structure •        Mythology •        Goal-directed negotiations •        Autonomy •        Family affect •        Global appraisal of the family’s level of development or functional competency (Severely disturbed, Borderline, Mid-range Adequate, or Optimal) (6-8 points)	Addresses fewer than 4 of these components: •        Family structure •        Mythology •        Goal-directed negotiations •        Autonomy •        Family affect •        Global appraisal of the family’s level of development or functional competency (Severely disturbed, Borderline, Mid-range Adequate, or Optimal) (0-5 points)
Summary and Conclusion (5 points)	Includes summary and conclusions  (4-5 points)	Includes summary and conclusions (2-3 points)	Missing summary and/or conclusions  (0-1 point)
Format and Quality of Writing (10 points)	Error-free or almost error-free grammar, spelling, punctuation, APA format, and length is within guidelines (9-10 points)	Generally error-free grammar, spelling, punctuation, APA format, and length is within guidelines (6-8 points)	Error-filled grammar, spelling, punctuation, and/or APA format, and/or length not within guidelines. (0-5 points)

 

 

Instructions

Review the Rubric to guide your work on the Movie Family Assessment, using appropriate subheadings in your work. Write in the text boxes provided, then copy/paste images of your genogram and ecomap on the final two pages. (You may need to scan or photograph your genogram/ecomap and save it to your computer as an image if you did not create it in a Word document.)

Your page count begins on the next page and does NOT include your genogram and ecomap.

 

Introduction

            I choose to do my Movie Family Assessment on “Madea’s Family Reunion”. Madea’s Family Reunion is a comic drama movie that mainly revolves around two African American sisters, and their evil mother. The mother during this perplexity tries to measure her own life through her youngest daughter, whereas mistreating the other daughter. This film sends us a depiction of a dysfunctional family that ends up reuniting and remembering the values of their family, love, forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation. Although, the ending is quite pleasant in this movie this African American family does not poses that “healthy family” description that is described in the Beavers System Model (1993). According the the Beavers System Model (1993), healthy families are able to express their feelings toward one another  responsibly and with respect to differences.

 

 

Movie Setting and Story

The setting to this movie “Madea’s Family Reunion” takes place in Atlanta, Georgia and includes a variety of economic status for the African American Family. The characters that the movie mainly focuses on, fall under the working class. In this movie, this African American family is the “nontraditional definition of a family”. To begin with is the evil mother, Victoria whom is a single unemployed mother to Lisa and Vanessa. Victoria has been living off her youngest daughter Lisa’s trust fund that was left to her, by her rich father. Now that the trust fund is nearly at zero, Victoria is trying to marry her daughter to a wealthy investment banker that she managed to introduce to her daughter Lisa. Victoria only cares about the well being of herself, mainly being financially set for life. Victoria refuses to work and refuses to go back to the “working poor” or underclass status she once lived. Therefore she is encouraging her daughter to marry Carlos, even if he has an abusive behavior problem. Carlos is a very wealthy successful African American investment banker, but he is very controlling, hot tempered, who verbally and physically abuses Lisa on the daily. Victoria is very aware of her daughter’s situation but chooses to be okay with Carlos’s problem and instead advices her daughter Lisa, to quit making him angry. Victoria has an older daughter whom shehas mistreated just about her entire preteen and adult life. Vanessa is Victoria’s eldest daughter, and is Lisa’s step sister.Vanessa in this film is a single mother of two children, both children have different fathers.Vanessa resides with her decease grandmother Irene’s siblings, her big brother Joe and younger sister Madea. Vanessa’s father was a musician, whom is dead for unknown reasons. Vanessa’s mother later married a wealthy man and had a daughter with him, whom is Lisa. Lisa’s father is also dead for unknown reasons in this film. In one scene, Vanessa expresses that as a young teen she wasrape by her step father, over and over again, in which it became a routine for him to rape her. Vanessa expresses that her mother agreed with her late husband that the sexual abuse was okay towards Vanessa, without taking into consideration what Vanessa was experiencing. Victoria claims in her defense that her latehusband asked “to be with” Vanessa, sexually, if she did not want him to abandon her and the two girls. Victoria feels as if Vanessa should be proud not feel as a victim. Trying to make her believe that she actually helped keep the family together. Clearly, that was not how Vanessa felt. The sexual abuse caused by her step father, closed her off emotionally and  made it just about impossible to trust men in her life. That is until she met Frankie, a Christian faith, single father whom falls deeply in love with Vanessa and marry’s her. Frankie is a single father. Frankie is a bus driver with a strong Christian belief. Since Frankie is a bus driver and doesn’t make a whole lot of money, Victoria, Vanessa’s mother doesn’t care for him.

