stirred my emotions!

Rating: Null/10 (10 September 2000)

Maybe it was because I was having a bad day. But by the end of this movie, I was sobbing- no, not just CRYING-...SOBBING! It was so sad to me that some girls think they are crazy or dysfunctional, (I wasn't feeling sad for Ryder's character, I *associated* more with her), when really, they probably just need someone to say the right thing, or "Shhh..., it's ok. I love you.", instead of "Check!" and "Time for your pills."

OK, someone mentioned they didn't really like any character in this movie. For me, it wasn't that I liked the characters that much, but I wasn't looking at one character; I was drawing my likes and dislikes from each one.
What I mean by that is, the things that made one girl seem insane, I used that as sympathy for the other girls. For example: the girl with the burned face. She is probably the sweetest one in the asylum, but she is also too sensitive, and drives people crazy over it, which can make viewers understand more of what the other girls go through from being with each other.

SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING -----

I think the reason Susanna didn't want to leave the asylum when she had the opportunity WASN'T because she thought she was nuts, but because she was seeking some truth in herself. She wanted to know for sure what set her apart from these other girls. She wanted to know, -not JUST know- but really FEEL, in her heart, what defined 'crazy'. As time passed, by observing the other girls (especially Lisa), she came to her own conclusion in the end.
She found that being NORMAL or CRAZY isn't the point. What matters is if you're ALIVE or just DEAD inside. Susanna was 'alive' *because* she was seeking answers, *because* she had compassion for the other girls. In the end, Lisa, who Susanna called 'dead inside', was the only girl who convinced us that she belonged there, that she was insane; because she just couldn't function if she considered herself sane. This is evident from the movie, because Susanna chose to stay at Daisy's house even after she had hung herself, because she had *compassion*. Also, Susanna CHOSE to stay, even though she knew it would mean going back to the asylum. However, Lisa left Daisy uncaring, and was caught. This proves that even though Lisa wants to act powerful, she cannot live outside the asylum before she is forcefully brought back in.
END SPOILER END SPOILER --------------
You probably won't want to see this a second time right away....especially if you've ever questioned your own sanity, because some scenes can be a bit depressing. But I can safely say that James Mangold does an *EXCELLENT* job directing this movie. He seems to handle the mood just right. So, this makes the material much easier to watch, and more thought-provoking.
SLIGHT SPOILER SLIGHT SPOILER There was one part thing I wish I could understand; the mataphor that goes with Susanna Kaysen's hand. In the beginning she says there are no bones in it, and toward the end, she gets her hand caught in the door, breaking her fingers. I wonder what this means .=)
-Sep