Girl Interrupted

Movie Title: Girl Interrupted
Rating: 9
Reviewed By: Mike Stevens

Review: Winona Ryder's latest film, Girl Interrupted, is set in Boston and focuses on the character Susanna's stay at a mental hospital. Winona's character is committed to the girl's ward of the institution for what we later find out is borderline personality disorder. You see, Winona's character Susanna drank a bottle of vodka to go with the bottle of aspirin she took. Apparently this is because she wasn't feeling to good about her life as the daughter rich and inattentive parents. She also had no plans for her future, unlike the rest of her graduating class who were all going off to college. Oh, and she liked to sleep around (a no-no in the 60s). Which makes it even more baffling, besides being set in a women's ward, that this movie contained absolutely no nudity. But moving on from my fantasies revolving around Ryder, as we meet the rest of the cast. Winona is befriended by the ward's gang leader Lisa, who is played by Angelina Jolie. Jolie puts in a very good performance as a very sexual and angry teenager who does not seem to want to get help, only blame others for her problems. The other two big name stars on the cast of this Columbia Tristar Pictures film are Vanessa Redgrave as the renown Dr. Wick, and Whoopi Goldberg as the women's ward's favorite nurse. Other characters stored at the mental institute in the film are Daisy who is portrayed by Brittany Murphy in a sad and disturbing side plot, the girl who lit herself on fire, a lesbian (because that was very hush hush in the 60s), and Georgina the compulsive liar. James Mangold directs the film based on a true story involving Susanna Kaysen, who was confined to the hospital for two years. As the film develops, Winona's character learns that she does have a bit of a problem, and does need help so that she can move on to a normal life. And her therapy is writing. On the film itself, and whom Ryder is an executive producer, I really liked the acting and the underlying theme, which the elderly Redgrave is the main presenter of that theme during Dr. Wick's and Winona's parleys. That theme being that we all need a little guidance in our lives that we can often find within. The other main point trying to be made is the repression of women even as late as in the 1960s. I also enjoyed Whoopi's and Ryder's interaction as well, though it was a bit harsh at first. Girl, Interrupted is a very good drama with many good laughs, but somewhat disturbing with several messages, mainly that society seemed to shun the lesbian, but accepted the incest. Overall I would have to give Girl, Interrupted nine couches out of the possible ten. That's all for this About-Movies.com review.