Girl, Interrupted (1999)

4 STARS


Directed by James Mangold
Produced by Cathy Konrad, Douglas Wick
Written by James Mangold, Lisa Loomer, Anna Hamilton Phelan (based on the memoir by Susanna Kaysen)

Starring Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg

Runtime 2 hours, 7 min.
Worldwide Gross $48,350,205
Genres Drama, Biography

From the start of James Mangold's thrilling Girl, Interrupted, you can tell that what you're about to see will have a lasting impact in your mind. To me, this film is like a stain that will never go away. I mean this in the best possible way. It's a stain I don't want to get rid of. The reason Girl, Interrupted has made such a lasting impression to me is for many reasons. The main reason in the film's remarkable story. Plagued with depression and a suicide attempt, Susanna Kaysen (Ryder) is stuck battling her inner demons in the time of sex, drugs and rock and roll. She's persuaded to check herself into Claymoore Hospital, an institution for the mentally disturbed. At the clinic she meets psychopath Lisa Rowe (Angelina Jolie in an Academy Award-winning performance), who she reluctantly befriends and confides in.

It's in the performance by Angelina Jolie that serves as a lasting reason to see this film more than once. If you ever have any doubts about Jolie's talent, watch this. Her portrayal is so flawless, it to me stands as one of the most frightening performances of all time. What's truly incredible is the screenplay, which intertwines beautifully with the film's solid cast. With the combined efforts Jolie and the writers, Lisa Rowe is effectively shown as a perfect psychopath. When she's friendly, you love her. When she's mean, you hate her. And when she's mad, you're scared beyond relief. If your eyes don't widen at least once when watching this film, I think it's safe to say that you're not human.

Also played well are the performances by Whoopi Goldberg, as head nurse Valerie Owens and the performance by Elisabeth Ross, as Polly Clark, the woman with a child's soul. Winona Ryder and Brittany Murphy also have moments of brilliance. While most of her scenes are well done, Ryder at times is over-dramatic. Murphy, who plays the depressed and disturbed Daisy, often performs brilliantly. There's only rare instances when her performance seems overplayed. Also a good thing is the score by Mychael Danna, whose eccentric beats and tones play well with the eccentricities of the film's script.

Something I don't quite agree with is the writers' decision to create plot elements, of which are crucial in the film's storyline, which never happened in the book. The real life Susanna Kaysen accused Girl, Interrupted's director of using "melodramatic drivel". Though I certainly agree that Kaysen's writings could have been more respected in the script, on the other hand, the "drivel" that is added leads to some of the film's best moments. Without some of the things that are added, the film's best monologue would've never been a part of the film. For those who have seen the film, I'm referring to Lisa's brilliantly written rant when she's talking to Daisy. Without this scene, the film would be very different.

Though I've mentioned some of the actors' unnecessary drama, I believe it needs to be talked about more. Even though most times it isn't an issue, it can definitely detract from the story. Most of these problems seem to come from Winona Ryder, who otherwise gives a solid performance. And though it's certainly not as strong as it could be, Ryder's performance is incredibly underrated, due to the amazing performance by Angelina Jolie. I find this a bit ironic since this film was supposed to be an awards magnet for Ryder.


Though a lot of reviewers might disagree with me, Girl, Interrupted is a brilliant film that is definitely worth your time. It's emotional and thrilling to watch. Its shock factor itself is a reason to see it. Even if you don't agree with me about the film's story, the performances are thrilling. If you can't see at least this, I feel just a bit bad for you. I understand that a lot of people don't like Girl, Interrupted. But please, give it a chance and you hopefully wont regret it.

Girl, Interrupted is rated R for strong language and content relating to drugs, sexuality and suicide.