Madea is the southern stereotype “angry, loud talking” African American elder matriarchs woman. Madea has two siblings in this film, Joe whom she lives with because she takes care of him since he is elderly, and the other sibling Irene, whom is only mentioned a few times in this film since she is perceived as dead. Although Madea takes care of her brother Joe, their sibling relationship isn’t the best. Joe is vulgar and objectionable, crude with a rude humor, in combination with foul mouth. Joe has one son in this film and his name is Brian. Brian is an attorney; he’s married to Deborah and has two daughters. Brian is Madeas nephew and her attorney. Brian is healthy and is raising his two children with his wife Deborah who is said to be “clean, going on 14 years”, ex drug addict. In the beginning of this film, Madea violates her probation and is ordered by the judge to foster mother, Nikki. Nikki is a troubled and angry teenager who comes from a broken home.To avoid jail time for Madea, Brain agrees with the Judge’s offer. In the chaos of planning a family reunion, housing her great niece Vanessa and her two children, and taking care of her older obnoxious elderly brother Joe, Madea is now committed to foster mother Nikki.

            Family clashes are applicable to many broken homes or single guardians. As stated in our book, (Friedman, Bowden, and Jones, 2003, p. 19). “The most common nontraditional family forms are…” “#5. Augmented family-household composed of nuclear or single-parent family with one or more unrelated persons.” The faith and morals of the matriarchs in this film manages the overwhelming conflicts, resentments that go up against a family. With simply discipline, gentle wisdom and peace the family overcomes the problems they encounter amongst one another.

 

Assessment of Movie Family

Family Processes

This family subsystem is not the normal African American nuclear family because of  past sexual abuse that has been a trend and allowed in this family. Victoria was sold by her mother Irene, to a man for “ten dollars and a fix” because her mother Irene was a prostitute and a drug addict. Victoria continued the pattern with her eldest daughter by allowing her late husband rape her in order to keep him ad his money. Victoria continues with allowing abusive but this time physically abuse towards her youngest caught Lisa. Lisa has gone to her mother Victoria multiple times for help, with her abusive soon to be husband. Victoria chooses to ignore the abuse and instead of helping her daughter get out of that relationship, she try to manipulate her into marrying that abusive man, because he is rich.By doing this the blame is going to Victoria, in this film. Lisa and Vanessa are defamed by the abuse they have received because of their mother’s greed to be financially taken care of.

                The general family environment in Madea’s Family Reunion is your typical two story southern grandmother’s house. Located in the state of Georgia. There is no evidence of poor housing in this film as far as Madea’s residence. Madea’s home is the desired environment for the family when they are in a bind or simply in need of Madea’s advice or assistance. For example Vanessa and her two children, move in with Madea because of their financial binds. Another example in this film that demonstrates comfort in this home, is when Lisa flees from Carlos’s luxury condo, to this home in order to gain emotional support since she is isolated in Carlos home away from friends and family due to the physical abuse. Lisa flees that situation in this film and does gain some sense of security by going over to Madea’s house, where her uncle Joe, her sister Vanessa and her two children all reside. The advice from her great aunt Madea helps her gain the confidence she was lacking in order to fight back and leave Carlos for good. In addition, Nikki the troubled teen is unhappy because she is being placed in Madea’s home not by choice but by a Judge court order. Eventually Nikki’s negative feelings about being placed in that home, changes because she builds confidence in herself thanks to Madea’s discipline ways, and her tales about her own life experience and lessons. This living environment is a nurturing one where the extended family bond grows well in the society.

