If "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" were re-made with an all-female cast, then you would have "Girl, Interrupted". The film however, is not necessarily unoriginal. It features an incredible all-ladies cast, including Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Brittany Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg, and Vanessa Redgrave. The film follows the story of Susanna (Ryder), who checks herself into a mental institution after an aspirin-overdose and stays there for about year. Here she meets Lisa (Jolie), a sociopath, who encourages Susanna to not take her pills and act out against the orderlies. Jolie steals the film with her verbally abusive character, who antagonizes all the other patients, especially Daisy, played by the late Brittany Murphy, who gives her best performance ever as an anti-social patient who constantly brags of her "luxurious" lifestyle. Susanna spends the film trying to discover why she is mentally unstable, and only resolves her issues after a traumatic incident and the help of Dr. Wick (Redgrave). Many scenes are carried solely by Jolie's Oscar-winning performance, but Ryder is not without talent (however, an Oscar-nomination certainly wasn't to be had in this case). The film is certainly entertaining, with many humorous moments mixed with the emotional confusion of each of the patients. What better place to find interesting characters than a mental institution? The film is worth checking out solely for the great performances, though the story itself is thoroughly entertaining. 7 out of 10 stars.
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