GIRL, INTERRUPTED
US, 1998, 127 minutes, Colour.
Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg, Vanessa Redgrave, Brittany Murphy, Jared Leto, Elisabeth Moss, Clea Du Val, Jeffrey Tambor, Mary Kay Place, Joanna Kerns, Bruce Altman.
Directed by James Mangold.
Girl, Interrupted was a successful book of the early 90s, ready by many women and teenage girls who empathised with the author, Susanna Kaysen, who recounted her experiences of two years in an institution in the late 60s. Star and co-executive producer had also had an experience of going into an institution at about the age of 20. Winona Ryder brings an intensity and a fragility to her performance as Susanna.
The movie was co-written and directed by James Mangold who had made Heavy and the police corruption drama, Copland. He has a very strong cast for his movie, with Angelina Jolie winning Golden Globe and Oscar for her Supporting Actress performance as the temperamental Lisa. Whoopi Goldberg is the tough but sympathetic nurse, Valerie, and Vanessa Redgrave is Dr Wick.
The movie shows us a small group of dysfunctional women, their illnesses and the consequences, their erratic behaviour as well as their happy moments, their dependence on one another as well as the antagonisms. It also shows us a comfortable enough environment for the women but it also shows the regular checks on the women, the hydrotherapy treatment, the psychiatric sessions and the difficulties for privacy in an institution. The other aspect of the film is the glimpse of social-climbing parents, embarrassed by their daughter, and now knowing how to cope with her.
Girl, Interrupted is in a long line of movies about women in institutions: The Snake Pit, The Bell Jar, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.
1. The film based on the memoir? Autobiographical, the 1960s from the perspective of the 1990s?
2. The title, Susanna, the pause between a girl and a woman? Life interrupted?
3. Audience response to films about mental illness? Borderline personality, schizophrenia, paranoia, suicidal tendencies? The nature of care, personal, institutional? Supervision? Counselling? Medication?
4. The 1960s, affluent Americans, families, home, lifestyle, friendships, ability and inability to cope? Doctors, referrals, institutions, parental visits and their effect?
5. Susanna, Winona Ryder’s performance, age, her life to this point, school, family, sexual relationships, with a friend of the family? With Toby? The Vietnam war, the draft? The coping and not coping, borderline performance, taking the pills, discussions with the doctor and the flashbacks, his recommendation for the institution, going in the taxi and later seeing the taxi driver at the end, at the institution, her arrival, the reception, signing herself in, Valerie looking after her, her room, sharing with Georgina, the tour of the institution, the different young women, older women? Her attitudes, defensive and aggressive?
6. Valerie, strong woman, family woman, African- American in the 1960s? Her regimes, rules, yet considerate, handling each girl in a different way? Susanna’s response, the bath, shaving her legs – and the savage racist outburst, the latter apology and embracing Valerie? Valerie encouraging the young women, but realistic?
7. The picture of the other members of the staff, the strict nurses, on the wards, the young man and his sexual involvement, dispensing of the tablets?
8. Marvin, psychiatrist, Susanna’s sessions with him, any breakthroughs? With Dr Wick, the initial antagonism, Dr Wick’s method, encouraging Susanna?
9. Life in an institution, the routines, Polly and her facial disfigurement, remaining childlike? Georgina and her lies? Daisy, her room, the food, the relationship with her father, provoked by the others, especially Lisa? Meeting, the activities in the store room? The taking of the pills, sleeping through the night, being woken, meals, baths?
10. Lisa and Angelina Jolie’s Oscar-winning performance, strong, her arriving back, attention-seeking, cheeky, blunt, being subdued, the pills, even being tied down? The impact of the death of the girl? Each of the young women with her? Her being a leader, taunting Daisy, the critique? Polly and staying up and singing all night, the encounter with the wardsman? The meetings in the store room and the girls together? Her influence on Susanna? The decision to leave, Susanna following, the cab, going to Daisy’s apartment?
11. The conscription draft, Toby and his date, the time with Susanna, is visiting her in the institution, the sexual encounter, Valerie finding them? Susanna unable to go away with Toby and his intention to go to Canada?
12. Daisy, her reaction, wanting the Valium, Lisa’s promises, staying the night, Lisa taunting Daisy, about her relationship with her father, her going upstairs, hanging herself, the non-effect on Lisa, the effect on Susanna and her return?
13. Lisa, the time away, eventually returning, having spent eight years at the institution?
14. Susanna seeing Dr Wick, help from Valerie, getting back to normal, her voice over describing the process?
15. The effect of Lisa returning, the confrontation, the storeroom, Susanna running away from her, being lost, the showdown? The goodbye to Lisa?
16. Susanna, going back home, there will to Valerie, reminiscing about her experience, her mental condition, a reaction to being borderline, recovering from borderline, and memories of these young women in her future?
