Girl, Interrupted is a 1999 American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold and written by Mangold, Lisa Loomer and Anna Hamilton Phelan, based on the 1993 memoir by Susanna Kaysen. Starring Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall, Brittany Murphy, Elisabeth Moss, Jared Leto, Angela Bettis, Jeffrey Tambor, Vanessa Redgrave, and Whoopi Goldberg,
Plot[]
In 1967, New England, aimless eighteen-year-old Susanna Kaysen has a nervous breakdown and overdoses on aspirin and alcohol. Against her wishes, she is checked into Claymoore, a local psychiatric hospital. In the psychiatric ward, Susanna befriends Polly "Torch" Clark, a childlike girl with schizophrenia; Cynthia Crowley; Daisy Randone, who self-harms and has obsessive–compulsive disorder; Georgina Tuskin, a pathological liar and Susanna's roommate; and Janet Webber, a sardonic woman with anorexia. Susanna is particularly drawn to the sociopath Lisa Rowe, who is rebellious but charismatic and encourages Susanna to stop taking her medication and resist therapy.
Lisa helps the girls sneak around at night in the hospital's underground tunnels and continuously provokes them and the staff, including the stern head nurse, Valerie Owens. Through regular therapy sessions with Dr. Melvin Potts, Susanna learns she has borderline personality disorder, a fact Dr. Potts initially conceals from her. On a rare supervised group outing celebrating Daisy's impending release, the women visit an ice cream parlor. Susanna is confronted by Barbara Gilcrest, the wife of an English instructor with whom she had an affair, and their daughter, Bonnie. Barbara publicly chastises Susanna for sleeping with her husband; coming to Susanna's defense, Lisa insultingly berates Barbara and the other girls mock her and Bonnie before they both leave, humiliated. This endears Lisa to Susanna even more, though Valerie reprimands Lisa.
In addition to her affair with Dr. Gilcrest, Susanna has a casual relationship with Toby, a young man who has been drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. He visits Susanna, and begs her to run away with him to Canada. Susanna declines, citing her friendship with the other patients. The same night, Polly has a breakdown and is placed in isolation. Susanna and Lisa drug the night watch nurse with a sedative and attempt to comfort Polly by singing to her. Susanna also makes out with John, one of the hospital orderlies who has a crush on her. When Valerie finds the group sleeping in the hallway in the morning, she punishes the two women, particularly Lisa, who is subjected to electroshock treatment followed by solitary confinement.
Later that night, Lisa manages to break out of confinement and convinces Susanna to escape with her. The women hitchhike to Daisy's newly-rented apartment, supplied by her doting father, and bribe her with Valium to spend the night. Daisy, insistent she has been cured of her illness, is confronted by Lisa when she discovers Daisy has been cutting herself. Lisa taunts and mocks Daisy, accusing her of enjoying the incestuous sexual abuse she has long suffered from her father. The next morning, Susanna finds Daisy dead in her bathroom, having slashed her wrists and hanged herself. Susanna is appalled when Lisa searches Daisy's room and body for cash. Realizing she does not want to become like Lisa, Susanna phones for an ambulance, takes Daisy's kitten and returns to Claymoore while Lisa flees to Florida.
Upon returning to the hospital, Susanna occupies herself with painting and writing, and cooperates with her therapy, including regular sessions with the hospital's head psychologist, Dr. Sonia Wick. Before Susanna is released, Lisa is apprehended and returned to Claymoore. She steals Susanna's diary one night and reads some of the entries to Georgina and Polly in the tunnels, attempting to turn them against Susanna. After reading an entry in which Susanna feels sympathy for Lisa being a cold, dark person, Lisa attacks Susanna and chases her through the tunnels. A furious Susanna confronts Lisa, loudly accusing her of being dead inside and berating her for her abusive behaviors, becoming mentally and emotionally dependent on Claymoore, for being afraid of the world, and for being uncaringly unempathetic. Lisa finally breaks down and contemplates suicide, though Georgina manages to dissuade her. Before Susanna is released the next day, she goes to visit Lisa, now in solitary confinement and restrained to a bed. The two reconcile, and Lisa insists she is not actually heartless. They part on good terms and Susanna bids farewell to everyone, apologizing to Georgina and Polly for what was written about them in her journal, with both women accepting the apology before Susanna departs.
Cast[]
- Winona Ryder as Susanna Kaysen
- Angelina Jolie as Lisa Rowe
- Clea DuVall as Georgina Tuskin,
- Brittany Murphy as Daisy Randone
- Elisabeth Moss as Polly "Torch" Clark Georgina
- Jared Leto as Tobias Jacobs
- Jeffrey Tambor as Dr. Melvin Potts
- Travis Fine as John
- Jillian Armenante as Cynthia Crowley.
- Angela Bettis as Janet Webber
- Vanessa Redgrave as Dr. Sonia Wick
- Whoopi Goldberg as Valerie Owens
- Bruce Altman as Professor Gilchrest
- Mary Kay Place as Mrs. Gilchrest
In addition, Ray Baker portrays Carl Kaysen, Susanna's father, while Joanna Kerns portrays Annette, Susanna's mother.