Girl, Interrupted (1999)
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A young woman navigating the complexities of mental illness and identity while institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital in the late 1960s.
The story
In 1967 in New England, aimless eighteen-year-old Susanna Kaysen experiences a severe psychiatric episode and is admitted to Claymoore, a psychiatric hospital. There, she meets several other patients, including the rebellious and charismatic Lisa Rowe. While undergoing treatment and navigating the rules of the institution, Susanna must navigate her own diagnosis and the influence of her peers. The story explores her growing bond with Lisa, who encourages her to resist therapy and medication, while Susanna struggles to maintain her identity amidst the confines of the ward.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1967 New England, eighteen-year-old Susanna Kaysen is admitted to Claymoore psychiatric hospital after an overdose. She meets several patients, including the rebellious Lisa Rowe, who encourages her to resist treatment. During her stay, Susanna learns she has borderline personality disorder. She navigates various relationships, including a brief romance with a soldier named Toby and a tense encounter with a woman who had an affair with her father's acquaintance. After a series of incidents, including a confrontation with a nurse and a brief escape with Lisa, a tragedy occurs involving another patient, Daisy. Following this, Susanna focuses on her recovery through art and therapy. Eventually, Lisa is returned to the hospital. Before Susanna's release, she and Lisa have a final confrontation in the tunnels where they reconcile. Susanna is released, having navigated the complexities of her diagnosis and the influence of her peers.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 127
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Mangold
- Writers
- James Mangold · screenplay; Lisa Loomer · screenplay; Anna Hamilton Phelan · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Winona Ryder · Susanna Kaysen; Angelina Jolie · Lisa Rowe; Clea DuVall · Georgina Tuskin; Brittany Murphy · Daisy Randone; Elisabeth Moss · Polly "Torch" Clark; Jared Leto · Tobias Jacobs; Jeffrey Tambor · Dr. Melvin Potts; Vanessa Redgrave · Dr. Sonia Wick; Whoopi Goldberg · Valerie Owens
- Genres
- biographical drama; coming-of-age drama; psychological drama
- Themes
- Confusion of social nonconformity with insanity; Forced institutionalization; Representations of being a woman with mental illness; Isolation
- Tone and mood
- intense; serious
- Setting
- A psychiatric hospital in New England in 1967.
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; psychiatric hospital; mental illness; 1960s
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1993 memoir by Susanna Kaysen
- Content notes
- self-harm
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with praise for the lead performances of Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, and Brittany Murphy.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 53% · scale: percentage · review count: 113; Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: score · review count: 32
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture · win; Screen Actors Guild Award · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role · win
- Production trivia
- The film was in development hell for five years.; Several notable actresses, including Reese Witherspoon and Christina Ricci, auditioned for roles.; Filming took place primarily at Harrisburg State Hospital in Pennsylvania.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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