Social Work 5523: Bowen Theory Analysis of 'A Trip to Bountiful' Film

This paper provides an analysis of the 1985 movie 'A Trip to Bountiful' through the lens of Bowen Family Systems Theory. The student explores the complex relationships within the Watts family, focusing on the emotional dynamics and interdependencies between Carrie Watts, her son Luddie, and his wife Jessie Mae. The assignment examines how the theory can be applied to understand the characters' behaviors, motivations, and the impact of family relationships on individual identity and well-being. The analysis delves into concepts such as differentiation of self, emotional triangles, and the influence of the family of origin. The paper also discusses themes of control, dependence, and the search for self-identity, highlighting how the film reflects broader psychosocial issues and family dynamics. The student also explores the concept of family beyond the biological context, examining how the protagonist forms connections with individuals outside of her immediate family. The paper references key concepts from the Bowen Family Systems Theory, including emotional connectedness, interdependence, and the impact of family systems on individual behavior and explores the movie's adaptation of the play, revealing the complexities of family relationships and the pursuit of self-identity.

Running Head: A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL
A Trip to Bountiful
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note:

1A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL
The aim of the paper is to conduct a discussion on the movie ‘A Trip to Bountiful’,
which is an American movie released in the year of 1985. The concern of the paper is to
analyze the movie from the perspective of Bowen family system theory (Brown, 1999),
taking over a psychological approach to elucidate the dispositions of the characters as well as
the traits that they exhibit in terms of their association with others.
The movie 'A trip to Bountiful' was released in the year of 1985. The movie, which
was directed by Peter Masterson was an adaptation of the play written by Horton Footed,
later adopted by him in the form of a movie. The movie deploys in excavating the
complexities of the relationship between the individuals of a family. The movie had been
set in the fictitious town in Texas under the name of Bountiful. The movie opens with the
character of a widowed woman Carrie Watts aged above 60, belonging from the fictional
town of Bountiful located in Texas. The next one to appear was the character of Luddie
Watts, the son of Mrs. Watts a middle-aged man of 30-40s. He had lost his job in his former
company and after being ill for a considerable period had to give up his savings. Another
important character is that of Jessie Mae, between the age of 38-50 who nurtures a feeling of
being trapped between her willingness to work for her and the duty that she need to carry out.
This is the place, where the elderly protagonist expresses her desire to return to. The time has
been set in the post-World War period with the narrative revolving around the life of an
elderly woman and her desire to connect to the past, to be more precise with her long lost
childhood. Such return to the childhood and especially to the land of her father might be seen
as a reflection of a subverted Oedipal desire. However, focusing on the contemporary
happening of the film, the psychosocial crisis of the later stage of life can be looked into from
the perspective of family theory (Foote, 2007).
The theory in concern of the discussion would deployed in a discussion of the film
would be ‘Bowen Family System’. As per the proposition of the theory, human behavior is

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considered as the unit that is marked by its emotional attributes and the system thus
proposed can be used to discuss the complexities of the behavior of the individuals present
in the family (Erdem & Safi, 2018). As such the theory focuses on the connectedness of the
members along the line of the emotional connect. The impact of the existence of an
individual within the domain of the family. As such there is an urge to solicit for the opinions
of the individuals present in the society. Such connections are exclusive to each of the family
and it is believed both socially and emotionally that the association with a family is bound
make the individual interdependent. However, it can be realized that such sense of
interdependence creates a hindrance in the formation of the idea of the self. As such there are
certain variance in terms of the interdependence irrespective of the nature and the extent
of it (Kerr, 2000).
The importance of the interdependence has been noted in the terns of the cohesive
nature of cooperation that the members of a family derive from others as well as the specific
needs of the individuals are met. However, the other side of the scenario happens when the
tension between the elements of the family heightens up. As such, the perceived nature of the
comfort that the person is supposed to derive from the family is marked by discomfort under
the tension and anxiety. Tension stems from one taking up responsibility of one in terms
of the distress of the other. Such responsibility gives rise to expectations as well as control
over the relationship. Such acquisition of the attributes urges one to dictate the other on
decision-making and other responsibility taken decisions. As such, one who is
accommodating in the scenario of tension accumulates the anxiety as rooted in the system
(Margasiński, 2015).
The tension in the film stems from the complexities of the relation between Carrie
Watts and her intimidating daughter in law, who takes it upon herself to control the
movement of the elderly women on the ground of her old age and her security but in a selfish

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way. Analyzing the film, it elucidates in front of us how Carrie Watts urges to develop an
identity of self by travelling to the land of her childhood, the fictitious land of Bountiful in
the town of Texas. The daughter in law also tries to establish her control of over the
Government pay that the old lady was receiving, and was her only financial aid to escape.
The fact that the town had perished and had become and embodiment of death was known
to the daughter in law as well as to her son. The movie is marked by emotional attachment,
responsibility, the urge to form the self-identity and death. Both the lady’s son and his wife
had taken it upon them to control the decision making on the behalf of the old lady which
resulted in her failing in a number of attempts to reach her destined location (Titelman,
2014).
The attributes of dependence, which her old age invites and confronts her socially
has been negated by her as she exhibits a firmness. On her final attempt to reach the town of
Bountiful has made her come in face with a girl who as travelling alone named DeMomay in
whom she finds a reflection of her childhood self through a series of reminiscence. The
film, which has been adopted from the play has acted as a revelation in terms of elucidating
the concept of the family, extending the idea beyond the notion of the biological family and
redefine a new term of family formed on the basis of emotion and connectedness and the
interdependence. As such the external family of Watt is in dire opposition with the internal
family as the connectedness that the lady had developed with Demomay and the Sheriff
(Nichols & Schwartz, 1984).
Thus it can be said that in order to critically determine the implication of the Bowen’s
Theory, the connectedness of the protagonist has extended beyond the conventional domain
of the biological family and dismantling the popular preconceived notion of the family on the
basis of the extended form of the connectedness that lady develops with other individuals.
The film also indulges in a crucial discussion how the interaction of the individual in terms of

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their existence as the members of the family has acted as a catalyst in giving rise to the idea
of self.

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References
Brown, J. (1999). Bowen family systems theory and practice: Illustration and
critique. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 20(2), 94-103.
Erdem, G., & Safi, O. A. (2018). The cultural lens approach to Bowen family systems theory:
Contributions of family change theory. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 10(2),
469-483.
Foote, H. (2007). The trip to bountiful. Dramatists Play Service, Inc..
Kerr, Michael E. “One Family’s Story: A Primer on Bowen Theory.” The Bowen Center for
the Study of the Family. 2000. http://www.thebowencenter.org.
Margasiński, A. (2015). Family Systems Theory: Conceptual Framework and Selected
Models. FAMILY IN THE SYSTEMS-CENTERED PERSPECTIVE THEORY AND
RESEARCH.
Nichols, M. P., & Schwartz, R. C. (1984). Family therapy: Concepts and methods. New
York: Gardner Press.
Titelman, P. (Ed.). (2014). Differentiation of self: Bowen family systems theory perspectives.
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