A Therapist Review of 'Stutz'

Oh man, without burying the lead, I’m going to get straight to the point and say I absolutely loved this documentary. As a therapist, this has been recommended to me by friends, family members, acquaintances, and several of my own clients. I wanted to be intentional about watching it so I saved it for a time I could give it my full attention, something I am glad that I did. My understanding going into watching this piece was that it was Jonah Hill, the lovable funny guy from Superbad, talking about therapy with his own therapist in an intimate way. Sure, in a vacuum that is still true but there is much more nuance to ‘Stutz’ than I expected. 


From the beginning, the deep relationship Jonah and his therapist, Phil Stutz, have is palpable. Their banter has an ease and familiarity to it that I found very comforting and one that I thought was refreshingly modern and relatable as compared to what one traditionally thinks of between a therapist and client. They were not shy about speaking of their admiration for each other and even discussing a mutual fear of losing the other. Of course, theirs is a unique relationship, one where they play the roles of both therapist/client and director/subject of this documentary. Right away Phil sets the tone with his tongue in cheek delivery of “you better not dump a bunch of your shit on me today,” which is met with warm laughter from Jonah. This mutual understanding of their dynamic spoken in an ironic way helps to break this “fourth wall” that exists sometimes between therapist and client. Theirs is not a one directional relationship, which is a common misconception about therapy. It is clear Jonah is aware that Phil enjoys their time together and that there is a bi-directional exchange of information that both humanizes Phil and appears to shrink the “power imbalance” that can exist within this space. 


Jonah speaks candidly about how he found something special in his therapeutic relationship with Phil and acknowledges it provided him with the tools to live a meaningful life. Another piece I loved about the film was the utilization of specific Stutz tools sprinkled throughout. (I especially felt validated when he brought up radical acceptance as my clients will attest- I never shut up about this one). Phil’s utilization of notecards as a way to provide meaning and illustration to the skills, is something I loved. His ballpoint pen drawings on the notecards served a double meaning as it became a topic of conversation related to his battle with Parkinson’s. In a candid conversation, Phil acknowledges his shaky handwriting has become something he is insecure about and serves as a constant reminder of his health struggles. He is then able to connect it to the subtext of the tools he speaks of in a way that exposes his own vulnerability. Throughout the film, Phil’s overarching philosophy he brings into the therapeutic space is that pain, uncertainty and doing ongoing work are inevitable in life but through the utilization of the tools he discusses, it is possible to take action no matter how frightened you are or how hard it is. He even articulates how he feels that true confidence is acceptance of uncertainty and happiness lies in how you respond to the adversity within your life. Some standout tools I loved were the concept of the maze, loss processing, active love, and of course I’m going to say it again- my old faithful radical acceptance. 


As a therapist, there are several things I am going to take from this documentary. I appreciate Phil’s actionable and proactive approach to therapy. He understands the importance of processing the past while providing hope for the future through offering concrete tools clients can take with them after their session. He acknowledges that vulnerability is often a two way street and is willing to offer his own vulnerability in a therapeutic way. Phil states close to the end that the secret of life is that no one will ever have it all figured out. I often remind myself of this when I notice my own “part x” getting louder. In a poetic way, the film ends with a role reversal of sorts where Phil repeats a statement Jonah makes at the beginning of the film, “the hardest part of my day is getting out of bed,” and Stutz is seen literally getting out of bed despite the pain. This felt to tie it all together in a full circle way. I highly recommend this movie as both a clinician and a client, both of which I have been, and both of which were the eyes I watched the film through.


Lexi Miller