Girl, Interrupted

Rating:
Summary: An 'interruption' would have been welcomed....
Review: Ignore the hype (not that there was much anyhow), ignore the 'Oscar' win (they never go to the right people) and most certainly ignore this dull and sickly 'melodrama'. Girl, Interrupted attempts to try and recapture the dark humour of the book but ultimately fails. The characters seem to be extras from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (yes, tics and all) and of course the obvious stereotypes are presented; fat girl, thin girl, extremely mad girl, dyke, etc. Even the introduction of Angelina Jolie as the psychotic and downright nasty Lisa fails to save this predictable mess from going downhill. Wonders how she bagged the Oscar, as her performance seems reminiscent of an OTT soap opera actress. Such a shame really, as the talented cast seem capable of better performances and films. A waste of time, money and talent.

Rating:
Summary: AN AWESOME MOVIE.
Review: I read the book and waited with great anticipation for the film to come out..Unfornately, I didn't get to see it until it came on DVD. I have to say this is one movie I liked just as much as the book! I may have even liked it a little more only because I am a great fan of both Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. Both of them were amazing in their performances and should have both been given OSCARS! Ryder is at her finest in this movie. She was the perfect person to play Susanna Kaysen.

The film is set in the late 60's, and Susanna, much to her parents' chagrin, has decided she doesn't want to go to college. She isn't sure what she wants out of life yet, and has feelings of depression, and anguish. So she decides to swallow asprin and chase it with a bottle of vodka. Instead of dealing with the situation her parents put Susanna into a private institution.

It's in the institution that she meets Lisa, played with great fervor by Jolie. They seemed to have a great chemistry on screen, I find it hard to believe that they had a hard time getting along off screen. They sort of play off each other. While in the institution, Susanna meets and gets to know the other girls in her ward. She realizes she isn't crazy after all after meeting some of these girls. The acting by all the girls is very good. There is a lot of humor and life in this film, and I think that the acting overall was very good. The screenplay was very good too. The soundtrack was also great. I loved everything about this movie. It is a movie I would add to my small but growing collection of DVD's.

Rating:
Summary: If you enjoyed the movie, consider reading the amazing book!
Review: I heard about this movie and was dying to see it, but being under 17 and my parents still a little wary about rated R in theaters, I decided to read the book. And what a difference between the two. I'm not going to list them because I want you to read the book for yourself. The movie is about Suzanna Kaysen (played by an amazing Winona Ryder) who was sent to an asylum. There she meets a host of characters including Lisa, which has got to be Angelina Jolie's best performance as far as I'm concerned, who is a diagnosed sociopath. She also meets Polly, a sweetnatured woman who burned the side of her face at age 10, Georgia, a compulsive liar, and Daisy, a girl addicted to laxatives and her father's chicken. This story isn't for the meek, that's for sure. And it's definately NOT for children! Some of the scenes in the asylum are maybe upsetting, not that they're violent, but the story takes place in an asylum so what do you expect? This movie isn't neccesarily candy and rainbows, but that's what makes it so real. And when Suzanna talks about the girls being their friends, you know how she feels. If you enjoyed this movie, and even if you didn't, be sure to read the book. In my opinion it's a lot better and delves more into the subject.

Rating:
Summary: Heroic and redemptive
Review: I tend to the sentimental, so the fact that I cried through most of the last twenty minutes of this touching and redemptive story of lost little women in the booby hatch doesn't mean much. This really isn't a tear-jerker as such, it's just that the material and the way it is handled made me feel such affection for those girls struggling so hard to be whole. Set in New England in the sixties with Vietnam in the background and free love in the streets, this is a fine film with an excellent cast that tells an original story without mawkish sentimentality or any pandering to the politically correct. The psychotherapeutic industry is not indicted, nor is society held over the coals. Everything is individual and the faults and failures are individual faults and failures, and the ultimate redemption or lack there of is also individual.

Winona Ryder gives a striking performance as 18-year-old Susanna Kaysen, writer to be who finds herself in a mental institution after a suicide attempt. Ryder, who has the expressive face of a silent film star, proves beyond any doubt that she is a gifted and tremendously hard working actress. Trickster Angelina Jolie is fascinating in her academy-award winning supporting role as a kind of femme bad boy. Whoopi Goldberg as a Nurse Ratched with a heart, anchors the film and brings strength and rationality to the lives of the girls. Vanessa Redgrave, elegant and wise as Dr. Wick, a shrink with compassion and intelligence, serves as a counterbalance to Jeffrey Tambor's incompetent Dr. Potts.

Some have compared this to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) but this is an entirely different kind of movie. It has neither the range nor the outrageous humor of that great film. Director James Mangold, whose much admired Heavy (1995) showed what he can do, wisely attempts less here as he concentrates on the personal journey Susanna Kaysen takes to the brink of institutionalized insanity and back. He emphasizes how people can bond and show affection under dysfunctional circumstances, and how we can triumph over the darker aspects of our nature. In the final analysis, this is a heroic film and a tribute to those who rise above the demons in their souls.

