A disappointment

Rating: 5/10 (13 May 2007)

As someone who copes with the emotional disorder that is supposed to be portrayed by the lead role, there was very little in this film to illustrate what it's like to live with the disorder and how it affects interpersonal relationships. It was even difficult to discern exactly what behavior was extreme enough to warrant the level of care the character underwent. I have yet to read the book, but I've been told the original story is a personal account and is quite good at portraying the condition. I haven't read it mainly because I don't want to be disappointed twice. As long as I ignored the premise of the film, I could enjoy the movie for the chemistry between Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie, who I thought put forth solid performances. But to me it was simply a fair yarn about two coming-of-age girls -- how one matures and the other doesn't -- with a little bit of extra Hollywood drama thrown in for good measure and to keep it interesting.