The Study of Mind in Film

After much reflection, I realized that my favorite films are ones that focus on the human mind and its extremities. Inception is definitely cool. I want to take this post to talk about a film which my sister introduced to me:

Girl, Interrupted. Think of it as the all female version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The stories are similar. The main character, Suzanna (Winona Ryder) attempts suicide and agrees to commit herself to a psychiatric ward. There she meets a host of fascinating characters.

What follows is her attempt to figure out if she really is crazy, or if she is just afraid of making big decisions. Her course is hampered by best friend/major antagonist Lisa (Angelina Jolie). Now, in most roles, I think we see Jolie cast as the tough, kickass badass in spy movies or as an assassin. Or, notably, the mother of Grendel, but I try not to think about that. Anyway, I think in this role she really transcends her usual acting type-cast and succeeds in portraying a tortured woman suffering from a bipolar or other disorder.

I am obviously not the only one who was impressed, because she won an academy award for best supporting actress. Good stuff.

Angelina is not the only actress in this movie that I loved. Winona Ryder does a fantastic job, carrying the capricious attitudes of the young conflicted woman in a difficult situation. Overall, her performance was inspiring. As supporting cast, this movie boasts some of my very favorite names: Whoopi Goldberg, Vanessa Redgrave, and Clea DuVall are a few of these. Goldberg does sport her classic look-over-the-glasses wisdom role, but in this setting it seems different somehow. Her character is enjoyably deep, despite limited screentime. The same goes for Vanessa Redgrave, one of the psychiatrists at the ward. Redgrave is always a win, and this role is no exception. (Sidenote: I’m SO EXCITED to see her in the upcoming Coriolanus movie!)

Clea DuVall is a lesser-known actress who I nevertheless admire very much. Mostly seen in small roles spread out across TV shows and movies, you might recognize her in the first season of Heroes as a police officer, and in the science fiction film (which I will probably post later about) Virtuality, which I think showcased her talent equally with this film.

Despite the amazing cast members, this movie doesn’t need to rest on their names to make its own. The writing is spectacular, somehow creating the edge-of-your-seat concern for the characters without scripting a fast-paced action movie. I personally fell right into their world, and felt every joy and sorrow right along with them.

The movie is set in the late sixties, and the movie does not forget this. With small details, it will remind you of exactly where and when you are: a Kennedy voting sign, a tv show about Martin Luther King, and one of Suzanna’s male acquaintances is drafted for Vietnam and goes on the run. Despite all these reminders of the age, they don’t detract from the story at all. Everything from the music to the costumes amplifies the story’s power.

One theme I found particularly enjoyable was the presence of cats. In the beginning, it was Lisa’s little hand puppet, in the form of a cat. There’s one moment when Jolie just played with it and said, “Meow” and I was simultaneously amused and terrified. Later on, an actual cat is introduced to continue the theme. But the real cat is Lisa. There’s lots of symbolism behind it, woven in with Jolie’s acting. It’s beautifully done.

So, my overall point is that this movie is currently on Netflix. Go. Watch. It.

Now.

Hope you enjoyed reading my rave review. Feel free to leave comments if you have thoughts about the movie once you’ve seen it.

– Junior Varsity