Although this movie was a labor of love for Winona Ryder, it will be remembered as the break out film for Angelina Jolie, who won both the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this movie. Jolie, incidentally is the daughter of Jon Voight, himself an Academy Award winner, and no doubt, a proud papa.
Girl, Interrupted is based upon the book written by Susanna Kaysen, who spent 18 months in a mental hospital in the 1960s, shortly after her high school graduation. Susanna's parents send her to the hospital after she attempts to commit suicide. At the mental hospital, which resembles a college dorm more than anything out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Susanna, played by Ryder, meets a group of young women, all suffering from one sort of neurosis or another. Lisa, played by Jolie, has been diagnosed as a sociopath and clearly draws inspiration from Jack Nicholson's Randle McMurphy. Georgina is a pathological liar who wants to live in the land of Oz. Daisy has an eating disorder. Polly is the truly troubling resident, as she set fire to herself as a young girl, resulting in horrible burns.
Susanna begins to bond with the other young women much like she would if she were in a women's college dorm. Much of this bonding comes from breaking the rules together, led by Lisa. The girls sneak out after lights out to the hospital's bowling alley, break into the psychiatrist’s office, and terrorize a woman who accosts Susanna on a group trip to the local ice cream parlor. These “bonding sessions” are broken up by various reminders that the girls are in fact in the mental hospital, such as the fact that Susanna must shave her legs in front of a nurse and the girls are all given medication on a daily basis.
If this sounds less than entertaining, you're right. But what ultimately saves this movie is Jolie's performance. First, her face draws you in with its large, blue green eyes, sculpted nose, and full lips. But this isn't a matter of good looks, as Jolie’s appearance is a far cry from the dolled up beauty in Gone in 60 Seconds. Rather, her expressions and emoting pull you in with their magnetism. I liked Jolie's character so much that when it appeared that Lisa was leaving the movie halfway through, I was suddenly scared that I would have to watch the rest of the movie, with my wife, completely bored. Fortunately, however, Lisa stays with us to the end.
The movie itself has the measured, even pace that director James Mangold brought to Copland. In much the same way that Copland was watchable because Sylvester Stallone was playing against type, Girl, Interrupted is watchable because of the energy brought to the screen by Jolie. Whoopi Goldberg’s performance as the head nurse is reminiscent of her role as Guinan in Star Trek: the Next Generation -- the all knowing counselor confident in the advice she dispenses. But much like Guinan, she doesn't have a big role.
Winona Ryder has received many compliments for her performance in this film. Although she certainly is a good actress, Ryder has never overwhelmed me with her performances. Likewise for her role as Susanna Kaysen, although, I must admit that I agreed with the assessment of Whoopi Goldberg's character: "You are a lazy, self-indulgent little girl who is driving yourself crazy." Of all the patients in this mental hospital, I found Ryder's character the least sympathetic, as frankly, she didn't seem any more crazy than anyone else with teenage angst.
Which brings me to the DVD review of this movie. The DVD has some nice touches, including some standard stuff such as a director’s commentary, production notes, and the theatrical trailer. What I found most interesting was the deleted scenes, which you can watch with or without the director’s commentary. Most of the deleted scenes deal with the hallucinations that Susanna suffered. They were left out mainly because the original cut was over 3 hours. For me, the scenes put things in better perspective. Susanna actually was suffering from more serious mental problems than merely teen angst. Unfortunately, the final movie doesn’t convey that as well as it could. If you buy or rent the DVD, definitely watch the deleted scenes. They’re worth your time.
Back to Jolie – I predict big stardom for this lady. It appears that she’s trying to find a mix of dramatic films and some action, “blockbuster” types. She’s already tallied one Academy Award, and one box-office bust (Gone in 60 Seconds, which is about how long it lasted at the theatres). For the future, she has another blockbuster lined up – the starring role as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (which would require Kevin Costner directing to screw up), as well as a couple of more substantial films. Look for her in Original Sin, a “thriller” with Antonio Banderas (whose presence alone might sink it – I like Antonio, but he ain’t doing well lately), and Beyond Borders, written and directed by Oliver Stone. Sounds promising, until you find out it co-stars Kevin Costner, and is “an epic romance set against the backdrop of the horrible atrocities committed against people in Third World countries during the 80s.” That’s two strikes in my game, but at least Costner ain’t directing.
Back on task, Girl, Interrupted gets four stars from me – purely on Angelina’s performance – without her, it’s a three, maybe even a two.
For a perfect example of what I was woefully describing as “magnetism”, see the picture of Angelina at http://us.imdb.com/EGallery?0830-osc/joliean1.eli
Set in the changing world of the late 1960s, GIRL, INTERRUPTED is the searing true story of Susanna Kaysen (two-time Oscar nominee Winona Ryder), a yo...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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