Girl, Interrupted
For this assignment, I have chosen to break down Angelina Jolie’s character in the movie; Girl, Interrupted. At first, the movie is set up for the viewer to think that Winona Ryder’s character, Suzanna Kaysen, is the patient with the most intriguing problems. The issues with Suzanna are well- thought out and explained in detail, but Lisa’s issues were being held within. As a viewer, I did not immediately know what to naively diagnose her with. As time went on and after writing more and more notes about this character, I realized a lot more about her. Being a psychology major I found Jolie’s character, Lisa Rowe to be much more appealing.
With all my notes laid out in front of me, I slowly put them together and realized what was going on for Lisa Rowe. I have diagnosed the character of Lisa Rowe to have an antisocial personality disorder. A personality disorder that falls under the Type B Cluster; persons seem dramatic, emotional, or erratic. Jolie’s character is eccentric, dramatic, and aggressive more than anything. Immediately, we are introduced to Lisa Rowe’s character from a window in the psych ward. On the inside looking out, Suzanna and her roommate Georgina get a glimpse of a girl struggling under the hold of a police officer, getting escorted into the ward. As soon as Lisa enters the building, the viewer is ambushed by her aggressive nature. Being a former patient, Lisa recognizes that her old roommate is gone and in her place stands Suzanna. She flees to their room and corners Suzanna, questioning her about her old roommate Jamie. All the while, the nurses and orderlies are trying to get in to restrain Lisa, but cannot do it quickly because of a door
being placed under the doorknob by her. Lisa Rowe is not only aggressive at the ward, but in the eye of the public as well. Taking the patients for ice cream one day, Suzanna is
approached by a woman whose husband she had slept with. The conversation starts calm...