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393:. Kate is an actress in her thirties who is intelligent, compassionate and poised, but is facing fewer career opportunities because of Patrick's notion that her age is a limitation. Her rock-star husband, who she says "wasn't always like this", is self-centered and is cheating on her. Carter's newest patient, Jemma, is a troubled high-school student who is required by her school to see a therapist after cutting her hand by punching a mirror. She is referred to Carter by his father as a
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conference room where Jemma is already waiting. To their surprise, Jemma now approves of Jeremy's screenplay. Patrick announces that he will be representing Jemma and developing Jeremy's screenplay into a movie. Carter, having disposed of his drug supply, approaches Kate at home. He tells her that he does not want to see her anymore, "...professionally", implying his interest in seeing her romantically. She smiles.
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praised Spacey's "sardonic line delivery" of his role, as well as the appearances of
Plemons and Vidal for being "uncharted and fresh" and a "startling surprise", respectively, but criticized the film's "shallow story" with interconnecting characters that strained credibility, concluding, "The film's
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at home, in his car and behind his office when not seeing patients. Carter routinely drinks himself to sleep around his house, waking up in his clothes, but never enters his bedroom. Despite his own problems, Carter continues psychotherapy with his patients, maintaining his incisiveness, compassion
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Carter suffers a breakdown on a live television talk show, alarming the host and the viewers when he states publicly for the first time that his wife died by suicide. He denounces his book as "bullshit" and himself as a fraud, and storms off of the set. Jemma, Daisy and Jeremy react to Carter's
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praised Spacey's performance as the title character, the film's humor and delivery of "a few fine moments of truth and pathos" that address "a subset of grief", but criticized the plot's reliance on "pat betrayal, forced coincidences – and the sort of closure that lands, with a thud, in a tidy
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Jemma discovers the screenplay and feels betrayed by Jeremy. Carter angrily attacks Jeremy for his deception but accepts his own professional responsibility for the situation, which he unknowingly enabled. Carter and Jeremy are invited to a meeting at
Patrick's office. Patrick brings them to a
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gave praise to Spacey and Palmer's performances as Henry and Jemma, respectively, but felt that the filmmakers sidestepped "deep characterization and bring in a rather conventional assortment of clients for Spacey's shrink" throughout the film, concluding that
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Carter has few friends and spends time with Jesus, his quirky pot dealer. Carter also socializes with Jeremy, to whom he is loosely related through Carter's deceased wife, whose mother was Jeremy's godmother. Jeremy is a struggling young
385:. Seamus is an actor addicted to various drugs and alcohol, and one of Patrick's biggest clients. Seamus is not one of Carter's patients, but they share a drug-dealer named Jesus. Jack Holden is another popular celebrity with a
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package of cliches". She concluded, "Had director Jonas Pate and screenwriter Thomas
Moffett limited themselves to the bags under Henry's eyes and the emotional hollow behind them, they might have produced a minor classic."
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conclusion is anticlimactic and unsatisfying, but maybe that's a faithful replication of the psychiatric experience: a quiet shutting of the barn door once the horse has already galloped away from the stable."
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novel", but gave praise to Spacey for his portrayal of "bone-deep cynicism" in his role, and the "atmospheric cinematography" and "hovering music" for giving the film "a queasy downbeat mood".
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who finds romantic interest in
Patrick's assistant Daisy. Jeremy also derives creative inspiration from Jemma. Jeremy secretly steals Jemma's private file from Carter's office and pursues a
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That night, Carter enters his bedroom wearing pajamas. He momentarily regards his former marital bed before climbing into it and turning off the light.
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contains ideas for a film, but no emotional center. A group of troubled characters are assembled and allowed to act out, not to much purpose."
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on-air outburst. Carter decides to stop treating Jemma, although he begins helping her to finally come to terms with her mother's suicide.
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case because, like Carter's wife, Jemma's mother died by suicide. Jemma is an avid moviegoer who aspires to become a filmmaker.
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received negative reviews from critics, praising Spacey's performance but critical of the film's scripting and directing.
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about Jemma, and with Daisy's help, Jeremy succeeds in gaining
Patrick's interest in the screenplay.
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called it "another
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Focusing on some of Carter's patients, Patrick is a high-powered
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357:. However, he is disheveled and lives alone. He smokes
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705:Fleming, Michael; McNary, Dave (June 16, 2008).
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409:interest in Jemma. He writes his breakthrough
1088:"Funny People and Shrink: Hollywood and vain"
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564:and lacks the "ruthless satiric thrust" of
534:received negative reviews from critics. On
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1026:Baumgarten, Marjorie (August 14, 2009).
