For the past few days, I’ve been watching Girl, Interrupted nonstop. I’m not sure why this movie has captured my attention for the past week. Yes, it’s a good movie, and I like it (obviously), but I don’t know why I can’t stop watching or thinking about it.
If you’re unfamiliar, Girl, Interrupted is a 1999 biographical film. We, the audience, follow Susanna Kaysen throughout her time in the psych ward at Claymore Psychiatric Hospital, where she meets Daisy Randone, Polly (Torch) Clark, Georgina Tuskin, Cynthia Crowley, Lisa Rowe (my personal favorite), and Janet Webber (another favorite). Susanna tells us the story through her diary. The movie is adapted from the real-life Susanna Kasyen’s memoir telling her story of being placed in the psychiatric ward and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
If you’re interested, I suggest taking the time to watch it. But be warned: some of the content may be triggering for obvious reasons, and the movie is set in the sixties, so some of the language may offend certain audiences.
As I mentioned previously, my favorite characters are Lisa Rowe and Janet Webber. I also like Daisy Randone; I find her story and character very interesting, especially how she is portrayed in the movie versus the book. Today I will be covering Daisy, Lisa, and Janet as pictured in the film; if you are interested, I will also cover Susanna, Polly, Georgina, and Cynthia.
Daisy Randone
Daisy Randone is an eighteen-year-old girl; she is played by the late Brittany Murphy. She is a seasonal patient at McLean Hospital. She checks in just before Thanksgiving and leaves just before Christmas. Daisy is most notable for her obsession with Rotisserie chicken and laxatives. Her father, who is implied to be abusive, brings her rotisserie chickens, which she methodically eats, before storing the carcass of the chicken and taking laxatives. She is also the only girl in the entire ward to have a room to herself. Daisy’s diagnosis is OCD. By the end of the movie, Daisy has taken her own life in the bathroom of her apartment gifted to her by her father.
Lisa Rowe
Lisa Rowe is my favorite out of all the characters in Girl, Interrupted. Lisa is played by Angelina Jolie. Lisa is, in a way, the “leader” of the ward. The girls listen to her; they both fear and admire her, despite Lisa being in the same place they are. Lisa is cocky, charismatic, manipulative, and rebellious. At the start of the movie, you’re completely captivated by her character. You want to see more of her. At least, that’s how it was for me. Despite how cruel she could be, I kept wanting to see more of her character- I suppose that’s where the charisma Jolie displayed comes into play. Lisa’s diagnosis is sociopathy; she has been at the institution since she was twelve, escaping numerous times and coming back.
Janet Webber
Out of all the characters we’re discussing today, we know the least about Janet Webber, played by Angela Bettis. What the audience does know is that she is twenty years old and anorexic. She is believed to be a former ballerina. Janet is the type to be easily irritated and upset.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and I hope I may have swayed you into watching Girl, Interrupted if you haven’t, and re-watching it if you have. It’s a good movie to watch or just put on as background noise. If you have watched it, tell me what you think about it and who your favorite character(s) are. Thanks for reading, Caio
I’ve been meaning to watch this movie since like the summer before I came to MSA, and I’ve watched like the first 15 minutes but this brought back my need to watch it. Movie night soon?
Come to my room later….
I remember watching this with my older sister when I was younger. Maybe you have persuaded me to watch it again! You should also write a short story with a character like Lisa Rowe; honestly, I think it would be fire!!
You should. I’ll watch it with you.