Girl, Interrupted (1999)
78%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
9 wins & 11 nominations total
Angelina Jolie gives an intense performance, but overall Girl, Interrupted suffers from thin, predictable plotting that fails to capture the power of its source material
Girl, Interrupted is a movie that’s like a rollercoaster ride – it has its ups and downs. Some critics say it’s powerful, while others say it’s hollow. But let’s be real, we’re all just here to see Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder in their prime. The movie is based on actual events, but it’s not a documentary, so don’t take it too seriously. It’s entertaining, but not life-changing. If you’re looking for a movie to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon, Girl, Interrupted is a solid choice.
Production Company(ies)
Complete Fiction Media Rights Capital,
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Hanover, Pennsylvania, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong language and content relating to drugs, sexuality and suicide
Year of Release
2000
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 7m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 14, 2000 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 4, 2003
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $48,350,205
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $83,859,358
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,104
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 9,144,968
US/Canada gross: $28,912,646
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $50,146,549
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,069
US/Canada opening weekend: $95,399
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $165,462
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,739
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $40,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $69,376,631
Production budget ranking: 604
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $37,359,316
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$22,876,589
ROI to date (est.): -21%
ROI ranking: 1,505
Karl-Bertil Nordland – Self
Øystein Stene – Self
Benjamin Ree – Director
Ingvil Giske – Producer
Morgan Neville – Executive Producer
Director(s)
James Mangold
Writer(s)
Susanna Kaysen, James Mangold, Lisa Loomer, Anna Hamilton Phelan
Producer(s)
Cathy Konrad, Douglas Wick
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
9 wins & 11 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Winners
All Critics (115) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (61) | Rotten (54)
It’s an interesting story, based on actual events.
September 12, 2017 | Rating: A
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
Does it matter that every time Jolie’s offscreen the film wilts a little? Ryder should be perfect as the bright spark; her lines are sharp as a knife. There’s a gap, however, between what we hear and what we see.
June 24, 2006
Charlotte O’Sullivan
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A muddled production that misses the jarring tone of the autobiographical book by Susanna Kaysen on which it is based. The film is entertaining, but not very powerful.
June 18, 2002 | Rating: 2/4
Peter Stack
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
You’re left wishing the film had a little more faith in its audience, for then this well-put-together movie might have provoked more thought, and slightly less irritation.
July 3, 2001 | Rating: 3/5
Tom Coates
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
The film generates real empathy, without too much let’s-laugh -at- the -crazy- people humor or too much stereotyping.
January 1, 2000
Jeff Millar
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Sensitive, well-acted.
January 1, 2000
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Girl, Interrupted is well-performed but hollow – and ultimately unsatisfying.
October 28, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
Grant Watson
Fiction Machine
The film is entirely disposable. Watching a group of teenagers “tongue their meds” (which does not mean doing something rude with a junior doctor) and sobbing out of windows is boring.
November 27, 2017
Antonia Quirke
Independent on Sunday
Powerful look at mental illness; ages 16+.
January 1, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Hollis Griffin
Common Sense Media
Meaty roles for an eager young female ensemble. On that level, and on several others, the movie triumphs.
February 14, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
We end up getting thin supporters as seen through the eyes of a main character that doesn’t do anything.
May 26, 2006 | Rating: 2/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Sounding like the scribblings from a teenager’s diary, the 28-year-old Ryder lapses into self-parody.
December 6, 2005 | Rating: 2/5
Ron Wells
Film Threat…
Plot
In 1967, Susanna Kaysen had a headache and chased a bottle of aspirin with a bottle of vodka. This landed her in the mental institution, Claymoore. Here she is diagnosed, by Dr. Melvin Potts, with borderline personality disorder. When she arrives at Claymoore, she is greeted by Nurse Valerie Owens and shown round the woman’s ward. Here she meets Georgina Tuskin, a pathological liar who is fixated with The Wizard of Oz; Polly Clark, a childlike schizophrenic; Janet Webber, a sardonic anorexic patient; Daisy Randone, a girl who won’t let anyone in her room, and only eats her father’s chicken; and Lisa Rowe, a sociopath who controls the other patients, and makes lives hard for the nurses at Claymoore. Through the movie, Lisa gains and loses control over Susanna and we see how bad she really can be. The movie’s ending shows Susanna being released from Claymoore after an 18-month stay. How does Susanna take back her control? This movie battles subjects such as mental heath, abuse, self-harm and suicide.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
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