History Film / GirlInterrupted

* DrivenToSuicide: Susanna attempting it (despite her denying claims) is what got her committed to the institution. [[spoiler:A former patient called Jamie (and former resident of Susanna's room) hung herself, as does Daisy later in the film.]]

* InterruptedIntimacy: Susanna and Toby, who start kissing in her room and almost have oral sex before being walked in on by the nurses checking on the patients. If the nurses hadn't walked in, they would've had sex.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast : Not sure of Claymoore (which sounds like Claymore) is named for the landmine, the battleship, or the big Scottish sword, but the implications are dangerous.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Lisa to Daisy [[spoiler:(which is what finally tips Daisy over the edge)]].

* TitleDrop: In Susanna's opening narrative right, right before it cuts to the flashback of her failed suicide attempt and having her stomach pumped by the hospital.
-->'''Lisa:''' ''(narrating)'' Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train was moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the '60's. Or maybe I was just a girl... interrupted.

--> '''Lisa:''' And everybody ''knows''. Everybody knows that [[spoiler:he fucks you]]. What they ''don't'' know... is that you like it.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/girl_interrupted_film_poster.jpeg]][[caption-width-right:300:''[[TagLine Sometimes the only way to stay sane is to\\

A 1999 American drama film directed by Creator/JamesMangold, starring Creator/WinonaRyder and an ensemble supporting cast including Creator/AngelinaJolie, Creator/CleaDuVall, Creator/BrittanyMurphy, Creator/ElisabethMoss, Creator/JaredLeto, Creator/JeffreyTambor, Creator/TravisFine, Creator/AngelaBettis, Creator/JillianArmenante, Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, and Creator/VanessaRedgrave. It's based on writer Susanna Kaysen's memoir of her stay in a mental institution in [[TheSixties the late 1960s]].

Shortly after her high school graduation and a subsequent (probable) suicide attempt, upper-middle-class Susanna (Ryder) is admitted to the Claymoore Psychiatric Hospital, where she meets and in some cases befriends other young, female patients, most notably Lisa (Jolie), the charismatic ring leader. The group rebels against the oppression of institutionalized life, bowling in the hospital basement late at night and breaking into the doctor's office to read their case files. Susanna is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, Lisa is a sociopath, Georgina ([=DuVall=]) a compulsive liar, and the saccharine Polly (Moss) a disturbed burn victim. Other patients include Janet (Bettis), an anorexic; Cynthia (Armenante), a {{butch lesbian}} -- homosexuality still being regarded as a mental disorder at the time; and the hostile Daisy (Murphy), who's dealing with an eating disturbance of her own and is somewhat at odds with Lisa.

After some rule-breaking and conflicts with the staff lead to Lisa being taken away for electroshock treatment, she and Susanna escape one night for what ends up being a rather short excursion, during which Susanna becomes disenchanted with Lisa and voluntarily returns to Claymoore. Lisa is later returned too, less voluntarily and in a pretty bad state. Susanna, in the meantime, has recovered and is preparing to leave the institution, which leads to a final showdown between her and Lisa.

-->'''Susanna:''' ''SHUT [[PrecisionFStrike THE FUCK]] UP!!!''

* BlatantLies: Given that Georgina's a pathological liar, it's natural that she lets slip a few of these. Also counts as a bit of a BrickJoke. Georgina states she's a pathological liar when Susanna meets her, but her outrageous lies aren't shown until the end.
-->'''Georgina:''' My dad is the head of the CIA and he could have you dead in ''minutes''!!

** Lisa seems unable to open her mouth without dropping at least one f-bomb.

* GrayRainOfDepression: Occurs during Susanna being driven back to Claymoore by Dr. Potts following [[spoiler:Daisy's suicide]].

* {{Jerkass}}: To call Lisa unpleasant and rude would be an understatement, though she does have her PetTheDog moments.
** Barbara Gilcrest. She was very rude to Susanna saying I hope they lock you up forever.

'''Susanna:''' ''Because you're dead already, Lisa!'' No one cares if you die, Lisa, because you're dead already. Your heart is ''cold''. That's why you keep coming back here. You're not free. You need this place, you need it to feel alive. It's ''pathetic''.

* LeaveTheCameraRunning: Several scenes contain very long steadycam shots. The longest of which is the entire scene in which Susanna and Lisa talk to each other through a tiny window - the shot goes on for over a minute.

* ShoutOut : Several, to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''. According to the [[WordOfGod commentary]], the director wanted to avoid the inevitable comparisons to ''Film/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest'' and used the ''Oz'' books and film as beats in the film.

* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Lisa's villainous breakdown after Susanna recovers and she is going to be discharged from the asylum soon.

After some rule-breaking and conflicts with the staff lead to Lisa being taken away for electroshock treatment, she and Susanna escape one night. It ends up being a rather short trip, during which Susanna becomes disenchanted with Lisa and voluntarily returns to Claymoore. Lisa is later returned too, less voluntarily and in a pretty bad state. Susanna, in the meantime, has recovered and is preparing to leave the institution, which leads to a final showdown between her and Lisa.

After some rule breaking and conflicts with the staff that leads to Lisa being taken away for electroshock treatment, she and Susanna escape one night. It ends up being a rather short trip during which Susanna becomes disenchanted with Lisa and voluntarily returns to Claymoore. Lisa is later returned too, less voluntarily and in a pretty bad state. Susanna, in the meantime, has recovered and is preparing to leave the institution, which leads to a final showdown between her and Lisa.

