Frankie And Alice: Wedding Scene Explained

In the film Frankie & Alice, Frankie, a go-go dancer with multiple personality disorder, assaults a wedding guest at her former lover Pete's sister's wedding. This incident is one of several violent episodes that occur as a result of Frankie's condition, including one where she cracks a man's head open with a picture frame. After being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, Frankie begins psychotherapy and eventually recalls the traumatic events that led to her dissociative identity disorder.

Frankie's violent behaviour

During her therapy sessions, Frankie recalls traumatic events from her past that contributed to her personality disorder. She remembers being in love with a white man who died in a car accident and the birth of her child, who was killed by her mother due to the child's mixed race. These repressed memories and the associated trauma trigger her violent behaviour, as she struggles to cope with the emotional weight of these experiences.

The film highlights the complexities of Frankie's character and the challenges she faces in managing her violent tendencies and controlling her alter egos. Through her therapy sessions, Frankie works towards healing and gaining control over her life, demonstrating the importance of understanding the root causes of violent behaviour to facilitate recovery.

The wedding guest assault

Prior to the wedding, Frankie had been experiencing blackouts and hallucinations, struggling to remain her true self. At the wedding, Frankie has a blackout and finds herself in a translucent state. In this altered state, she assaults a wedding guest, attempting to stab them. This violent episode results in criminal charges and her subsequent commitment to a mental hospital.

The assault at the wedding is a significant event in the film as it leads to Frankie's encounter with Dr. Oz, a perceptive psychologist. Dr. Oz becomes intrigued by Frankie's case and begins to work with her to uncover the traumatic events that led to her dissociative identity disorder. Through their sessions, Frankie recalls the death of her boyfriend and the birth of her child, whose life was taken by her mother due to the child's mixed-race heritage.

The scene is a powerful depiction of the challenges faced by individuals with dissociative identity disorder and the potential consequences of unaddressed trauma. It showcases the nuanced performance of Halle Berry as Frankie and the intricate storytelling of director Geoffrey Sax.

Frankie's hospitalisation

After being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, Frankie meets Dr Oz, who diagnoses her with multiple personality disorder. He identifies two other personalities: Genius, a seven-year-old child, and Alice, a Southern white racist. Through therapy sessions, Frankie recalls the traumatic events that caused her personality to split, including the death of her boyfriend and the birth of her child, which was killed by her mother after discovering the baby was mixed race.

As Frankie begins to understand her condition, she starts the healing process and learns to control her life, although Dr Oz warns that the other personalities will always be present.

Dr Oz's diagnosis

Through regular therapy sessions with Dr Oz, Frankie begins to recall the traumatic events that led to the dissociative splits in her personality. She remembers that, as a teenager, she was in love with a white man who died in a car accident. She also recalls giving birth to his child, and her mother killing the baby as soon as she realised it was half-white. This is what triggered Frankie's personality to split.

Dr Oz works with Frankie to identify her different personalities and their sources, and she begins the healing process, taking control of her life and semi-integrating the personalities that Dr Oz assures her will always be present.

Frankie's traumatic past

When Frankie was 15, she ran away with her boyfriend and got pregnant. While they were on the road, a tragic car accident occurred, resulting in her boyfriend's death. Frankie was in the front seat, distracting him, at the time of the crash. This traumatic event left a deep mark on her psyche.

The birth of her child was also shrouded in tragedy. After giving birth in a motel room, Frankie's mother realized that the baby was biracial and took the infant's life, smothering and disposing of the child. This horrific act triggered Frankie's personality to split, leading to the emergence of her alter egos, Genius and Alice.

Genius is a seven-year-old child with a high IQ of 156, while Alice is a Southern white racist. These alternate personalities manifest in Frankie's behaviour, causing violent outbursts and memory loss. Through her therapy sessions, Frankie works to understand and integrate these personalities, taking control of her life and beginning the healing process.

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