
In 1967, Susanna Kaysen had a headache and chased a bottle of aspirin with a bottle of vodka. This landed her in the mental institution, Claymoore. Here she is diagnosed, by Dr. Melvin Potts, with borderline personality disorder. When she arrives at Claymoore, she is greeted by Nurse Valerie Owens and shown round the woman's ward. Here she meets Georgina Tuskin, a pathological liar who is fixated with The Wizard of Oz; Polly Clark, a childlike schizophrenic; Janet Webber, a s... (Full plot summary below)
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In 1967, Susanna Kaysen had a headache and chased a bottle of aspirin with a bottle of vodka. This landed her in the mental institution, Claymoore. Here she is diagnosed, by Dr. Melvin Potts, with borderline personality disorder. When she arrives at Claymoore, she is greeted by Nurse Valerie Owens and shown round the woman's ward. Here she meets Georgina Tuskin, a pathological liar who is fixated with The Wizard of Oz; Polly Clark, a childlike schizophrenic; Janet Webber, a sardonic anorexic patient; Daisy Randone, a girl who won't let anyone in her room, and only eats her father's chicken; and Lisa Rowe, a sociopath who controls the other patients, and makes lives hard for the nurses at Claymoore. Through the movie, Lisa gains and loses control over Susanna and we see how bad she really can be. The movie's ending shows Susanna being released from Claymoore after an 18-month stay. How does Susanna take back her control? This movie battles subjects such as mental heath, abuse, self-harm and suicide.
Leave your thoughts about Girl, Interrupted.
| Kalamazoo GazetteJames Sanfordwhile Ryder is baring her soul and facing off against such formidable types as Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Redgrave, Jolie strides in and steals the film out from under its star. |
| Film Quips OnlineJohn R. McEwenThe acting by Ryder, Jolie, and Goldberg is excellent enough to forgive the problems inherent in the script. |
| Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanShrewd, tough, and lively -- a junior-league "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." |
| TheFilmFile.comDustin PutmanWhat the picture lacks in freshness, it more than makes up for it in the outstanding performances across the board. |
| Los Angeles Daily NewsBob StraussCompared to most movies about mental illness, it's really a remarkably sane approach. |
| CinemaSense.ComCornell & PetricelliA well intended, but dramatically flaccid tale of a young woman's struggle to find sanity, independence, and integrity. |
| Newhouse News ServiceBob CampbellUnlikely to inspire the kind of emotional recognition prompted by Kaysen's memoir. |
| eFilmCritic.comRob GonsalvesMeaty roles for an eager young female ensemble. On that level, and on several others, the movie triumphs. |
| Boston PhoenixPeter KeoughA listless showcase of Hollywood clichés about crazy people, the '60s, and women, a reactionary, distaff Cuckoo's Nest. |
| Q Network Film DeskJames KendrickIt offers a penetrating look into a world few of us will (thankfully) never see. |