Jolie won quite a few awards for her supporting role, among them an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward and a UsefulNotes/{{Golden Globe|Award}].

Jolie won quite a few awards for her supporting role, among them an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward and a Golden Globe.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/girl_interrupted_film_poster.jpeg]][[caption-width-right:300:''[[TagLine Sometimes the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy.]]'']]

A 1999 American drama film directed by Creator/JamesMangold, starring Creator/WinonaRyder and featuring an ensemble cast that includes Creator/AngelinaJolie, Creator/CleaDuVall, Creator/BrittanyMurphy, Creator/ElisabethMoss, Creator/JaredLeto, Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, and Creator/VanessaRedgrave. It's based on writer Susanna Kaysen's memoir of her stay in a mental institution in [[TheSixties the late 1960s]].

Shortly after her high school graduation and a subsequent suicide attempt (probably), upper-middle-class Susanna (Ryder) is admitted to Claymoore Psychiatric Hospital, where she meets and in some cases befriends other young, female patients, most notably Lisa (Jolie), the charismatic ring leader. The group rebels against the oppression of institutionalized life, going bowling in the basement at night and breaking into the doctor's office to read their case files. Susanna is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, Lisa is a sociopath, Georgina ([=DuVall=]) a compulsive liar, and the saccharine Polly (Moss) a disturbed burn victim. Other patients count an anorexic called Janet, a {{butch lesbian}} called Cynthia -- homosexuality still being regarded as a mental disorder at the time -- and the hostile Daisy (Murphy), who's dealing with an eating disturbance of her very own and is somewhat at odds with Lisa.

* BigShutUp: Susanna lets out one at Lisa during her TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Daisy. Lisa ignores it.

Barbara Gilcrest. She was very rude to Susanna saying I hope they lock you up forever.

-->'''Lisa:''' They didn't release you 'cause you're better, Daisy, they just gave up. You call this a life, hmm? Taking Daddy's money, buying your dollies and your knickknacks. And eating his fuckin' chicken, fattening up like a prize fuckin' heifer. You changed the scenery, but not the fuckin' situation, and the warden makes housecalls. And everybody knows, everybody knows that he fucks you. What they don't know is that you like it, hmm? You like it. You like being Mrs. Randone. Probably all you've ever known.

-->'''Lisa:''' ''([[spoiler: to Daisy]])'' Everybody knows. Everybody knows, that [[spoiler: he fucks you]]. What they don't know is that you like it.

* FunnyAfro: Downplayed, but Creator/WhoopiGoldberg has an awesome 'fro, as part of her character. It's TheSixties.

* DistantFinale: In the novel. Some time after Susanna is released from the hospital, she has encounters with Georgina, now married, and with Lisa, who has had a child.

* AdaptationDistillation: At one point, when enraged by Suzanne, Georgina screams that her dad is the president of the CIA and that he could have her killed in minutes. In the novel, this is actually not referenced by Georgina, but her boyfriend Wade's go-to story to impress people is how his dad was a big-time CIA agent involved in Watergate.

**

* CompositeCharacter: Susanna's ex Johnny that Toby was based om never visited her in the memoir, and no mention of Vietnam is ever made - instead, she is visited by her current boyfriend, Nobel-winning geneticist James Watson, who wanted to take her away to England and get her a job as a private tutor.

-->'''Lisa:''' "Taking us for ice creams in a blizzard. Makes you wonder who the real whackjobs are."

->'''[[Creator/KurtwoodSmith Dr. Crumble]]''': Susanna, four days ago you chased a bottle of aspirin with a bottle of vodka.\\

** And later Susanna to Lisa. ** Even earlier, Valerie gives one to Susanna after the latter refuses to leave her bed and starts acting increasingly like Lisa. Susanna gives her one back, however.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Lisa to Daisy [[spoiler:(which is what finally tips Daisy over the edge)]], and later Susanna to Lisa. Even earlier, Valerie gives one to Susanna after the latter refuses to leave her bed and starts acting increasingly like Lisa. Susanna gives her one back, however.

* Villainous Breakdown: After returning to Claymoore and learning of Susanna's progress, Lisa steals her diary, reads it out loud, turns the inmates against Susanna and begins to chase Susanna down the corridors and going on a rant on everything she gave Susanna just before her breaking point.

%%* TitleDrop: In Susanna's opening narrative right, right before her flashback scene of her failed suicide attempt and having her stomach pumped by the hospital.

* StalkerWithACrush: M.G who holds a torch towards Lisa, as depicted early in the film when Lisa is being restrained and taken to solitary confinement and M.G sees this going on and tries to protect her, only to be held back by a nurse.

%%* TitleDrop: In Susanna's opening narrative.

%%* AHouseDivided: Susanna's confrontation with Lisa, Georgina and Polly in the tunnels underneath the hospital.

%%* InterruptedIntimacy: Susanna and Toby, who start kissing in her room and almost have oral sex before being walked in on by the nurses checking on the patients.

--> My dad is the head of the CIA and he could have you dead in ''minutes''!!

* BrokenRecord: "Don't they know it's the end of the world..."

--> Everybody knows. Everybody knows, that [[spoiler: he fucks you]]. What they don't know is that you like it.

--> "Taking us for ice creams in a blizzard. Makes you wonder who the real whackjobs are."

%%* InterruptedIntimacy: Susanna and Toby.

* ParentalIncest: [[spoiler: Daisy and her father.]]

--> You are a lazy, self-indulgent little girl who is driving herself crazy.