Bob is sane, and Leo is crazy…from the beginning.
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mrwiseman-1 — 13 years ago(November 12, 2012 05:50 AM)
You're right of course. The theme of the movie is who is more crazythe guy who knows he has problemsor the guys who thinks he is perfectly normal (an isn't).
Bob is on the anxiety end of mental illness. Hyper aware. He knows he is screwed up, wants help. As we watch the movie, he does get better! The family make hik feel less alone, and less scared.
Leo is a tad into the other end of the mental illness spectrum. Unaware that he has heaps of issues. Paranoid, and egocentric. He has used his psychiatrist background as a cover for odd controlling behaviorswhich Bob frustrates with his arrival. Leo gets worse because he loses "control" as the movie goes along.
It is a fun movie, because Leo is the "crazy" one! -
rochelle-rochelle — 12 years ago(April 17, 2013 12:45 PM)
I agree that Bob didn't drive Leo crazy. Leo said himself he NEVER gets upset or angry, which is VERY unhealthy. Anyone who doesn't react or get upset at anything over time will eventually explode and breakdown, which is what happened. Bob SEEMS like he's whacko, but he helped EVERYONE when he was on vacation and even had the mental hospital doctors laughing.
"I feel great. I feel fine. I feel wonderful." -
Cinnamental — 12 years ago(July 18, 2013 04:55 AM)
Bob wasn't "on vacation." He stalked and followed his psychiatrist and his family by obtaining their address by faking his own death. Then he showed up at their house after being told to wait for a phone call. Bob definitely had problems.
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mrwiseman-1 — 12 years ago(September 18, 2013 09:03 PM)
But Bob was 100% aware of his problems. He even seemed to know that lying to find Dr. Marvin was wrong. He was, in his mind, desperate. He was a classic "neurotic."
Leototally unaware that using his practice to sell books is ethically questionable. Not to mention his history with others..Gutmans. I think he probably knowingly grabbed the house out from under them.
He was freaking out not because Bob was stalking him, but because Bob was ruining his time! Everyone else seemed to see Bob as the needy, but sweet guy that he wasbut Leo was having a meltdown because Bob was ruining his perfect little plan. A perfect little plan that had very little appreciation for his family's wants, needs, or desires.
If you watch almost all of his Bob problems are caused because he is irrationallike Bob getting stuck at the house overnight
So I guess it comes down to:
Sweet neurotic vs. Jerky psychotic
I guess the viewer is supposed to decide who is worse. I vote Leo. -
mcgill_j — 9 years ago(November 14, 2016 12:06 PM)
he HELPED.. after continually calling.. harrassing, stalking, LYING. saying he had committed suicide, pretended to be a police officer to gain access to information.
Those are not good things. Was Leo a bit too tightly wound? Yes. but Bob was hardly sane.. now did they both slowly start to change positions? Yes. Leo was a narcissist and a control freak. And he was bound to have a break down sooner or later, but Bob is hardly a wonderful paragon of virture.
Its interesting that people seem to want to gloss over that. -
lockon_stratos — 12 years ago(June 19, 2013 10:20 PM)
Great thread. Bob has problems for sure and it caused his former psychiatrist to quit his practice. But Leo definitely has problems and Bob helped to unknowingly expose them. I don't think Leo has many friends. Only his family can tolerate him including this sister. And Bob did get better after turning Leo crazy.
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MyDarkStar — 12 years ago(December 18, 2013 10:03 AM)
Absolutely. I think that's the main point in the end. I also think deep down Bob's only problem was that he was simply lonely. I think being alone just caused him to start to think about things to worry about too much (germs etc). Once he befriended the family (and eventually Leo's sister) his mind cleared up and he was fine.
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MyDarkStar — 12 years ago(December 18, 2013 10:06 AM)
Absolutely. I think that's the main point in the end. I also think deep down Bob's only problem was that he was simply lonely. I think being alone just caused him to start to think about things to worry about too much (germs etc). Once he befriended the family (and eventually Leo's sister) his mind cleared up and he was fine.
Because of all that I also think that deep deep down he wasn't even necessarily truly phobic about the things he thought he was - but was rather just saying it in order to get attention. I think he may have just fabricated his phobias in order to have a reason to visit a therapist who would then be forced to pay attention and listen to him. -
TheBeardedWonder — 11 years ago(June 15, 2014 12:07 PM)
The theme is of course that they both need help. Bob is obviously crazier though, the first scene implies that his previous therapist is quitting his job because of him. Plus as has been mentioned, the faking of his death, stalking, etc
"What? Do you wanna just sit around and be wrong?" - Liz Lemon -
Epsilon_Pegasi — 9 years ago(November 22, 2016 07:49 AM)
I love the fact that after their initial meeting, it seems as if Dr. Marvin is diagnosing himself every time he's with another character. "You've been DUPED! He's a textbook narcissist." There were a couple of lines that did roughly the same.
You keep calling me Walter. I don't like you. -Rorschach