GIRL, INTERRUPTED **1/2 (out of four stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall, Brittany Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto and Vanessa Redgrave Director-James Mangold Canadian Rating-PG Released by Columbia Pictures - 01/00
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In `Girl, Interrupted', Susanna (Winona Ryder) is diagnosed with `borderline personality disorder' and sent for a `friendly rest' at the Claymoore psychiatric hospital. The reason? She recently downed an entire bottle of aspirin with a vodka chaser, a move that that has been classified as a failed suicide attempt by her doctor and superiors. But does Susanna really require a period of rehabilitation in a mental ward? You would assume she doesn't belong, but before you can say `One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', Susanna is making new friends and finding herself oddly comfortable within the walls of Claymoore.
`Girl, Interrupted' is the screen adaptation of Susanna Kaysen's memoir that followed her 18-month experience in a psychiatric hospital. The Hollywood interpreter is talented young director James Mangold (`Heavy', `Cop Land'), and along with a capable ensemble cast of intelligent up-and-comers, Mangold is able to craft an intriguing character study within an unsettling environment. The personalities at Claymoore are interesting to behold, particularly the wild cat sociopath Lisa (Angelina Jolie), the rebellious leader of the asylum hierarchy who has been a patient there for eight years. Georgina (Clea DuVall), Susanna's new roommate, is a relatively sane pathological liar. Daisy (Brittany Murphy) has a problem with food, in that she will only eat her father's rotisserie chicken. And the list goes on. While `Girl, Interrupted' attempts to explore it's characters with great depth, the plot sits inert and lacking destination. The result is an odd but engaging mixture with separate objectives for storyline and characters. Due to the tremendous abilities of the largely female cast, the latter arena prevails.
`Girl, Interrupted' dances around a large portion of the character's issues, always lacking the expertise to tackle them head-on. Mangold manages to persuade us that his film is more intuitive than it should be, and that seems reason enough to remained tuned in to the character's problems. Whoopi Goldberg, sporting an afro and smart-looking spectacles, plays the wise welfare mom Nurse Valerie in a way only Whoopi could. Unfortunately, in terms of helping Susanna cope with her situation, Nurse Valerie only lays out the basic schematics of her `unique' condition... and the character lacks the compelling nature that was probably conveyed on paper. Jeffrey Tambor (as the head psychiatrist at Claymoore) and Vanessa Redgrave (as Susanna's doctor) are not portrayed in the same light. They appear to misunderstand Susanna's condition (if she has one), and such an action would be not difficult to comprehend given the screenplay's lack of proper definition and encompassment.
Mangold's strong suits include being able to coax a convincing performance out of his actors. Ryder has many stunning moments as Susanna, the seemingly misplaced young girl whose troubles extend further than initially evident. But Jolie's considerable talent (on showcase in `Playing by Heart' and, most recently, `The Bone Collector') is the most commanding aspect of the film. Interaction between Susanna and Lisa strikes the perfect thought-provoking chord, right up to and through the sloppy finale. Ensemble acting is what makes `Girl, Interrupted' a worthwhile experience, followed closely by what Mangold cleverly passes off as solid character development. These young women at Claymoore aren't as troubled as the film's disorderly manner, but there's enough youthful talent on either side of the camera to make up for it in impressive fashion.
Just don't expect a chick flick. `Girl, Interrupted' is rough around the edges, and you aren't going to feel particularly upbeat when you leave the theater. It's a character-driven drama at it's core, and there is no chocolate coating that's going to erase the bitter taste in your mouth. Sure, it's good, but it could have been better; the film falls victim to the same syndrome that has plagued similar projects in the past. Instead of constantly informing us about the characters, why not let us learn for ourselves? But I'll get over it. Next patient, please.
(C) 2000, Jamey Hughton
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