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THE VIRGIN SUICIDES Send This Review to a Friend
Sofia Coppola's foray into writing and directing is strong in atmosphere but weak in substance. "The Virgin Suicides," based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, tells the shocking story of five sisters who in the 1970s live in an American suburb and would seem to have everything going for them on the surface. All five commit suicide. Perhaps there is no answer to the "why" of the tale, but the film shows no signs of even trying to probe for answers. This leaves the film to stand merely as a sort of macabre report bereft of anything that would make one desire to see such tragedy unfold.
The film does work up plenty of eerie ambience in the plot framework of the girls growing up as teenagers at odds with their far too strict parents (James Woods and Kathleen Turner). They are also pursued by boys who are fascinated by them and struggling with their own growing pains and fantasies.
It is clear that the girls have reasons for rebellion, but so do many other teens who don't kill themselves. What triggers the ultimate acts would be interesting for a film to explore instead of confining itself primarily to detailing the events. One emerges feeling like a voyeur cheated of seeing a film with enough meaning to justify enduring so morbid a movie-going experience. The sisters are well-portrayed by Leslie Hayman, A. J. Cook, Chelse Swain, Kirsten Dunst and Hanna Hall. A Paramount Classics release.
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