Girl, Interrupted

I first saw this as a movie on TV one evening many years ago. Soon after I bought the book after having been so affected by the movie, and I was not disappointed. The book is a lot more indepth and moving than the movie which, by comparison, doesn't even come close.

Kaysen's memoir was originally published in 1993, but it portrays events from 1967 to 1969. She signed herself into McLean Hospital at the age of 18, and stayed for nearly two years. Over 20 years after, she hired a lawyer to get access to the medical records giving her diagnosis, and some of these are published in the book.

The movie has four very well known actresses by the names of: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg and Brittany Murphy as the deli chicken lover who ends up commiting suicide after taunts from the aggressive Lisa Rowe (Angelina Jolie). The book was published in 1993 and the movie was made in 1999 and directed by James Mangold. The Genre is considered to be biography/drama as the book is a biography of the author Susanna Kaysen (screen play by James Mangold) and the 18 months she spent in a mental institution after an accidental suicide attempt.

In the beginning, the movie is very jumpy, skipping from one time to the next to help the viewer to understand the mental perspective of Susanna (played by Ryder) soon it drags you into the oddities and lives on the ward and allows you views into patients worlds such as Gerogina (susannas room mate) Polly (aka Torch, as she set herself on fire at a young age and had been institutionalised ever since) and Daisy (played extremly well by Brittany Murphy - definitly one of her better roles) it follows the lives of the patients through the perspective of the lead roles eyes (Susanna Kaysen/Winona Ryder) and often uses voice overs from her diary kept during the period on the ward. One of the main focusses is on the relationship between Susanna (Ryder) and Lisa (Jolie). Angelina plays an aggressive, powerful character adept at manipulating the other patients and caretakers. We first meet Lisa (AJ) when she enters kicking and screaming being dragged in by the ward attendants after being caughts after yet another escape. She instantly takes notice of Susanna (ryder) as she has moved into the room, we find out, that used to be occupied by Lisas best friend who committed suicide after her escape.

The movie does have a strong sad feeling due to its subject matter but it is immense in the way it is shown and soon has you entranced into the lives of the characters, and has you laughing and crying along with them all...

It is many years since I have read the book (I lent it to a friend and never got it back - grrr) but from what I remember it is a great deal heavier (emotionally) than the movie and has more graphic descriptions of more painfull events that the movie leaves out, the book is able to handle due to its medium.

I love this story, both book and movie and recomend it to many people (although it's probably females that would enjoy it more...) the fact the it is a true story through the eyes of the author only makes it more powerful and moving to behold.



Buy the book here

Check out movie info here