Shrink (film)

In Hollywood, psychiatrist Dr. Henry Carter treats mostly luminaries in the film industry, each undergoing their own life crisis. Carter lives in a large, luxurious house overlooking the Hollywood Hills and has published a hugely successful self-help book. However, he is disheveled and lives alone. He smokes marijuana at home, in his car and behind his office when not seeing patients. Carter routinely drinks himself to sleep around his house, waking up in his clothes, but never enters his bedroom. Despite his own problems, Carter continues psychotherapy with his patients, maintaining his incisiveness, compassion and strong doctor-patient relationships.

Focusing on some of Carter's patients, Patrick is a high-powered talent agent who is both narcissistic and angst-ridden, with germ phobia. Seamus is an actor addicted to various drugs and alcohol, and one of Patrick's biggest clients. Seamus is not one of Carter's patients, but they share a drug-dealer named Jesus. Jack Holden is another popular celebrity with a drinking problem, about which he is in denial. He continues therapy, however, because he believes that he has a sex addiction. Kate is an actress in her thirties who is intelligent, compassionate and poised, but is facing fewer career opportunities because of Patrick's notion that her age is a limitation. Her rock-star husband, who she says "wasn't always like this", is self-centered and is cheating on her. Carter's newest patient, Jemma, is a troubled high-school student who is required by her school to see a therapist after cutting her hand by punching a mirror. She is referred to Carter by his father as a pro-bono case because, like Carter's wife, Jemma's mother died by suicide. Jemma is an avid moviegoer who aspires to become a filmmaker.

Carter has few friends and spends time with Jesus, his quirky pot dealer. Carter also socializes with Jeremy, to whom he is loosely related through Carter's deceased wife, whose mother was Jeremy's godmother. Jeremy is a struggling young screenwriter who finds romantic interest in Patrick's assistant Daisy. Jeremy also derives creative inspiration from Jemma. Jeremy secretly steals Jemma's private file from Carter's office and pursues a platonic interest in Jemma. He writes his breakthrough screenplay about Jemma, and with Daisy's help, Jeremy succeeds in gaining Patrick's interest in the screenplay.

Carter suffers a breakdown on a live television talk show, alarming the host and the viewers when he states publicly for the first time that his wife died by suicide. He denounces his book as "bullshit" and himself as a fraud, and storms off of the set. Jemma, Daisy and Jeremy react to Carter's on-air outburst. Carter decides to stop treating Jemma, although he begins helping her to finally come to terms with her mother's suicide.

Jemma discovers the screenplay and feels betrayed by Jeremy. Carter angrily attacks Jeremy for his deception but accepts his own professional responsibility for the situation, which he unknowingly enabled. Carter and Jeremy are invited to a meeting at Patrick's office. Patrick brings them to a conference room where Jemma is already waiting. To their surprise, Jemma now approves of Jeremy's screenplay. Patrick announces that he will be representing Jemma and developing Jeremy's screenplay into a movie. Carter, having disposed of his drug supply, approaches Kate at home. He tells her that he does not want to see her anymore, "...professionally", implying his interest in seeing her romantically. She smiles.

That night, Carter enters his bedroom wearing pajamas. He momentarily regards his former marital bed before climbing into it and turning off the light.