1999, R, 127 minutes

The 1960's were a time of change and revolt. Between sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll, not to mention a controversial war effort, everyone seemed to have a plan. A lot of kids were sucked into the draft, others went to Canada, and just about everyone else went to college or tried to start up a career.

Girl, Interrupted tells the real life story of Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder), a young woman fresh out of high school without much of a plan. As the only girl in her entire graduating class that isn't going onto college, she is forced to deal with pressure from the people around her (like her parents), who aren't all that thrilled when Susanna tells them she only wants to write. After chasing a bottle of Aspirin with a bottle of Vodka, she is encouraged to check herself into Claymore, a nearby mental institution. After doing so, she quickly realizes that she is not free to leave at anytime and must be cleared by the staff, which has diagnosed her with Borderline Personality Disorder. Befriending the other girls in the ward, specifically an active and highly spirited girl named Lisa (Angelina Jolie), Susanna learns to cope with her condition and also learns a few things about life.

Just the basic premise for this film is the dream of every young actress. A female version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest -- as some have labeled it -- is likely to have a huge range of emotions and award-worthy scenes. The end result of Girl, Interrupted is exactly that, but the odd part is that the best moments in this movie aren't the heavily dramatic ones (except for one). While the arc of this film is a little muddled at times (probably because it's a real story) and doesn't seem to go anywhere, the superb cast managed to pull through and make it worth while. Yes, there are a few sappy moments, but this isn't nearly the "chick-flick" the previews made it out to be; in fact, a large portion of it is rather depressing.

After Winona Ryder appeared in the dreadful piece of crap that is known as Alien: Resurrection, her career seemed to be going down the tubes. Fortunately, with her solid performance in Girl, Interrupted, her career seems to have been revived. And while Ryder is good as the lead character for this film, the supporting cast is what really makes it work. In Hollywood, there's Angelina Jolie, and then there's every other actress. Like no one else, Jolie seems to have a certain fire buried deep inside, which enables her to throw herself into so many different characters and always come off as believable. Her performance as Lisa, a highly energetic sociopath, is definitely worthy of an award (or at least a fair amount of recognition). I'm not a big fan of Whoopi Goldberg, but it was nice to see her in a role where she could tone down her persona a bit, which she does very well as the head nurse. Vannessa Redgrave also has a bit part as a psychiatrist, which she is great in despite a necessary lack of screen time.

James Mangold has been criticized for his dull direction of this film, but I felt it was appropriate given the story takes place in a very dull setting. He doesn't worry about making this film picturesque and merely allows the actors to do their jobs, which I felt was a smart decision.

If you go into Girl, Interrupted hoping for an epic-drama, you're going to be disappointed. This film is light-hearted for the most part, with a little drama that isn't quite as moving as it was intended to be, but there's also quite a bit of comedy. The cast provides an assortment of great performances that end up outdoing the story, and if that sounds like enough for you, then I recommend it.