Antwone Fisher grew up without parents and was abused by his foster parents. This led him to have a volatile temper and get into frequent fights. He felt abandoned and like he didn't need a family. Navy psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Davenport helped Fisher by having numerous counseling sessions where Fisher was able to open up about his past. Fisher eventually found his biological mother and relatives, which helped him overcome his emotional problems. The film shows how finding family and getting therapeutic help can help address deep-rooted spiritual needs like feeling loved and having faith.

1. 01-26-2012
ANTWONE FISHER
1. What did Fisher mean I’m from under a rock?
Fisher meant that he is under pressure. He felt that he is in the dark with no one to hold. He
felt that there is a weight pushing him and there is no one to help him since he has no family
when he grew up.
2. What were the reasons why Antwone Fisher ended up fighting?
Antwone ended up fighting all the time because if we are to trace back from his childhood
experience, he didn’t had a happy and fruitful childhood life. He was abused physically, mentally
and emotionally by his foster parents. He was abused when he was young, and if he felt the need
to fight, he suddenly loses control and starts a fight with whoever made his day go bad.
According to him, when he starts to fight back with his foster mother, he felt good with it and he
started to have that temper during 17 years old and adapted it until he became an adult.
The impact of childhood experiences on later life experiences of Antwone was very
demoralizing. Because of the circumstances that Antwone went through, it made him had a
volatile temper in which he has easy to get into fights, was very ignorant and violent. In the
movie he stated that “No matter what you tried to do, you just couldn’t destroy me, I’m still
standing, I’m still strong…..” Antwone grew up without a mother to nurture, cherish and care for
him, a father to train, mold and teach him certain values, morals and principles or even a
girlfriend to encourage and stand by him. He had his childhood stolen from him and everyone he
has ever known was casting him off, by this he thought that everything was going wrong.
3. What is the meaning of rainy days feelings?
Rainy days feeling is what Antwone felt because of the absence of his parents. He was
abandoned. In Cleveland, it doesn’t rain too much but when it rains, to a child’s perception who
wanted to go out and play, it felt like it rains too much already. Rainy days are the sadness that a
child felt when he loses hope whenever he felt the need to achieve something that will make him
happy. There is a hope of seeing a mother that would love and care for him and the hope to go
out and play with his friends.
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2. 4. Explain why Antwone felt he didn’t need a family?
When he was very young, Antwone found refuge from this painful life in his own
imagination. He felt that he don’t need a family because he grew up without the love and care of
his parents or even the foster parents who adopted him. He never experienced the warmth of a
mother’s embrace. When he was a child, he hoped that his real mother would come and get him
but it didn’t happen. He felt the abandonment and the feeling of being unwanted. He would cry
himself to sleep, he wrote, "asking God why--why I had to live with the Picketts, why I couldn't
know my parents, why it was taking so long for the good part to come."
5. Identify the spiritual needs of Antwone.
Antwone needs to be loved. He needs to have faith in God. There is a missing link in his life
that is why he felt that he is under a rock and that he is under pressure. He needs to find the truth
in order to move on and go on smoothly with his life. The truth about his family and trusting God
despite of all the negative experiences he had in his life.
6. Give the scenario which showed the identified need?
At first, Antwone is refusing to find his family. He felt that he doesn’t need to find the reason
why his mother didn’t even find and get him when he was a child. There is feeling of hatred with
regards to his family. Another scenario is whenever he can’t control his temper, gets angry
immediately when a negative stimulus sets in, and then fights to whoever blocks his way or
belittles him. When he feels so alone, he never looked up to God to ask for help.
7. How Dr. Jerome Davenport did helped Antwone overcome his problems?
Dr. Davenport helped Antwone realize every bad thing that he does. First, he assessed the
background of Antwone and from that assessment, Dr. Davenport could trace why Antwone
reacts that way. In order for the therapist to understand, predict and control Antwone’s behaviour
he had to: Arrange numerous counselling sessions. Open up his own feelings in order to help
Antwone get in touch with his. Be patient with Antwone, in other words time was given for
Antwone to open up. Be observant to everything Antwone was saying. Try to perceive
Antwone’s side of the story and assess his situation. Question Antwone and in turn find answers
to Antwone’s questions. Find solution to his problems and helped him deal with his past.
