HEAL 351 George Mason University The Princess Diaries Media Evaluation Essay

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HEAL 351

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The move you'll be analyzing for the media evaluation will be the Disney movie "the princess diaries" (2001).

This paper will demonstrate relationships in general, and how it shapes us and affects us

I have attached a final paper example and an outline of how the paper should look like. Please make sure you use relationships from the movie as shown in the paper attached below.

I will need a draft and a final paper.

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Running Head: RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 1 Natalia Camacho Cubillos Relationship Analysis: The Parent Trap (1998) George Mason University HEAL 351 Disclaimer Since I am not a trained professional, my assessment should not be construed as a professional opinion. I will be using the knowledge and experience I have developed in this class to evaluate the relative health or dysfunction of these relationships and make recommendations for improvement of each one RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 2 Relationships are — not surprisingly — enormously important for health and well-being; there are multiple studies on the biological processes that account for the link between relationships and health (Johnson, 2011). All angles of interpersonal relationships are depicted daily through the media in many TV shows, movies, books, podcasts, and video games. Maintaining good healthy relationships is key to allow individuals to grow in a much healthier manner and avoid ticking marks that can lead to dysfunctional and even toxic relationships. A healthy relationship can be defined by the Hall Health Center Health Promotion (2016) as a connection based on mutual respect, trust, honesty, support, fairness/equality, separate identities, good communication, and a sense of playfulness/fondness developed between two people. A good relationship provides and allows for the provision of support, doesn’t make the other person feel harshly evaluated, promotes a sense of connection and meaning, encourages health-enhancing behaviors, provides opportunities for long-term partnership and physical affection, and “acts as a buffer in the face of other bad relationships” (Newman & Roberts, 2013). Moreover, a good relationship does all of this with consideration for each individual’s sense of what support means. In this paper, I will observe and explain the dynamics that are operating within three relationships found in Walt Disney’s The Parent Trap released on July 20th, 1998. The Parent Trap tells the tale of identical twin sisters, separated shortly after birth by the break-up of their parents. After the girls coincidentally meet at a summer camp in Maine, they devise a scheme to switch places and ultimately, reunite their mom and dad (Meyers, 1998). The first relationship that will be analyzed is the familial relationship between the twins Annie and Hallie. The second relationship examined is the romantic relationship between Nick and Elizabeth. Lastly, I will examine the romantic relationship between Nick and Meredith. I analyzed multiple moments RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 3 throughout the film that covered communication, attraction, influence, vulnerability, and integrity to gain a closer look at the relative health of each relationship. Relationship 1: Annie and Hallie Annie and Hallie’s familial relationship is perhaps the most important in the film. Annie and Hallie were separated at birth due to the separation of their parents. Annie stayed in London with her mom and Hallie went to live in Napa, California with her dad. Their relationship started as an antagonistic relationship since they were unaware that they were related. Nonetheless, they discover that they are twins, Annie and Hallie build a good relationship, and plan a scheme: for each girl to switch and meet the parent she has never met and reunited them. Communication in the Relationship Effective communication is an important characteristic of strong, healthy families. Research identifies communication as an essential building block of strong marital, parent-child, and sibling relationships (Peterson, 2019). At the beginning of the film, Annie and Hallie were put together in the isolation cabin as punishment for a series of pranks they pulled on one another. During this time, they learned to communicate with one another and leave aside their differences. By doing so, they promptly discovered many facts about each other which led them to finally realize that they were twins (Meyers, 1998). The twins then continued to practice good communication skills by teaching each other how to impersonate one another. Hallie helped Annie get a haircut and pierce her ears, Annie helped Hallie imitate Annie's British accent; they also taught each other the layout of their RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 4 house, the mechanics of their family, and even the secret handshake between Annie and the James' butler, Martin. Multiple studies have investigated the mechanisms through which high-quality communication in family relationships is beneficial. Family support positively influences adaptive coping styles and the effectiveness of coping responses to stressful events (Newman & Roberts, 2013). In a specific scene, good communication skills are crucial. The twins were able to discover the nature of their relationship, cope with the lie their parents told them, and carry out their master plan: to switch places and ultimately, reunite their mom and dad because they took the time to listen to each other, express their emotions, and communicate clearly. The way