Spike Jonze: The Helical Model Of Relationship Development

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Although Spike Jonze’s movie is the very definition of a post-modern film, the subject of it is as timeless as the ages. The film follows the story of an unlikely romance between an introverted man and his artificially intelligent Operating System, Samantha. While the couple itself might be unusual, the relationship between Theodore and Samantha adheres to the same relationship development models a normal romance would. The changes in Theodore and Samantha’s relationship can best be described using the Helical Model of Relationship Development. According to Stewart, Zediker & Witteborn (2005, pg. 267), the Helical Model of Relationship Development is composed of four stages: Security, Disintegration, Alienation, and Resynthesis. When something disrupts a relationship, the relationship enters the Disintegration stage - a stage filled with unease and questioning. To alleviate the uncertainty of the relationship, the participants withdraw and enter a period of alienation. Soon after, the participants work together to redefine (or resynthesize) the relationship and enter into a new state of security. …show more content…

He begins to alienate Samantha, who later recounts this period as “You were saying everything was fine, but all I was getting from you was distance and anger.” (Jonze, 2013) Thinking it will make him feel better, she hires a sex surrogate for them. However, the idea of a sex surrogate is too uncomfortable for Theodore, sending the couple into a whole new cycle of the helical

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