            Communication is not good in Madea’s Family Reunion film, when referring to the main characters. This family processes Dysfunctional Communication patterns in this film. Victoria poses three interrelated types of communication patterns, that perpetuate low self esteem, the first one is self-centeredness, the second is the need for total agreement and lastly, she lacks empathy. These communication patterns are discussed in the text under “Dysfunctional Communication Patterns in the Family”  (Friedman, Bowden, and Jones, 2003, p. 280). As it is also seen by Victoria’s actions and decisions towards both of her daughters in regards to the sexual abuse and physical abuse.

            Most of the decisions that are made in this film are influenced by the extended family, in this case it is Madea the great aunt. When the character is uncertain of what decision or action to take they seek advice from Madea. Their decision is usually influenced tremendously by Madea. In this case, both characters Vanessa and Lisa reached their life changing decisions thanks to Madea. Vanessa opened up and forgave her mother for everything she had ever done to her, even if her mother was not sorry, she went ahead and let go of all the resentment and also gave Frankie the chance to truly love her and her children without living in the fear of potential sexual abuse towards her children. Lisa made the final decision to not marry Carlos and leave that abusive unhealthy relationship.

            The type of power that Vanessa and Lisa both pose in the beginning of this film is the “power of the powerless”. This type of power is evident by the way Lisa is hopelessly living and tolerating Carlos abuse. Later she gains a great deal of power from family, in this case Madea and leaves the abusive relationship after standing up to her mother and Carlos. In this film Madea holds the matriarchal role. This is seen when Madea epitomizes wisdom and correction as the caring aunt towards Vanessa and Lisa, the caregiver for Joe, the foster mother for Nikki, and the planner of the family reunion.

            Family values vary in this film with the main characters but the ones that are over all important for Vanessa and Lisa are love, forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation. In the scene where Vanessa communicates to her mother, that she forgives her for allowing her step father to rape her, and for treating her like a worthless object her entire life. When Vanessa expresses herself this way to her mother she is showing the values of her extended family and culture. Often, family values tend to fall apart when marriages fall apart, this character manages to over come all the obstacles she faced and was able to love on, to forgive and have faith. The center estimation is expressed at the family reunion by Aunt Ruby she states on part of her speech,“remember where you came from, and treat each other with love, dignity and respect“. That is the prevail subject in Madeas Family Reunion.

Victoria is the one to blame for the insecurities both daughters have adapted. The two daughters have and had no parental support when it came to affection and warmth. The fact that Victoria was sexually abused because she was sold by her mother for a quick fix, she later in life believed that it was okay to have her late husband sexually abusing her daughter Vanessa, so that he can maintain her in a wealthy financial status and not divorce her. Victoria was without a sense of remorse. Victoria continued to live this way and now, she did so through her younger daughter Lisa. Victoria introduced Lisa to Carlos a wealthy banker, and encouraged them to get married, not caring if Carlos was the abusive type and would beat Lisa daily.

Healthcare beliefs are not talked about nor shown on this film. In multiple scenes where Lisa is badly beaten by Carlos, not once does she goto hospital or doctor. Instead, noted in one scene, Carlos gets the bath tub ready for Lisa so that her “soreness” can go away with a salt bath. No further evidence was shown for health care.

 

            Coping and adaption is something the main characters lack in this film. After the first family crisis, when Vanessa was raped, there was no reaching out for help for her. There was no problem solving, instead the rape continued. Victoria grew a feeling of dislike towards her daughter and was always expressing it. Vanessa kept quite for years and her hate just grew towards her mother throughout the years. This family stressor is an example of the model  ABCX (Hill, 1949) according to  (Friedman, Bowden, and Jones, 2003, p. 468).

 

Comparison to Beavers System Model

 

 

 

Summary and Conclusion

 

 

References

 

 

Attachments:

• 1505734818-chatanurse1.docx