that Annie and Hallie handle their new reality and worked together to understand and support one another shows that the relationship that Annie and Hallie have at this point is on a more positive note and is leaning towards a healthier relationship overall. Vulnerability in the Relationship I recognized the practice of vulnerability in Annie and Hallie’s relationship during two scenes of the film. The first scene took place in the camp when Hallie and Annie decided to accept that they were twins and built a relationship. This shows vulnerability because the twins were willing to do something where there are no guarantees: they were willing to invest in a relationship that may have or may have not worked out. Vulnerability is the core of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness, but it is also the birthplace of joy, of creativity, of belonging, of love (Brown, 2010). Annie and Hallie allowed themselves to be vulnerable and took a chance in building a meaningful relationship and as a result, they birthed a relationship that (spoiler alert) would finally lead to their “happily ever after.” RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 5 Another aspect of vulnerability is being able to have difficult conversations. The other clear example depicted in the film is when Annie calls Hallie to inform her that their father is engaged to the child-hating, gold digger Meredith Blake (Meyers, 1998). Adding information to the pool of meaning can be quite difficult when the topic contains delicate, unattractive, or controversial information (Patterson et al., 2011). Annie shared with Hallie that their dad was engaged to Meredith Blake. Annie also asked Hallie how she was feeling and understood that the information she shared with Hallie was very sensitive as Hallie grew up with her dad. Lastly, Annie asked for Hallie’s help and admitted that she was “desperate” because things were not going according to plan. Annie and Hallie chose to let themselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen. They chose to love and embrace one another with their whole hearts, even though there was no guarantee that their relationship and plan would work out. Vulnerability strengthened the relationship and in turn, it increased the healthiness of their relationship. Influence in the Relationship Like vulnerability, influence can also be a key ingredient in healthy, fulfilling relationships. Studies show that when a partner, friend, or sibling is a positive influence on an individual’s life, the relationship is more likely to last longer and have a positive impact on the individual’s outlook on life (Swift, 2015). Siblings’ extensive contact and companionship provide ample opportunity for them to shape one another’s behavior and socioemotional development and adjustment (Mchale et al., 2012). Annie and Hallie have a great influence on one another. One scene of the film where this is evident is when the twins’ resort to a last-ditch effort, by demanding a three-day family RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 6 camping trip, refusing to reveal which twin is which until after they return; Elizabeth tricks Meredith into taking her place on the camping trip (Meyers, 1998). Most research on direct sibling influences is grounded in developmental or social learning models, suggesting that, by their everyday involvement, siblings can promote positive development as well as adjustment problems. Siblings hold the power to inspire as well as corrupt. The twins' influence on one another shown in the film does both. Annie and Hallie push each other to be better, have a better life, and reach their full potential throughout the film. Nonetheless, they also often come up with schemes and pranks that get them in trouble and are not so constructive. Overall, the positive influences outweigh the “bad” as pranks and schemes are 11-year-old sibling relationships. Relationship 1 Conclusion Overall, the relative health of Annie and Hallie’s relationship is of an ideal, fun, and loving sibling relationship. They have strong communication skills, they were vulnerable, and have relatively positive influences. To improve the relationship, it seemed as though reducing any time spent apart (living together permanently) would improve the strength of the relationship by allowing both parties to still be present for one another and get to know each other more. Relationship 2: Nick and Elizabeth Another important relationship of the film is the romantic relationship between Nick and Elizabeth, Annie, and Hallie’s parents. The couple got married throughout a trip on "Queen Elizabeth 2" during a transatlantic crossing. However, the couple got divorced after the birth of RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 7 their twin daughters; Nick stayed in California raising Hallie and Elizabeth went to London to raise Annie. After 11 years, the couple reunites and for the movie, their relationship “rekindles”. Communication in the Relationship An important theory learned this semester is The Ladder of Inference which lays out the mental steps in our reasoning—from receiving data to concluding (Midgie, 2018). An example of this theory first proposed by Chris Argyris is depicted in the scene when Hallie and Annie recreate the night their parents met by renting out a yacht for an evening (Meyers, 1998). The couple shares a romantic dinner and remembers the night that their relationship took the wrong turn. Elizabeth explains to Nick that back then, they were both so you, and each had a temper. She then proceeds to tell him that she got angry and said “stupid” things. So, she packed, booked a plane ticket, and left. Yet, Nick did not come after her even though she assumed he would. The loving relationship between Elizabeth and Nick changed