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Girl, Interrupted Customer Reviews (28 - 30 of 57 Reviews)

Fantastic movie!
Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie give superb performances as two patients in an upscale psychiatric hospital. The movie is based on the autobiography, "Girl, Interrupted" by Susanna Kaysen (whom Ryder portrays). Whoopi Goldberg gives a good performance as the Head Nurse, "Val", who advises Ryder's character to "not drop anchor here", as Jolie's character apparently has done.

Not until the suicide of a former patient (whom they are visiting) does Ryder's character realize that ruminating over death is not a game - that death is final and life is precious. Only then does Ryder's character begin to get serious about her treatment and sessions with the chief psychiatrist, Dr. Wick (Vanessa Redgrave).

This movie is yet another gem among the many made by Winona Ryder. What struck me most is how Winona Ryder allows the other actors to "take over" scenes, so that the personalities of these other characters come through.

This is one great movie.



RYDER'S IN THE STORM
GIRL INTERRUPTED is definitely not a movie to cheer one up, but it is a thoughtfully well made movie, although it seems to get a little too long and I found myself wanting it to be over, and for Winona Ryder to get out of the hospital and continue with her life. Based on a true story, the movie artfully depicts the tragedy of personality disorders, of some hospitals ineffectiveness in really dealing with the patient's true problems. Ryder is very good, in fact one of the best performances I've seen her do. She conveys the frailty, the ambivalence, the fear of possibly being "crazy". At first denying her suicide attempt, she finally admits it later in the film. Angelina Jolie won her Oscar for supporting actress in this role, and I can see why. Her character, Lisa, is not the least bit likeable, and although she struts her self around the hospital, her own vulnerability and her desire to "anchor herself" there makes her pitiable, but at the same time she is malicious and vitriolic to say the least. The rest of the cast features some good support as well: Whoopi Goldberg, controlled and low key in her role as the pleasant Valerie; Clea Duvall as the pathological liar Georgina; Elizabeth Moss as the physically as well as emotionally scarred Torch; Brittany Murphy is very good as Daisy, the one patient who really should have stayed in the institution, and whom Jolie brings a fateful ending to; Vanessa Redgrave is pretty much wasted in her brief role, but one can't deny her impact on screen; Jared Leto is seen briefly as Tobey, the draft dodger who tries to spirit Ryder away; Mary Kay Place as the socialite wife of a professor who had a thing with Ryder; Angela Bettis in a brief but memorable role as one of the patients (she later goes on to star in "May" and "Carrie", the TV movie); and Jeffrey Tambor as the rather ineffectual Dr. Melvin.
GIRL INTERRUPTED is a disturbing movie and it requires a great deal of patience; one doesn't want to laugh at the misfortunes of others, but as human beings, sometimes the funny things an emotionally disturbed person does seems humorous to us, as it does to them. But there is a heart and understanding of mental illness in this movie; that coupled with the fine performances makes GIRL INTERRUPTED a very well done film.

Mesmerizing, emotionally powerful, and unforgettable
What can you say, really? Girl, Interrupted is just a magnificent motion picture boasting some awe-inspiring performances by Winona Rider, the incomparable Angelina Jolie (who definitely earned those best supporting actress awards), Whoopi Goldberg, and virtually everyone else in the film. The motion picture easily rises above the constraints that threatened to clip its wings - it's not a chick flick, and it is absolutely not a female version of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. It's a powerful story that touches a spot somewhere in the hearts of each of us, as we are all crazy down deep inside. Most people hide it or rob it of its power by ignoring it, but what happened to Susanna Kaysen could happen to any one of us - life becomes sad and confusing, time threatens to overpower us, bad things refuse to remain below the surface, etc. Indeed, after watching the film, it is difficult to say whether Susanna was ever crazy or not. I would go out on a limb and say the same of Lisa: she's a sociopath, but she lives in a world free of masks, uninhibited by the moral precepts of society, unafraid to not only examine the truth but spit in its eye, empowered by a sense of freedom that no mental institution can take away from her. She is a much more fascinating creature than Susanna, a roaring flame of spirit compared to Susanna's dark husk of existence. That is why we are drawn to her; Lisa has an excess of the vivacity so many of us long for in our own lives.

This film was based on the true story of Susanna Kaysen. As the director explains in the commentary, the screenplay does diverge from the book on several occasions, but it seeks to communicate the essence and insights of Kaysen's experience. I can't compare the two, as I haven't read the book, but this movie definitely has a lot to show us about life, ourselves, and those around us. We basically follow Susanna's tragic yet empowering experience in the institution right along with her, seeing everything and everyone through her eyes. At first, she naturally rebels, lamenting the fact she is basically stuck in a place surrounded by crazy people, but she soon comes to develop complex but very real bonds with her fellow patients - even Lisa, who basically scared the dickens out of her when she first arrived. Her life in the institution, the traumatic episodes she witnesses among the other girls, and her own inner struggle to face up to her own problems must be experienced, so I will not attempt to describe them here. From laughter to sadness, it all rings true and seems incredibly real.

It's no secret that Angelina Jolie pretty much steals the show with her magnetic performance as Lisa, but she is only one star in a constellation of great performers on display here. Rider is superb and would seem to be the perfect if not the only actress to play Susanna. Brittany Murphy is also incredible as Daisy, the most tragic character to come out of the story. It is amazing to watch someone with the incredible vivacity of Murphy deliver such a subtle, emotionally vulnerable performance. And then there's Whoopi. I really don't like Whoopi Goldberg, but I have to admit she is really an incredibly gifted actress. The warmth and oftentimes unstated compassion she shows to the girls in her ward is really one of the most important foundations of this entire movie.

The DVD features some nice special features. The commentary by director James Mangold is very beneficial to the viewer, as he fills in some of the gaps between the actual true story and the screenplay of the film. I certainly would not have guessed that he structured much of the film around the motifs of The Wizard of Oz - it is fascinating, not to mention really weird, to hear him go on and on with comparisons between the two films. You also get some sixteen minutes of deleted scenes with or without director's commentary - these provide a little more insight into our characters, but I would agree that they were better left on the cutting room floor. The obligatory HBO First Look feature on the making of the film gives the viewer a chance to hear from cast members as well as Susanna Kaysen herself. These special features are just icing on the cake, though, as Girl, Interrupted is easily one of the most impressive and emotionally complex films to hit the big screen in many years.

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