“Girl, Interrupted” is based on the biography of Susanna Kaysen which was a best seller in the 1990s. James Mangold did a fantastic job of translating the book into a screenplay. He said the translation seemed impossible until he conceived of the book in terms of The Wizard of Oz. Susanna Kaysen (Wynona Ryder) is Dorothy, Lisa (Angelina Jolie) is the Wicked Witch, the nurse played by Whoopi Goldberg is the good witch and the Mental Institution is Oz. The metaphor works beautifully and Wynona Ryder and Angelina Jolie are fantastic!

This is an excellent movie. Wynona Ryder plays a disturbed teen who reluctantly commits herself to a mental institution, bowing to pressure from her parents. All of the acting is fantastic, including that of Whoopi Goldberg and whoever it is that plays fellow inmate Daisy. But it’s Angelina Jolie who overwhelms the viewer with her raw sociopathic self, possibly because most of us don’t have any experience with someone so out of touch with social mores. The movie is creepy and engaging and heart-wrenching to watch.

I found this too difficult to watch.

My absolute favorite movie ever. I could probably play Lisa if they made another version…I can quote the entire movie pretty much.

Watch it!!!