forever in an instant. Elizabeth went up The Ladder of Inference so fast to the point where there was no coming down. She, as many of us often do, failed to take a moment to stop and consider her reasoning, identify which step of the ladder she was in, question the choices she made to get there, consider the facts, reach the right conclusion, and check her assumptions and interpretations before taking any drastic action. Instead, the argument back then ended with Elizabeth throwing a hairdryer at Nick's face and her getting in a plane back to London (drastic decision). Although this is an example of how bad communication and bad judgment can damage a loving, beautiful relationship; it is also an example that it is never too late to take a minute to examine your decisions of the past and claim down The Ladder of Inference. In that scene, both, RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 8 Elizabeth and Nick were able to look at the facts and come up with a new conclusion that ultimately helped with the “rekindle” of their relationship. Attraction in the Relationship Attraction in a relationship is a very important component of love. Love has been explained as a “motivation system, it’s a drive, it’s part of the reward system of the brain” (Popova, 2015), rather than an emotion. The attraction between Nick and Elizabeth is very evident throughout the movie; during that encounter, Elizabeth got anxious to see him again and got drunk in the plane, and Nick got so nervous when he saw her that he fell in the pool. Attraction is driven by high dopamine and norepinephrine levels and low serotonin, romantic or passionate love, characterized by euphoria, focused attention, obsessive thinking, and intense craving for the individual (2015). Nick and Elizabeth’s level of attraction was so evident from the first moment they reunited, 11 years after their divorce. Several researchers have also identified that regardless of the personal level of attractiveness, or our partner's, as we get to know, like, and respect each other more, our attraction naturally grows and deepens (Fugère, 2017). Nick was physically attracted to both Elizabeth and Meredith. Nonetheless, the level of attraction, appreciation, and deep connection that Nick and Elizabeth shared ultimately helped Nick realize that the loving, healthy relationship that he could have with Elizabeth, did not compare to the superficial relationship he had with Meredith. RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 9 Vulnerability in the Relationship Although communication and attraction are key, vulnerability is also regarded as a key ingredient in healthy, fulfilling relationships because vulnerability is the driving force of connection. Vulnerability is defined as an individual’s capacity of being physically or emotionally wounded vulnerable or open to attack or damage (Wendler, 2017). It’s impossible to connect without it. One scene that shows complete vulnerability is when Elizabeth and Annie board a flight for London, but when they arrive home, they find Nick and Hallie waiting for them (Meyers, 1998). Nick shows his vulnerable side and opens his heart to Elizabeth. Nick tells her that he is not making the mistake of not going after her and proposed to Elizabeth. Nick demonstrates vulnerability by expressing his emotions to Elizabeth, risking being exposed to the hurtful feeling of rejection. However, Elizabeth also showed her vulnerable side. She tearfully expressed her fear of not being able to make the relationship work and raise their daughters together but despite her fears, she accepted. The couple shares a loving kiss and later in the credits, the viewers can see the pictures of their second wedding aboard "Queen Elizabeth 2". Nick and Elizabeth chose to let themselves be vulnerable. They chose to share their fears and feelings, even though there was no guarantee that their feelings were reciprocated. That last scene truly shows the maturity and health of Elizabeth and Nick’s relationship. Vulnerability strengthened the relationship and in turn, allowed for the couple’s “happily ever after”. RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 10 Relationship 2 Conclusion Overall, the relative health of Elizabeth and Nick’s relationship is of an ideal, healthy, and loving romantic relationship. They have strong communication skills, were vulnerable, and have a good, healthy attraction for one another. They were able to overcome the troubles of their past and grow personally and in their romantic relationship. To improve the relationship, it seemed as though attending couples’ therapy would strengthen their relationship by allowing both parties to learn from their past and start on a new canvas with the help of an expert. Relationship 3: Nick and Meredith Lastly, to understand what a healthy relationship looks like, one must also examine what an dysfunctional relationship is like. The dysfunctional relationship of this story is the romantic relationship between Nick and Meredith. Meredith is a 26-year-old publicist engaged to Nick and the antagonist of the film The Parent Trap (1998). The relationship between the two is not only unhealthy but also motivated by all the wrong reasons, especially money. Communication in the Relationship Psychologist John Gottman identified several destructive communication tactics. Some of these include criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling, and belligerence (Gordon, 2020). Nick and Meredith’s relationship seems to be unhealthy and in several scenes of the movie one can detect some of Gottman’s tactics that interfere with their communication. For instance, contempt, defensiveness, belligerence, and criticism is evidenced in the scene of their breakup. Meredith, after waking up in the middle of the lake