Film: Like Crazy

I watched this film last night and found correlations between the content and several different theories. This is a love story that depicts the brutal realities that come with a strained relationship (involving physical distance, unfaithfulness, alcohol and romanticism).  The couple (in short) meet, bond/drink, consummate, establish mutual "commitment" to the relationship, break up and get back together several times, get married, separate again, then are back together again.  The relationship is an emotional and (metaphorically) physical roller coaster which ends with emotional disappointment and a frustrating dissonance at the closing of the film.  I wouldn't recommend this movie to watch for enjoyment or for any ounce of mood-lifting, but it makes a great subject for dissecting human development and relationship theories or ideas from.  Because of the correlations that this movie has pertaining to media, human development and intimate relationships, I am using it as a blog entry for this course's bi-weekly requirement.

Below are the theory correlations that I noticed throughout the film:

Excitation transfer theory: The girl (Anna) is 1. in a new place (America) 2. seeing him in class and romanticizing about him 3. when they "bond" they are both under the influence of alcohol

Cognitive Neoassociation Theory: Associates alcohol with love/connecting- the couple use drinking whiskey as a source of bonding and familiarity- at the end of the movie when Anna no longer likes drinking whiskey because she is trying to be healthier, it is associated as a negative thing because it breaks that bonding factor between the two.

What could be used to negate the behavior in the film is the Information Processing Theory:
sleeping with your desired partner before knowing them very long or before marriage, that it is normal to sleep with other people when going on a "break" or don't know if you will be able to be together so replace that person with another source of "love"....

Cultivation theory:  the director/writer of the film obviously has their own view on how relationships work and that it is normal to sleep around with different partners to try and find your best fit, or to "test" the bonds of love.  The film makers display casual sex as normative and almost necessary way to figure out who you do truly love and want to be with.

Anyone feel free to correct me if you see a discrepancy in the correlations.