Outstanding acting, but story comes up a little short

Rating: 7/10 (7 June 2000)

Girl Interrupted' suffers from comparisons with One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest', perhaps a bit unfairly since they were different kinds of stories. Possibly the reason for this is that the story presented like Cuckoo Lite. This story begged for some character development, especially of Lisa. It is essentially a slice of life film. There was no real plot, just a succession of incidents at the institution.
For a slice of life film to be successful, there must be character development or situations that are so unique and fascinating that they compensate for the story's lacking a plotline. In Cuckoo's Nest' despite having little character development, the situations were intense and Jack Nicholson commanded our attention in every frame. G.I. fell short in both areas. It was unquestionably an interesting character study of both Suzanna (Winona Ryder) and Lisa (Angelina Jolie), but the flashbacks of Suzanna's life were too sketchy to provide much insight into the problems with which she struggled, and Lisa's past was a total mystery. Though Jolie's performance was truly outstanding, as was Ryder's, together they failed to create a performance strong enough to compensate for what the story lacked.
Director James Mangold gets credit for a story sensitively told and his direction of the actors was excellent. This was generally a very well acted film. Angelina Jolie continues to impress in difficult and gutsy roles. She is a very gritty performer and is fantastic at pouring out raw emotion with no holds barred. Hopefully this performance will help her emerge from the shadows of supporting actor to land the lead she deserves.
Wynona Ryder delivered another mature and powerful performance. She is quite accomplished at playing complex and tormented characters. One day, I would love to see her in something that departs from her accustomed dour roles. While watching the featurette included on the DVD, I noticed she actually does possess a genuinely happy smile. It occurred to me at that moment that this was the first time I'd seen it. The only smile she ever gets a chance to use in character is her wounded smile.
I rated this film a 7/10. Overall, this film gives us two great performances, but comes up a little short in the presentation of the story. It is not an overwhelming film, but it's definitely worth seeing.