during their camping trip, becomes enraged and demands Nick chooses between her and the twins (Meyers, 1998). RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 11 During their argument, Meredith criticizes him and his daughters while also calling them names such as “buddy” and “little brats”. She is bluntly disrespectful and projects a sense of defensiveness and belligerence as she screams and pushes Nicks buttons, even suggesting she plans to “ship the twins to Switzerland” after they get married. This argument untimely leads Nick to finally see Meredith for who she truly is and chooses the twins, breaking off the engagement. The lack of truthful communication between Nick and Meredith throughout their relationship leads to the undoing of their engagement. Couples that don't learn to consciously communicate will face issues when it comes to intimacy, conflict, and relational growth (Earnshaw, 2020). Nick and Meredith were often not truly communicating about important things such as their mutual interest, motives for marrying, beliefs, and values. Their relationship is a perfect example of a dysfunctional relationship that was never going to be successful, their argument just sped up the inevitable and thankfully broke the engagement. Integrity in the Relationship Along with communication, the lack of integrity in Meredith and Nick’s relationship also led to the undoing of their engagement. “Integrity is choosing your thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gain” - Chris Karcher. The integrity in Meredith and Nick’s relationship is nonexistent. As integrity is a personal quality of fairness, no doubt, it affects the relationships of people. Lack of integrity simply implies dishonesty or not being morally upright (Pace, 2018). Meredith and Nick had no boundaries set. For example, Nick did not talk to Meredith clearly about some boundaries that she should not have crossed. As a result, Meredith constantly would disrespect Nick, his house, RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 12 and those whom he loved. Meredith would disregard the opinion of Nick’s daughters, she threatened them multiple times, she also would change Nick’s appearance, she disrespected Chessy (the nanny), and lastly, she never showed him her true intentions and her core values and beliefs. Integrity is one of the most important principles of leadership because it demands honesty and truthfulness (Pace, 2018). Meredith and Nick’s relationship had no integrity, as a result, it was never honest or truthful. Their relationship was very unhealthy, lacked boundaries, and was built upon mere physical attraction. Attraction in the Relationship The attraction between Nick and Meredith is evident, to the point that, it is the only thing keeping them together. The physical attraction that Nick feels towards Meredith blinds him and prevents him from seeing Meredith how she truly is. Meredith’s young, beautiful appearance traps them both into a relationship only rooted in lust–– driven by androgens and estrogens, the craving for sexual gratification, and attraction–– driven by high dopamine and norepinephrine levels and low serotonin (Popova, 2015). A scene in the film that depicts this is during their camping trip when Nick had already started to see Meredith’s true colors due to her frequent loss of temper every time the twins would prank her (Meyers, 1998). Meredith gives Nick a passionate kiss on the front of Annie and Hallie, to prove to them that the level of lust and physical attraction that Nick feels for her surpasses their pranks and intentions of separating them. If Annie and Hallie had not taken Meredith’s mattress to the middle of the lake, pushing Meredith to show her true self, Nick RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 13 would have married a complete, yet beautiful stranger. Nick even tells Elizabeth “remind me to thank them one day”. The level of attraction of this relationship is completely different from the attraction between Nick and Elizabeth. The attraction between Nick and Meredith was the only thing keeping this dysfunctional relationship together, whereas the attraction between Nick and Elizbeth strengthened their relationship and enhanced other good qualities that their relationship possessed. This scene shows that attraction, although it is extremely important, is not the only ingredient of a loving, beautiful, healthy relationship. Relationship 3 Conclusion Overall, the relative health of Meredith and Nick’s relationship is of a superficial, dishonest, and controlling romantic relationship. They do not have communication skills, integrity in their relationship, and many other factors that constitute a healthy, loving relationship. They were not able to grow as a couple and rise above their troubles, as a result, their engagement broke-off. I believe they were not a good fit and showed the viewers what an unhealthy and dishonest relationship looks like. It is of extreme importance to portray this type of relationships in the media to educate individuals about the warning signs of a dysfunctional relationship and what not to look for. Paper Conclusion Walt Disney’s The Parent Trap is an all-time classic centered in the values of communication, trust, perseverance, fun, and unity. I chose to evaluate the film because it depicts several types of loving, healthy relationships such as familial, romantic, friendship, and RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 14 professional relationships. The most important factor that stood out to me was that the film portrayed not only the “perfect” side of each relationship but also the conflicts of each relationship and how those were solved. To conclude, the core of healthy relationships is built on respect, trust, safety, acceptance, freedom of choice, positive communication, and conflict management, and fun despite challenges and conflicts (Murray, 2017). Walt Disney’s The Parent Trap portrayed important aspects of healthy relationships in an honest, realistic, and fun way. RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 15 References Brown, R. (2010). The power of vulnerability. