Punch-Drunk Love

Who it's for

Barry is a lonely man ridiculed by seven sisters, and the film shows, without mockery, how chronic belittling builds into sudden outbursts he doesn't understand.

Feelings it meets

• Shame
• Fear of Intimacy
• Self-Worth
• Family Roles
• Loneliness

What it is

Punch-Drunk Love is a 2002 romantic comedy-drama written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Adam Sandler as Barry Egan, a lonely small-business owner who sells novelty toilet plungers and is constantly belittled by his seven sisters. Barry begins a romance with Lena Leonard, a co-worker of one of his sisters, played by Emily Watson.

Where to find it

Rent or buy on major digital stores. Streaming availability rotates; check JustWatch.

Before you start

Heads up: Violent outbursts and threats.

Age: R (strong language, a scene of sexual dialogue)

Out, damned spot! out, I say!William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1