Girl, Interrupted Film Analysis

Girl, Interrupted Film Analysis Diana Fox Molloy College

Girl, Interrupted Film Analysis Girl interrupted is a film about a teenager in the sixties named Susanna. Susanna has just graduated from high school and has no immediate plans for her future. After a failed attempt at suicide she commits herself to a mental hospital for over a year where she is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. During her time at the hospital she becomes friendly with many of the other patients who suffer from an excess of disorders. For the first several months and under the influence of her new friends, Susanna rejects any help from the doctors and nurses. It ultimately takes a tragedy for Susanna to finally accept her diagnosis and seek proper treatment. Borderline personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability, most evident in relationships, mood, and sense of identity. (Halgin & Krauss Whitborne, 2010, p. 314) Being frequently impulsive, anger, and hostility are also other characteristics. People with this disorder are more likely to be extremely marked by intrapersonal events that most people would look past. Often times a person who suffers from this illness will struggle with his/her own identity and sense of self. Individuals often feel lonely, engage in risky behaviors, self mutilate, and have substance abuse problems. (Halgin & Krauss Whitborne, 2010) Someone who suffers from borderline personality disorder will often times seek out stimulation; this can sometimes be a result of relentless monotony on a day-to-day basis. Impulsivity in sex is one feature taken into consideration when diagnosing borderline personality disorder. (Halgin & Kruass Whitbourne 2010) In the movie Suzanna often displays unprompted sexual behavior. Right before her attempted suicide, Susanna has an affair with a married professor with whom she attends high school with his daughter. On another occasion she seduces an orderly at the institution. As soon as

Girl, Interrupted Film Analysis her previous boyfriend Toby shows up to visit her at the hospital, she attempts to engage in a sexual act with him. It is distinctly apparent that Suzanna does not think about the risks or consequences of her dangerous sexual activity. Suicidal behavior, gestures, threats, and self-mutilating behaviors are all signs of borderline personality disorder. The extremes of feelings that people with borderline personality disorder experience may drive them precipitously into a state of suicidal thinking and self-injurious behavior. (Halgin & Kruass Whiteborne, 2010, p.316) When Susanna firsts sleeps with Toby, she initiates a conversation about suicide. As the conversation gets deeper, Toby feels uncomfortable and tells her that he doesnt want to talk about it anymore and that its stupid. Susanna gets upset and says, I dont want to die, I was just talking. She immediately leaves because he does not want to continue the conversation about suicide. Susanna is originally institutionalized for combining an entire bottle of aspirin with a bottle of vodka. She maintains a consistent statement that she was not trying to kill herself and that she was only trying to get rid of a headache. When Susanna is first treated for her suicide attempt the hospital it is revealed she had severe bruises on her wrists indicating that she had been engaging in self-mutilation, a visible sign of borderline personality disorder. Susannas lack of friends, desire to be alone, mystical values, absence of goals, & career plan validate her identity crisis. These are all indicators of somebody who has an unstable self-image. People with this disorder are usually perplexed about who they are. At the time of her high school graduation she had no plans to attend college. She says that she want to be a writer but has no strategies or ideas on how to become one. When asked

Girl, Interrupted Film Analysis what she feels she claims she doesnt know. At one point she is provided an opportunity to leave the hospital when Toby decides to go to Canada to evade the draft. Susanna declines his plea for her to go with him and decides to stay. This suggests that she feels she identifies with the crazy girls. Additional identity issues that may exist in someone with borderline personality disorder can appear in an individuals sexual orientation. A person might change their sexual preference from time to time in an attempt to generate a new sense of sexuality. (Halgin & Kruass Whitbourne, 2010) After Susanna and Lisa run away together, Susanna kisses Lisa on the lips in a romantic way. Up until that point in the movie Susannas sexual encounters were with only men. Ive seen this movie many times. However, watching it for a film analysis for an abnormal psychology class was very invigorating. I saw and understood things that I hadnt previously gave a second thought too. I do feel that this movie accurately depicts a person that is suffering from borderline personality disorder. The representations and portrayals of someone who suffers from borderline personality disorder were very clear for the most part in the movie and it made the disorder very real to me. The film did a good job of connecting the symptoms of the disorder and making them understandable in real life situations. However, there were certain things that were shown that I felt did not think fall under the category of borderline personality disorder, like when she said there were no bones in her hand. That seemed like a very senseless thing to say which isnt a customary diagnostic feature in borderline personality disorder. I felt like Susanna was more of a refined manipulator of words then an irrational speaker. Overall, I do feel like this is a good movie to watch to help people understand and recognize the indicators of borderline personality disorder.

Girl, Interrupted Film Analysis

References Halgin, R. P., & Whitbourne, S.K. (2010). Abnormal Psychology: Clinical Perspectives on Psychological Disorders (6th Edition). McGraw-Hill: New York.