preview

Essay on Girl Interrupted Review

Decent Essays

One popular cultural myth about the mentally ill is the archetype of the "Sexy Crazy Girl", which we've seen in movies, comic books, and music. Losing your grip with reality is not a glamorous subject, but that's not what you get from Girl, Interrupted. It is apparent that all the girls in the movie had some type of dysfunctional personality, and bad things happen to some of them, but it just did not seem realistic. First off, most of the patients prtrayed were young, which made the care facility look like a youth home rather than a mental institution. but only the main (well known) stars, (Jolie and Ryder) were focal piont. I'll also note that about half the young girls in the movie, Ryder and Jolie included, simply don't look like girls …show more content…

It seems she's playing nearly the same sexy-vixen she's played in a few other films already; just this time, she's in a t-shirt, and occasionally gets tied to a bed. It'd be interesting to see Jolie really stretch beyond her type; maybe in a Jane Austen movie or playing a nun.

Overall, Girl, Interrupted feels like a movie that could've been rawer, more intense, and more confrontational... ie, a lot less Hollywood. I found myself wondering what this adaptation of Kaysen's book would've been like if it had been done on a shoestring budget with unknown young actresses and a fledgling director. Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade, the short film by Billy Bob Thornton that led to the film Sling Blade came to mind. I'm also noticing that that's the 2nd time I referenced another film that is primarily about men, not women. Maybe we need an excellent film about mentally ill young women, and maybe Girl, Interrupted could've been that film... but it isn't.

Quickly summed up, this film may indeed be compared to a female version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, except where that film was a rebellion tale, Girl, Interrupted appears to be more about self-discovery. Though this film has been long in development, and many actresses vied for the leading role, the casting call was even more crowded for the supporting roles. In particular, though I haven't yet read the book, and so I don't know the

Get Access