The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Very Melancholy Feeling. . .

I can't believe this didn't get 5 stars from everyone - maybe it's because of the subject matter. It's an excellent film - you won't leave feeling good, but it defines the tragedy of suicide and the remnants of those left behind VERY well. It won't necessarily make you cry, but it will hold you, and you'll probably watch it again. I've seen it over and over - it's one of those movies that's interesting no matter how many times you watch it. I haven't met anyone yet who didn't like it. June 28, 2008

THIS MOVIE REQUIRES ONE TO HAVE A DEEP MIND! THIS MOVIE WAS GREAT!

A LOT OF PEOPLE TEND TO FIND IT BORING AND POINTLESS. I PERSONALLY THINK THIS MOVIE IS AN AQUIRED TASTE WHICH I HAPPEN TO POSESS. THE POINT OF THIS WHOLE MOVIE WAS THESE GIRLS KILLED THEMSELVES AS AN ESCAPE FROM THE PRISON THEY WERE IN CONTROLLED BY THIER MOTHER! SHE WAS PSYCHOTIC. I DONT KNOW WHAT THIER MOTHER WENT THRU OR WAS GOING THRU BUT SHE WAS HORRIBLY CLINGY TO HER DAUGHTERS. ITS LIKE SHE WAS AFRAID OF LETTING THEM GO. THEY COULDNT DO ANYTHING, THEY WERE TRAPPED IN THE HOUSE AND DEPRIVED OF HAVING A LIFE OUTSIDE OF HOME. THERE WAS NO NEED TO ADD MORE TO THE MOVIE SO THAT U CAN UNDERSTAND IT WAS A REAL DEPICTION AND IT MADE ITS POINT HINCE THE NAME THE VIRGIN SUICIDES. BASICALLY NOTHING NEEDED TO BE ADDED ...THE POINT WAS THEY HAD A OUTRAGOUS MOTHER WHO ONLY THOUGHT OF HERSELF WITH NO CONSIDERATION...NOT A OUNCE OF IT FOR HER DAUGHTERS...
SHE KEPT THEM CRAMPED INSIDE THE HOUSE ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE NO FREEDOM WHATSOEVER...THEY FELT THAT IN A SENSE THAT THEY MAY AS WELL BE DEAD...THATS WHY THEY KIILED THEMSELVES... I LOVE THIS MOVIE April 28, 2008

Tedious and pointless.

Having seen "Marie Antoinette" and the first half of "Lost In Translation" (I wasn't able to get through the entire thing), I admit I am no fan of Sofia Coppola. I believe she is an over-rated director whose films are looked upon as deep and meaningful, while they are in fact quite shallow and pointless. Such was the case with "The Virgin Suicides".
The film revolves around four (or was it five?) good-looking sisters, who live in a very religious household and see suicide as their only escape from the shelter they've been put into. The story is told through the eyes of the neighborhood boys, who lust after these girls, but feel as if they don't know anything about these mysterious creatures.
The problem is, neither do we. The fact that I can't even remember how many of the sisters there were tells something - except for Lux, played by Kirsten Dunst, these girls are just there to fill the frame, and they have no characteristics or background stories. The first half hour of the film starts promising, with the death of the youngest sister, but after that, there is another hour or so of nothing. There is this guy, played by Josh Hartnett, who is in love with Lux, and then the movie is filled with tedious scenes that seem to go on forever... It is clear from the start that these girls are depressed because of the repressing environment they are growing up in, but the movie doesn't go anywhere from there.
I honestly do not understand why anyone would like this movie. What offended me the most was how pretentious it was. The only good thing about this film is Kirsten Dunst, who is gorgeous and exploited to the maximum - there are countless scenes of her in slow motion, waving, shaking her hair, winking, etc. It is a pleasure to see just how much the camera love sher - but you might as well just look at the DVD cover for hours and feel the same thing. You won't miss out on a good story, I promise you! April 22, 2008

Haunting, Dreamlike, and Unforgetable

I have loved this movie the first time I watched it. It's a movie that I can find something different to admire with each viewing. It's so tragic and it didn't happen. I had heard somewhere that this was based lossley on a true story, but I think that's a myth. The belongings left for trash at the end just breaks my heart. You understand, grieve for, and are angry for the parents. As a mother, the only way that I can see their own lives continuning is mental illness that requires them to be committed, serve alcholhics, or turing to suicide themselves. January 23, 2008

Should not have read the book first

This movie and the book were not high on my list to see or read. I happened on the audiobook and ended up liking it. I figured I would see the movie as well. Overall; it's an ok movie. Sofia made some changes probably due to the theme but some things she either left out or shouldn't have changed.

The biggest thing missing was the complete collapse of the household. Both the family and the house fell apart. The family gave up on just about everything. You did not see the yard overgrowing; the roof falling apart; the great amount of trash in the house and the left-over rotten food on the floors. The fact the mother stopped cooking and cleaning which made the girls fend for themselves by eating out of cans and washing their own cloths in the tub. Gone are the fish flies which were not cleaned up during the time and added to dilapidation of the house.

Cecilia who was a shadow of her former self came across as simply a shy girl. In the book her empty shell appearance added to the stories of being a crazy and gave the gossipy neighbors a reason for why she killed herself.

Mary who survived her suicide for a month; didn't in the movie.

Mr and Mrs Lisbon who disappeared in the middle of the night; left in daylight.

One thing Eugenides did in the book was that he really didn't give a clear answer to why the girls committed suicide. In the movie, it was easy to blame mainly Mrs. Lisbon and to a degree Mr. Lisbon.

Overall it's not a bad movie but as with many movies; I found the book to be better. November 30, 2007

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