![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Todd on July 3, 2000, at 22:58:16
Hey, y'all. I just rented "Girl, Interrupted" the other night and was wondering if any of you have seen it yet. For those of you who haven't, Winona Ryder stars as a young girl in the late Sixties who is committed to a mental hospital for depression and a suicide attempt. I found it to be very insightful, a wonderful commentary on life and the pursuit of inner happiness. Any comments?
Posted by Greg on July 4, 2000, at 10:57:30
In reply to Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent, posted by Todd on July 3, 2000, at 22:58:16
Just saw it last night and thought it was great! I've always been a big fan of Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie is, well, Angelina Jolie. A wonderful actress (have you seen "Pushing Tin"?) and a beautiful woman. I thought the plot (based on a woman's real life experiences) and the characters were superb! I thought that the idea of whole chickens being brought to a patient, and a patient being allowed to have sex in her room with her boy friend were a bit of a stretch though. All in all it was one of the best movies I've ever seen. This from a sci-fi fan huh? I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up!
Roger Ebert, uh, I mean,
Greg> Hey, y'all. I just rented "Girl, Interrupted" the other night and was wondering if any of you have seen it yet. For those of you who haven't, Winona Ryder stars as a young girl in the late Sixties who is committed to a mental hospital for depression and a suicide attempt. I found it to be very insightful, a wonderful commentary on life and the pursuit of inner happiness. Any comments?
Posted by NikkiT on July 4, 2000, at 13:43:00
In reply to Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent, posted by Todd on July 3, 2000, at 22:58:16
Darn.. it's not even in the cinemas over int he UK yet!! But I have the book on my pile of books to read (I read most of the time... think it's at Number 3 - just goytta finish Fellowship of the Rings, and read the new Harry POtter book, and then I'll let ya know what I think!
Posted by Mead on July 4, 2000, at 15:27:22
In reply to Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent, posted by Todd on July 3, 2000, at 22:58:16
On the other hand....the movie bugged the heck outta me. The over-simplification of Winona's character's "cure" was too much for me. That whole cure took about 60 seconds of footage - approximately 1/1000ths of the time the camera spent on Angelina Jolie's T-shirt. You would think with that movie budget,they could afford to buy her one in her size? ;-)
If you are suicidal, don't go to this movie, as there could be several "triggering" scenes.
I'm glad to see that mental illness is becoming a serious topic of discussion in film, and this movie is probably a step in the right direction....however, I would have liked to see a more positive message regarding psych meds. In this film, they were primarily represented as something to avoid at all costs. This movie could have saved lives, rather than titillate. (pun intended) I realize that saving lives is not the purpose of a film....but, heck, let's not make the stigma even worse.
Mead
Posted by noa on July 5, 2000, at 6:15:37
In reply to Re: Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent??, posted by Mead on July 4, 2000, at 15:27:22
Around the time the movie came out in the US, there was a long discussion of it on Babble. If youre interested, do a search. Sorry, I don't remember the month.
Posted by Sascha on July 6, 2000, at 23:36:03
In reply to Re: Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent??, posted by Mead on July 4, 2000, at 15:27:22
I liked the film too, would've liked to see more about her "cure." And the characters seemed more 90's than 60's - esp. Jolie and Goldberg. I'd like to see another film done in a similar situation, maybe a little more seriously done.
Sascha
Posted by Renee N on July 7, 2000, at 6:46:22
In reply to Re: Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent??, posted by Sascha on July 6, 2000, at 23:36:03
Dr. Bob,
I think that one of the great things about boards like this is that newbies can benefit from oldies' experience. I say this even though I must admit that I really enjoy the posts from the old regulars and have felt overwhelmed and out of it by all the activity of so may newbies of late. No offense to newbies intended. You have every right to be here. It's just a lot of posts, names, personalities, diagnosies, meds, relationships, etc. for this ol' ADHD mind to handle at once! I understand your concerns, but I sure don't want to be part of offending, hurting, or excluding anyone who is new to all of this.
Think about Cam. He is an invaluable source of reliable information to all of us. He is also an old regular. New people need his knowledge that is so generously dispensed here with humour and kindness.
Perhaps instead of excluding the new from a new board, you could offer them a board especially for people who are new to all of this. Oldies can pop in there to help. This board could remain for anyone to discuss whatever.
I don't know...Just thinking outloud, too...
