Critical Analysis –Interpersonal Communication: The Story of Us

The Story of Us, a 1999 release, highlights Ben (Bruce Willis) and Katie (Michelle Pfeiffer) who are married for 15 years of their only to discover that the love between them is depleted. During their 15 years of marriage, they had two children, and underwent different comical and dramatic encounters (IMDB). This essay aims to analyze the different elements of interpersonal communication that were operating in the film.

When it comes to perceiving self and others, it can be said that an apparent aspect in the film is the recency effect. This implies emphasizing more on things that happen recently instead of those that happen initially (University of Minnesota). When Katie and Ben were in the primary stage of their relationship, they had the deepest affection for each other. However, when they started to mature and have children, the bond that linked them together gradually disintegrates. The two were initially very interested in each other and they experienced the greatest communication ever, yet when their first child was conceived, a rift started to gradually separate them. Moreover, the distance grows as they welcome their second child with consistent arguments that were almost becoming a norm in their home. Consequently, Ben and Katie contemplate divorce. I have experienced this before in the sense that my brother and his girlfriend failed to pay attention to the love they had for each other in the initial stages of their relationship and focused on the issues that were recently occurring in their life. This lead to their eventual distancing from each other.