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en Earnshaw, E. (2020, February 22). How Lack of Communication Sneakily Ruins Relationships. Retrieved from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14106/5communication-mistakes-that-kill-relationships.html Fugère, M. A. (2017, January 5). Why Physical Attraction Matters, and When It Might Not. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dating-andmating/201701/why-physical-attraction-matters-and-when-it-might-not Gordon, A. (2020, May 2). Communication: They Key to Healthy Relationships. Retrieved from Power Point slide 19, HEAL 351 Week 10 Johnson, T. D. (2011, March 1). Healthy relationships lead to better lives. Retrieved from http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/41/2/20 Mchale, S., Updegraff, K., & Whiteman, S. (2012). Sibling Relationships and Influences in Childhood and Adolescence. Journal of Marriage and Family, 74(5), 913–930. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2012.01011.x Meyers, N., Daniels, (Director), (1998, July 29). [film] Shyer, C., (Producer). The Parent Trap. Walt Disney Pictures. Midgie, L., Sean, W., & BillT, A. (2018). The Ladder of Inference: How to Avoid Jumping to Conclusions. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_91.htm Murray, C. E. (2017). Healthy relationships initiative. Retrieved from http://www.guilfordhri.org/about-us/ Newman, M., & Roberts, N. (2013). Health and social relationships: the good, the bad, and the RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PARENT TRAP (1998) 16 complicated. Washington, District of Columbia: American Psychological Association. Pace, R. (2018, December 13). How Important Is Integrity in Relationships? Retrieved from https://www.marriage.com/advice/relationship/integrity-in-relationships/ Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2011). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. 2nd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Peterson, R. (2009, May 1). Families First-Keys to Successful Family Functioning: Communication. Retrieved from https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/350/350-092/350-092.html Popova, M. (2015, September 18). This Is Your Brain on Love. Retrieved from https://www.brainpickings.org/2010/06/11/your-brain-on-love/ Wendler, D. (2017). A pragmatic analysis of vulnerability in clinical research. Bioethics, 31(7), 515–525. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.12367 HEAL 351 Media Evaluation Outline Use APA Style for structuring and citing this paper (see Purdue OWL: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/ge neral_format.html). Cover Page with your name (Include this disclaimer on the bottom third of the page) (centered) Disclaimer Since I am not a trained professional, my assessment should not be construed as a professional opinion. I will be using the knowledge and experience I have developed in this class to evaluate the relative health or dysfunction of these relationships and make recommendations for improvement of each one. Introduction Identify the media you will be discussing. Explain the nature of relationships using the class definition for healthy relationships and insight you have gathered through the class. Briefly describe an overview of the content and characters you will be describing. Relationship 1 Identify and Explain the relationship (romantic, friendship, familial). Describe the actions in the relationship that you will be using to discuss the topics. Identify Topic 1 (e.g., Communication) Explain the topic based on how it pertains to our study of relationships. Give an example from the media content that demonstrates the topic you are explaining here. Briefly remark about whether this example is one that is healthy or dysfunctional to the relationship. Identify Topic 2 (e.g., Fidelity and Integrity) Explain the topic based on how it pertains to our study of relationships. Give an example from the media content that demonstrates the topic you are explaining here. Briefly remark about whether this example is one that is healthy or dysfunctional to the relationship. Identify Topic 3 (e.g., Attraction and Influence) Explain the topic based on how it pertains to our study of relationships. Give an example from the media content that demonstrates the topic you are explaining here. Briefly remark about whether this example is one that is healthy or dysfunctional to the relationship. Relationship 1 Conclusion Assess the relative health or dysfunction of this relationship based on what you have learned in class. Provide detailed recommendations for what this pair might do to improve the health of their relationship. Develop a concluding thought about this relationship. Repeat for relationships 2 and 3. You can choose up to 5 relationships. Paper Conclusion Briefly review the media that you have just evaluated and explain why you chose it. Identify what important factors stood out to you about the relationships in this media selection. Wrap up your paper as you see fit. You must write this paper using this organizational tool unless you have previously discussed it with your instructor. **Important note: The topics listed above (communication, fidelity and integrity, attraction and influence) are just examples. You can use any topics from the course that you would like. Let me know if you have questions about this.
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Attached.