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3. It was evident based on the movie that the psychiatrist was successful in achieving these
missions as it relates to Antwone’s issues. This is so because Dr. Davenport got through to
Antwone in that he made Antwone trust in him and shared all this problems, traumas and
experiences. Another reason is that he learns to come to grips with his life without blaming the
world.
Despite almost of the overwhelming anger that stemmed from his cruel upbringing, Fisher
was able, with the help of a navy psychiatrist, to confront his emotional problems and eventually
establish himself as a successful screenwriter, husband, and father. Dr. Davenport suggested that
Antwone must first look for his family or even his mother so that he could ask her about the
entire why’s in his head. Antwone go out for a leave to search for his mother and there he was
able to meet her and say all the things he wanted to say. He was able to release all the feelings in
his heart and was able to meet his relatives.
8. Describe how Antwone was able to overcome his problems?
Antwone go out for a leave to search for his mother and there he was able to meet her and
say all the things he wanted to say. He was able to release all the feelings in his heart and was
able to meet his relatives. He learned to love and forget the bad sexual experience when he was a
child. He was able to fall in love with his girlfriend in the film. He was able to develop a good
relationship with the psychiatrist and also with the family of Dr. Davenport.
He learned to overcome his problems when he started to open up all the feelings he have
inside his mind and heart. He was able to listen to the advice of his psychiatrist and with the help
of his girlfriend as well. Developing a positive attitude and by building trust to the persons
around him helped him too. He was able to smile and start living his life with faith, hope, trust
and love to God and others.
9. Discuss how the ideas in this film help in meeting the spiritual needs of our patient?
A famous quote in the bible teaches that “what man meant for evil, God uses it for good.”
The quote would imply that whatever people/men thought and were doing to bring down
Antwone, the Lord took and used it to fortify him. That is why; through all this, I believe the
Lord had a special plan for Antwone. He healed him through the help of a caring Psychiatrist and
a supportive girlfriend who saw something good in him. In addition, the Lord inspired him and
gave him hope, a father figure to respect (Dr. Davenport) and a girlfriend, (Cheryl).
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4. This film showed a lot of heart breaking scenario which could happen to anyone. The idea of
growing up without the love and care of your real family might be a very big problem as we
grow up and requires a lot of effort in order for the child not to feel unwanted. In a person, who
doesn’t know his family and who wasn’t able to get near and know God, the experiences of
Antwone would give a picture of a person who needs to return and be enlightened by God’s
kindness and love. With God’s love and help, thru prayers, Antwone would be able to surpass
any tragedy or circumstances that he would be facing all throughout his journey. The love and
trust for other person would be seen in this film also. It showed that a person needs somebody
else that would listen, to talk to and share what is bothering him/her and suddenly the burden that
he/she feels inside would be lighter.
10. Discuss how Antwone’s problem help solve the problem of Dr. Jerome Davenport and
his wife.
There were many instances where psychiatric issues were handled outside of the office, a few
are: Antwone was allowed to visit the psychiatrist’s home. The psychiatrist invited Antwone to a
family dinner at Thanksgiving and they met in a jail cell. The Psychiatrist also gave Antwone
his phone number to call him anytime. Another important boundary that the psychiatrist crossed
was that he exposed himself to Antwone; he spoke openly about his wife and their relationship.
He assisted Antwone in approaching his prospective girlfriend, he gave him tips and what to
expect when dealing with her. Finally with this experience with Antwone, Dr. Davenport
declared that he became a better therapist and husband by just working and understanding
Antwone.
11. Give your personal insights on the film.
The film made me feel blessed. I’ve seen that Antwone had a lot of circumstances that would
really test your faith in God. All the obstacles and problems that a person may have experienced
happened to Antwone. It taught me to be firm and strong enough to have faith in God. God will
not give problems which I cannot solve. I know that God is always there for me through good
times and bad times. He will be there to carry my burdens so that I won’t get lost. He will direct
my path to Him. Even though we walk to the darkest place or the dangerous side of the earth, we
shouldn’t fear for He is always there. He will comfort us and He won’t let anything harm His
children.
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5. I’ve learned the importance of having a friend whom you trust and whom is always there to
listen to your problems. It is good to control your temper and ask God to give you patience in
every situation to prevent fights.
Therefore, the movie depicts the concepts of flexibility, the ability to rebound or recover
from terrible, unusual and high risk factors for psychological and social adjustment.
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