Review of Girl, Interrupted (1999) by Michelle W — 21 Apr 2009

A fairly normal Susanna is put into a psych ward with other fairly normal people.

With a film like this all the technical aspects, everything on the surface is satisfactory, nothing stands out particularly (not even Jolies Oscar winning performance) so I just want to get into the aspects below.

This film is filled with banal characters, stereotypically crazy. As characters they're not interesting. However there are moments when these people interact with each other that their message that everyone is crazy and crazies are normal is brutally hit home.

Winona Ryders character Susanna is to the 'crazies' in the ward to be normal. Meaning that she puts on a mask for the benefit of others, she is not truly herself. This mask, although is not accepted by her enough for her acceptance into society. So she is sort of stuck, and her purpose here in this ward is to decide which side of her she wants to be. I think this is an accurate theory. Everyone who is 'crazy' or eccentric' or 'weird' are always themselves. Everyone who is socially accepted, they're polite, they hide who they are behind this politeness, through their behaviour. And with this everyone could be in Susannas place, everyone could be crazy, everyone probably is, and it would be sad if they weren't.