Running head: RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PRINCESS DIARIES

1

Relationship Analysis: The princess diaries

Student’s name:
Institutional affiliation:

Disclaimer
Since I am not a trained professional, my assessment should not be construed as a professional
opinion. I will be using the knowledge and experience I have developed in this class to evaluate
the relative health or dysfunction of these relationships and make recommendations for
improvement of each one.

RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PRINCESS DIARIES

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Relationship Analysis: The princess diaries
Introduction
According to Chadwell (2012), humans are social beings and thus thrive well when
forming and maintaining healthy relationships with others. Success in nearly all spheres of
human life are dependent on formation of strong relationships with others, spanning from the
school environment, the work environment, business market, intimate relations, friendship, and
many others. Despite the yearning by individuals to maintain healthy relations, many factors
crop up during relationship building and can deter strengthening of relations. Differences in
personality and background also play a critical role in either strengthening or destroying
formation of relationships. Television shows are a mirror of societal happenings and help in
understanding how and why some individuals have the ability to develop strong relations while
others fail in forming healthy and meaningful relationships.
A healthy relationship must be built by several characteristics and traits including trust,
intimacy, commitment, communication, respect, equality, honesty, compromise, kindness,
appreciation, and empathy (Chadwell, 2012). Relations that are based on these qualities help
individuals to grow and advance their wellbeing as well as feel motivated to pursue their goals in
life. Formation of healthy relations requires active engagement and participation by both parties.
One-sided engagement in relations usually leads to poor relations and eventual breakup of
relationships.
This essay evaluates the relationships exhibited in The princess diaries, detailing how the
princess – Mia Thermopolis forms and maintains relations with others. The movie is revealed as
Mia’s diary as she studies in the fictional Albert Einstein High School in New York City. This
analysis will evaluate three relations as outlined in the movie – one between Mia and Lilly

RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PRINCESS DIARIES

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Moscovitz, Mia and Tina Hakim Baba, as well as Mia and Josh Bryant. Mia finds herself in a
challenging situation where she has to adapt to her newfound position as the heir to the European
kingdom of Genovia, a situation that brings forth challenges in forming healthy and lasting
relations with others.
Relationship 1: Mia and Lilly Moscovitz
Lilly is the only friend to Mia due to her shy nature and fear of social places. The two
friends regularly record and share Lilly’s television shows regarding local Chinese deli-owners,
where they expose the Chinese of unfair discounts towards Asian students. Although they have a
strong relationship, their relationship hits rock bottoms when Lilly perceives that Mia is not
committed to the relationship.
Communication
Communication is one of the virtues seen in the relationship between Mia and Lilly. At
first, the two friends kept their communication active and helped one another in conducting their
regular television shows. However, communication deteriorated between the two when Mia got
the shocking news that she is a princess. At first, Mia did not want to reveal the news to Lilly for
fear that Lilly would abandon her. Similarly important is the fact that although Mia became open
and shared the news with Lilly, their relationship started deteriorating. Lilly became angry that
Mia had become too busy to help her in their normal television shows, which led to eventual
breakdown in communication between the two.
Commitment
When considering the commitment in the relationship between Mia and Lilly, Mia was
committed in helping Lilly with her daily television shows despite her changed demanding
schedule, but Lilly perceived that Mia had decided to abandon her. Lilly’s move of shutting

RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS: THE PRINCESS DIARIES

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down communication and showing anger towards Mia definitely destroyed their relationship. As
a show of commitment, Lilly should have approached Mia and expressed her concerns in order
to strengthen their shaken relationship.
Compromise
Compromise is also an important element in relationship building and helps to restore
challenged relationships. In the case of Mia and Lilly, Lilly should have understood Mia’s
changed status in the society. Lilly should have been appreciative of the efforts put forth by Mia
and forgive her for the one instance she failed to show up to aid in the making of t...


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