Winona Ryder spent seven years trying to get this movie made. It was her baby. She read Susanna Kaysen’s memoir in the early 90s, felt a bone-deep connection to the story of a girl "interrupted" by a psychiatric ward, and fought to produce it. Then the film finally hits theaters in 1999, and who walks away with the Oscar? Angelina Jolie.
The Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie movie, officially known as Girl, Interrupted, is one of those rare cinematic moments where the behind-the-scenes reality is just as messy and fascinating as the plot itself.
Honestly, if you watch it today, the power dynamic is jarring. Winona is the anchor, the quiet, observant Susanna Kaysen, while Angelina is Lisa—the sociopathic, charismatic, blonde-fringed hurricane that blows the roof off every scene. People often talk about this movie like it was a "passing of the torch" or a "stolen spotlight" situation. But that’s a bit of a surface-level take.
The Passion Project That Changed Everything
Winona Ryder wasn't just the lead; she was an executive producer. She saw herself in Susanna. Like the real-life Kaysen, Ryder had struggled with severe anxiety and panic attacks. She’d even checked herself into a psychiatric facility for a short stay in the early 90s. This wasn't just a gig for her. It was a mission to tell a story about the "amorphous" nature of mental illness that most of Hollywood wanted to keep pretty or ignore entirely.
James Mangold, the director, took Kaysen's non-linear, vignette-style book and turned it into a more traditional narrative. They filmed at the Harrisburg State Hospital in Pennsylvania. The atmosphere was heavy.
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Then came the casting of Lisa Rowe.
Courtney Love allegedly wanted the part. Rose McGowan was considered. But when Angelina Jolie showed up, the chemistry shifted. Jolie didn’t just play a sociopath; she lived in that skin. She was rebellious, manipulative, and strangely seductive. It’s the role that turned her into a global superstar, but it also created a weird rift.
What Actually Happened Between Winona and Angelina?
There’s a persistent rumor that the two didn’t get along. Winona has been pretty candid about it in later years, mentioning that she tried to be friends with Angelina, but Jolie kept her distance.
"I remember thinking, 'Oh, we're going to be great friends.' But I think she needed to look at me as the character Susanna, and not as Winona," Ryder once noted.
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It wasn't a "catfight" like the tabloids wanted. It was a professional choice. Angelina stayed in character. She needed that edge, that separation from the "normal" girl to make Lisa's cruelty and magnetism feel authentic. When Jolie won her Academy Award, she famously didn't thank Winona in her speech, which fueled the fire. But honestly? It worked for the movie. That tension is the engine that keeps the story moving.
The Real Diagnosis vs. The Hollywood Version
One thing most people get wrong about the Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie movie is the actual science. The film centers on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). In the 1960s, when the story takes place, BPD was a bit of a "catch-all" diagnosis for women who didn't fit the social mold.
The movie shows Susanna reading her own medical file, discovering she has "uncertainty about self-image, goals, and types of friends."
Basically, she was a teenager.
The film highlights a massive problem: how often women were (and are) institutionalized for simply being "difficult" or non-conforming. Whoopi Goldberg’s character, Nurse Valerie, gives Susanna a reality check halfway through, telling her she’s "lazy" and "self-indulgent." It’s a harsh scene, and critics still argue about whether it’s helpful or just more stigma.
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Why It Still Matters in 2026
Girl, Interrupted isn't a perfect movie. It’s a bit "Lifetime Movie" in its pacing sometimes. But it handles the "ugly" side of mental health—the boredom, the self-harm, the laxative abuse (Brittany Murphy’s heartbreaking performance as Daisy)—with a grit that was way ahead of its time.
It also launched a thousand "alt-girl" aesthetics, for better or worse.
But if you strip away the 90s nostalgia, you’re left with a story about the fear of being "ordinary." Lisa (Jolie) is terrified of being nothing, so she becomes a monster. Susanna (Ryder) is terrified of being a monster, so she tries to stay nothing. They are two sides of the same coin.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Film Buffs
If you’re revisiting this classic or watching it for the first time, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
- Read the Memoir: Susanna Kaysen’s book is vastly different. It’s shorter, more cynical, and contains actual copies of her medical records. It’s less "girl power" and more "systemic critique."
- Watch the Supporting Cast: Beyond the big two, look at Elisabeth Moss (as Polly) and the late Brittany Murphy. Their performances provide the emotional weight that anchors the more "theatrical" scenes between Ryder and Jolie.
- Contrast with the '60s Context: Remember that Susanna is institutionalized during the Vietnam War. The chaos inside the ward mirrors the chaos outside in America.
- Check the Vermeer Connection: The title comes from the painting Girl Interrupted at Her Music. In the book, Kaysen talks about seeing it at the Frick Collection. The movie skips the explanation, but the theme is the same: a life caught in a moment of transition, frozen by the gaze of others.
The legacy of the Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie movie isn't just about an Oscar or a shoplifting scandal or a "cool girl" vibe. It’s a reminder that sanity is often just a matter of who is holding the clipboard.