Dr. Bob, thanks for always thinking, even if first ideas don't always work. It is good to know that you are open to change and want our opinions, and try to serve our needs. Your efforts are appreciated.
One more thought. Do you think that too much Psycho-Babble can be counterproductive? I sometimes feel like I should quit, but don't. I love the support, but wonder about the frequency of my visits. I have learned soooo much, though! The intelligence of many Babblers is awesome! Do you think we should share the fact that we Babble with pdocs and/or therapists? I know my pdoc(umm, make that "ex-pdoc) pooh-poohed any info I got over the net from laymen on meds. "It could be just one in millions who writes. They may be one of the very few with those problems with meds."
I know you're a busy guy and try to keep a low profile here, but I would appreciate a reply. If you'd rather do it by e-mail, feel free. thanks, Renee N
Posted by Renee N on July 7, 2000, at 6:54:08
In reply to Re: Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent??, posted by Renee N on July 7, 2000, at 6:46:22
<
Posted by dove on July 7, 2000, at 15:52:40
In reply to Re: Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent??, posted by Sascha on July 6, 2000, at 23:36:03
I would have to state that I hated this movie with a passion! What a complete waste of time and money. They have three very strong actresses, strong subject matter, some very strong images, and all they manage to do is scratch the very superficial surface of emotional and mental illness. "Frances" could have shown me that much, and did, far exceeding the feeble span of "Girl Interrupted".
I was seriously bummed after seeing it, truly disappointed. It brought me back to the same conclusion that many of us have been fighting against for so very long, which is: Just because someone is/was emotionally or mentally ill they are/were not categorically *special* or *talented* or *gifted*. They/she would have us believe that "Border-line Personality Disorder" can be healed (*cured*) by writing enough, watching enough, and talking enough? We just need to face our demons and talk (and/or write) to (and/or about) them in a logical manner and they will flee, or we will find our purpose in this life?
That really frightens me. It's all in our heads, our minds, we are *imagining* these normal occurences as something grievous, we are *interpreting* these perceptions and facets of life as "bad" or "distressing".
I believe it was in the movie "Frances" that the surgeon, right before Frances Farmer is to receive her lobotomy, explains how and why they are performed with the logical explanation being (paraphrased of course by me and my interpretation):
"We stir the brain here, detaching the emotions and creativity and imagination from the patient's personality, for as we know, the disease dwells within their imaginations afterall..."
Alright, I'm done ranting and raving :-) Which I don't indulge in very often. I was just so disappointed in this movie, I had high expectations that were not fulfilled. Maybe others have a better over-all picture of this movie, maybe I'm missing something basic and/or important--vital to the worth of this movie. Either way, I'm ready to read other people's reviews.
In thought and in fellowship,
dove
Posted by tricia001 on July 11, 2000, at 15:22:21
In reply to Re: Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent??, posted by dove on July 7, 2000, at 15:52:40
I think I agree with most of what dove said. I always looked at my depression and saw this strange girl that was different - and therefore bad, wrong, etc. It was such a strange experience to see that movie. I, too, have depression and tried to swallow a bottle of pills. Thirty years ago I would have been right where she was. How strange!
I didn't hate the movie though. It made me long to be with these girls, to be around people who understood the ups and downs, the beauty of the ups and downs, the complete bliss that comes with the moments of happiness, no matter how rare...because you know how god awful the depression is once it floods over you.
No, writing about it and all that stuff won't fix it or make it go away. The movie definitely had room for improvement, but I liked it. It was disturbing and comforting at the same time.
Posted by PattyG on July 11, 2000, at 21:53:57
In reply to Re: Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent??, posted by dove on July 7, 2000, at 15:52:40
Dove (and others) Perhaps you were disappointed because the book was written in the 60's(I believe) - consequently, they knew very little about BPD at the time? Frankly, my experience has been that the majority of mental health professionals are only just beginning to know and understand (if that's possible) the intricacies of Borderline Personality Disorder. I certainly have to agree with the fact that BPD isn't "cured" - I think it can be managed, but doubt it can be cured. My thoughts, anyway.
PattyG
Posted by noa on July 17, 2000, at 17:06:21
In reply to Girl, Interrupted - A Good Rent, posted by Todd on July 3, 2000, at 22:58:16
Hey, while I was searching the archives for something else, I ran across the thread from last winter when this movie was discussed at length, in case anyone is interested. It starts at
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000101/msgs/18272.html
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.