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309:, written by Thomas Moffett, and stars
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825:from the original on November 25, 2022
353:and has published a hugely successful
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789:from the original on February 8, 2023
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641:McGavin, Patrick (January 22, 2009).
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985:from the original on August 27, 2022
515:as writer in Patrick's writer's room
467:as Dr. Robert Carter, Henry's father
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574:or the "pungent gallows humor of a
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1285:English-language independent films
1040:from the original on June 18, 2023
926:from the original on April 7, 2023
753:from the original on June 18, 2023
719:from the original on June 18, 2023
707:"Kevin Spacey to star in 'Shrink'"
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1245:American films about cannabis
914:"The pothead as psychiatrist"
743:"More star power at Sundance"
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479:as Jesus, Carter's pot dealer
1265:Films directed by Jonas Pate
1235:2000s English-language films
364:doctor-patient relationships
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1240:American comedy-drama films
521:as Jack Holden (uncredited)
323:2009 Sundance Film Festival
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214:July 24, 2009
33:Promotional film poster
1260:Films about psychiatry
1225:2009 independent films
325:and includes music by
295:entertainment industry
598:Amy Biancolli of the
483:Sierra Aylina McClain
240:110 minutes (Germany)
1230:2000s American films
1033:The Austin Chronicle
741:(December 4, 2008).
648:Screen International
618:Peter Howell of the
611:The Austin Chronicle
305:. It is directed by
190:Roadside Attractions
168:Ignite Entertainment
437:as Dr. Henry Carter
278:is a 2009 American
973:"Review: 'Shrink'"
856:The New York Times
561:Play It as It Lays
551:The New York Times
527:Critical reception
1100:on August 3, 2009
919:Chicago Sun-Times
912:(July 29, 2009).
847:(July 23, 2009).
587:Chicago Sun-Times
513:Jillian Armenante
509:as George Charles
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1093:Toronto Star
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934:– via
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910:Ebert, Roger
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435:Kevin Spacey
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403:screenwriter
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379:angst-ridden
375:narcissistic
373:who is both
371:talent agent
368:
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311:Kevin Spacey
291:psychiatrist
283:black comedy
274:
273:
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230:Running time
207:Release date
121:Lukas Ettlin
83:Kevin Spacey
63:Braxton Pope
582:Roger Ebert
556:Joan Didion
459:Jack Huston
453:Mark Webber
447:Keke Palmer
383:germ phobia
362:and strong
317:. The film
299:Los Angeles
280:independent
147:Ken Andrews
98:Mark Webber
93:Keke Palmer
57:Produced by
39:Directed by
1215:2009 films
1209:Categories
1195:Metacritic
814:Metacritic
659:October 9,
628:References
571:The Player
540:Metacritic
507:Gore Vidal
491:as Patrick
471:Pell James
411:screenplay
307:Jonas Pate
303:California
287:drama film
264:Box office
218:2009-07-24
157:Production
103:Pell James
49:Written by
43:Jonas Pate
558:'s novel
485:as Carina
461:as Shamus
455:as Jeremy
359:marijuana
343:Hollywood
319:premiered
267:$ 303,431
159:companies
127:Edited by
1162:AllMovie
1104:June 18,
1044:June 18,
1038:Archived
1028:"Shrink"
989:June 18,
983:Archived
930:June 26,
924:Archived
867:June 18,
861:Archived
829:June 18,
823:Archived
787:Archived
773:"Shrink"
757:June 18,
751:Archived
723:June 18,
717:Archived
690:June 18,
675:"Shrink"
653:Archived
643:"Shrink"
503:as Kiera
497:as Missy
473:as Daisy
449:as Jemma
407:platonic
395:pro-bono
313:with an
289:about a
256:Language
135:Music by
76:Starring
793:June 8,
747:Variety
712:Variety
584:of the
381:, with
321:at the
259:English
248:Country
216: (
1190:Shrink
1179:Shrink
1168:Shrink
1157:Shrink
1146:Shrink
593:Shrink
532:Shrink
331:Shrink
275:Shrink
22:Shrink
1151:IMDb
1106:2023
1046:2023
991:2023
932:2023
869:2023
831:2023
795:2024
759:2023
725:2023
692:2023
685:IMDb
661:2021
428:Cast
377:and
337:Plot
1193:at
1182:at
1171:at
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568:'s
548:of
341:In
297:in
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