Degree of Madness

Degree of Madness is a story of psychological suspense centering on a misfit psychiatrist's descent into madness after he loses his wife and soul mate in a tragic auto accident on Christmas Eve. The slide into insanity is detailed through flashbacks and ongoing sessions with the one patient who does not listen to the psychiatrist's advice. The psychiatrist zeroes in on that one patient as a microcosm for an entire world he can not control and soon understands he must eliminate him. We see him become more deranged through interaction with the portrait of his late wife that he comes to believe dictates his every thought and move. The patient is portrayed as strong, gentle, and clearly sane. Other complicating factors include the psychiatrist's boss, a troubled man in search of redemption by playing crime fighter with the gay son he doesn't understand, as well as the lust interest in the gorgeous young intern who Zachary comes to see as replacement for his wife.