Girl, Interrupted (1999)

Based on writer Susanna Kaysen's account of her 18-month stay at a mental hospital in the late 1960s.

Director:

James Mangold

Writers:

Susanna Kaysen (book), James Mangold (screenplay)

Stars:

Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall

Won 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Winona Ryder	...	Susanna
Angelina Jolie	...	Lisa
Clea DuVall	...	Georgina (as Clea Duvall)
Brittany Murphy	...	Daisy
Elisabeth Moss	...	Polly
Jared Leto	...	Tobias Jacobs
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Dr. Potts
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Dr. Wick
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Valerie
Angela Bettis	...	Janet
Jillian Armenante	...	Cynthia
Drucie McDaniel	...	M-G
Alison Claire	...	Gretta
Christina Myers	...	Margie
Joanna Kerns	...	Annette

Storyline

Unable to cope with reality and the difficulty that comes with it, 18 year old Susanna, is admitted to a mental institution in order to overcome her disorder. However, she has trouble understanding her disorder and therefore finds it difficult to tame, especially when she meets the suggestive and unpredictable Lisa.

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Plot Keywords:

mental hospital | mental institution | based on true story | female protagonist | 1960s | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and content relating to drugs, sexuality and suicide

Did You Know?

Trivia

Henry Alex Rubin: The guy who first starts dancing with Susanna Kaysen at the post-graduation party.

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Goofs

When Lisa is at the counter ordering her sundae, and she goes to lick the cherry, her tongue is already red from previous takes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Susanna: [narrating] Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the 60s. Or maybe I was just a girl... interrupted.

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Alternate Versions

Director James Mangold states in the DVD commentary that the original cut was three hours long. This version has not been shown publicly nor released on any media; however, the DVD contains 15 minutes of the scenes deleted from the final cut.

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Connections

Referenced in Peter Pandrew (2015)

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Soundtracks

The Right Time
Written by Lew Herman
Performed by Aretha Franklin
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Forgot how good this was.

I found this film browsing through Netflix's deplorable movie catalogue, and couldn't figure out when did I watched it some time ago. Utterly enjoyable all the way through, I was delighted by Angelina Jolie's performance, I hadn't even remembered she won an Oscar for it, it wasn't until near the end that it hit me. Her performance is truly astounding, she composes her character with traits that perfectly define a person with her mental state. Her mannerisms, her volatile and somewhat unpredictable self makes her a bit frightening, which makes the viewer watch her performance uncomfortable and in awe at the same time.

Winona Ryder is great as well, she portrays her different condition in a different manner as expected, perhaps more discreetly, but still effective nonetheless. Overall, most acting performances are on point, such as Clea DuVall, the late Brittany Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg and Elisabeth Moss, they all deserved to be credited.

If you want well-done drama with splendid performances, look no further, and enjoy yourself. Especially Angelina Jolie's phenomenal Oscar-winning performance.

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 January 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Girl, Interrupted

Filming Locations:

2100 Chestnut Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$95,399, 26 December 1999

Gross USA:

$28,912,646

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$48,350,205

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Red Wagon Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1