Girl, Interrupted

Girl, Interrupted is a 1999 Columbia Pictures movie which chronicles the experiences of a teenage girl with Borderline Personality Disorder, who is admitted to a mental health institution after attempting suicide.

The movie is set in the 1960's in a mental health institution. Susana Kaysen, a young girl who suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), is admitted into the facility after a failed suicide attempt. On her arrival, she forms friendships with the other patients who suffer from various other mental health disorders. In particular, Lisa Rowe (played by Angelina Jolie), who suffers from Antisocial Personality Disorder, becomes a strong influence on the group, discouraging the others from taking their medications, participating in therapy or co-operating with the staff.

As the plot develops the girls' rebellion leads to tragedy and the movie explores the contrasting choices the characters make in response to the tragedy.

Girl, Interrupted is a stunning movie, vividly and tenderly portraying the humanity and depth of people who suffer from personality disorders, their decisions and the consequences of those decisions. Angelina Jolie won an Academy Award for her memorable portrayal of Lisa Rowe.

However, the movie only portrays a handful of characters in one specific situation - a mental health clinic - and is told through the eyes of the BPD sufferer, Susana. As such, the movie only begins to crack the lid off the surface of personality disorders. In particular, the movie does little to explore the feelings or experiences of her family members or of those who come closest to her, whose characters are presented as somewhat shallow and stereotyped. The emotional vacancy this creates is, therefore, unlikely to resonate with most Non-PD's who live with a personality disordered individual.

You can watch the movie trailer here :

"Girl, Interrupted" 1999 Columbia Pictures Trailer