Rating:
Summary: Jolie is Fierce, Winona Wonderful
Review: Well (cough, hack) for anyone's who's spent some time in a locked ward, you may need to put the DVD down the first time, as I did. But make sure you pick up back up, for the wonderful performances of Ryder, Redgrave, Goldberg and especially the star-turn that is Angelina Jolie's ("good to know"!). The commentary track by the director is well worth the time too. My biggest quibble with the film (aside from the goopy, sentimental goodbye scenes at the end) is that Ryder's character is awfully, um, mild as personality disorders go (are we supposed to think that she's been put in this place by mistake? Okay, she swallowed some aspirin and vodka, and had sex a couple of days in a day, but trust me, Ryder is a Girl Scout compared to most people with Borderline Personality Disorder which these days is a very specific and detailed diagnosis. Perhaps this diagnosis was just a catch-all back in the 60s, for people having kind of a bad day?). Mangold, in his heartfelt commentary track, points out many things which you'll be feeling yourself (all in a good way) when you first watch the film -- the center of gravity that is Goldberg, the enormous expressiveness of Ryder and her luminous eyes, the homage of sorts to Michael Powell's Black Narcissus, and especially, how wonderful it is to watch a film where the director takes time to let things happen and doesn't edit the whole thing into four second cuts.

Rating:
Summary: outstanding performance by Angelina Jolie
Review: Great cast and story. I would have given it 5 stars if not for the typical Hollywood ending. Angelina Jolie's performance was definetly worthy of her Oscar. Other than that, a good Quality DVD with some extras included.

Rating:
Summary: Heart-wrenching
Review: I kept telling myself that I'd see this movie. Weekends and weekends passed and I hadn't seen it, and finally it left the local theatre. I ended up renting it, and I'm very glad I didn't miss it. This is one of the better films I've ever seen.

Winona Ryder has not ever been better. Her remarkable portrayal of Susanna Kaysen, a girl(, interrupted), torn between sanity or insanity, is immersive and believable. Angelina Jolie, the bad-guy sociopath, is beautiful and wonderful as ever. The watcher loves her and hates her with tide. Whoopi Goldberg is the omnipotent nurse who pulls it all together. The supporting cast includes: Daisy, the overworked, confused addict to meds; Georgina, Ryder's roommate stuck in the magical world of Oz; and Pauly, the little scarred girl who refuses to grow up. Pull out the tissues 'cause this movie will make you cry. I just loved it.

If you liked this, I can't help but suggest other Jolie movies. FOXFIRE is notable; HACKERS and THE BONE COLLECTOR put her in a more good guy role.

Rating:
Summary: maybe I was crazy or maybe I was just a girl interrupted
Review: If you've ever felt like you didn't belong, if you ever questioned life, than Girl, Interrupted will reach you. This film may not be completely accurate to the book ut was based on, but it still captures the essence of the struggles patience under went, and it still questions who was really crazy and who wasn't. A docter seeing a girl for twenty five minutes and locking her away for two years or a girl who just didn't know what she wanted in life. I think we all experience times like Susanna did, and I think that this film will help people who did. This movie will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly think. Bottom line: definately rent it and while your at it read the book afterwards. by: Crystal aka [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: A Total Cookie-Cutter Movie from Hollywood
Review: I made the grave error of actually reading the book GIRL, INTERRUPTED before viewing this film. For those who have not yet read the book, the movie will satisfy all your viewing and entertainment needs. What's not to like? Winona Ryder is finally back after spending so much time off of the silver screen along with Angelina Jolie and Whoopi Goldberg. However, to say that this movie is based on the book of the same name is actually stretching the truth. There are so many scenes ( about 75%) in the movie that were fabricated. There is also a major character from the book also named Lisa who is inconveniently not in the film. This particular character from the book helps the first Lisa and her gang stir up more trouble in the ward. I am disappointed that she was not in the film. For those who have read the book, it may be better to opt to read the book again instead of watching this film. Angelina Jolie deserved her recognition for this film. It is worth your time to watch this movie to see her performance. If you want see a film that is very loosely based on actual events( it took 3 people to write this screenplay), this may be worth your time. It is entertaining and the acting is superb. However, if you have read the book it might help to pretend that it is a totally different movie that is not based on actual events. This way, you won't spend your time being irked by the many inconsistancies in the film. I would have rated this film a five out of five but I gave it a three star rating because the screenplay adaptation from the book is poor.

Rating:
Summary: A compelling drama, that everyone can relate to.
Review: This is an example of how a great film should be made. Interesting story, brilliant script based off a wonderful book, and, most importantly, deep characters with deep personalities, that everyone can relate to, wheather you are a boy or a girl.

The main character is played realistically by Winona Ryder. She is a lost soul trying to find her place in the world. Suicidal, she is put in a mental hospital where she makes many new friends (including Angelina Jolie, who deserved that best supporting actress oscar). She goes on a mental journey and figures out all the little things in life, that make it worth living. We have all gone through this, where we feel lost and we feel there is no way out. That's what makes it such a good movie, it means something different and special to each person who watches it. Plus, there is comic relief that doesn't hurt the drama and knows exactely when to come in and cheer us up.

The DVD features a 13 minute Documentary, deleted scenes, and a commentary. This is seriously one of the best films I have seen in a long time. Most Highly Reccomended.