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Technical Information
Studio: Paramount
Home Video
Year of Theatrical Release: 1999
Disc Format: 1
single-sided, Dual Layer
Image Format: Anamorphic
Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Region Encoding: 1
Sound Format: Dolby
Digital 5.1
Running Time: 93
minutes
Director: Sophia
Coppola
Stars: James
Woods, Kirsten Dunst, Kathleen Turner
MPAA Rating: R
Disc Supplements:
- The Making of The Virgin Suicides featurette.
- Photos gallery.
- Air music video for the song Playground Love
- Two theatrical trailers
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As The Virgin Suicides opens, we are introduced
to the Lisbon sisters, five teenage girls living in a small
Michigan suburb. We are also told that these five girls will
be dead within a year. This knowledge adds a strange expectation
to the film. We know that these girls will eventually kill themselves,
so immediately we begin to look for reasons.
There are certainly plenty of troubles in
the young girls' lives. Their parents are grotesquely overprotective.
The girls don't have many friends, presumably because most of
the other kids are either too shy or afraid of the parents.
Perhaps both.
One of the girls, Lux (Kirsten Dunst), experiences
sex for the first time and is promptly dumped (figuratively
and literally) drunk and alone in the middle of a football field.
This is a horrible event for a teenager to go through, yet I'm
sure there are many of you out there who can relate to such
a tale. The specifics may be different, but teenage life is
filled with pain for most of us.
This leaves the question: Why did these five
girls kill themselves? The film really doesn't offer up any
explanations. In fact, the narrator tells us that even 25 years
later, they are still trying to figure it out. This is because
the point of the film is not about the Lisbon girls or their
suicides. Rather, it's in the obsession over this mystery that
those around the girls are able learn more about themselves.
These girls managed to effect a lot of lives without anyone
really knowing them.
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The DVD presentation is very well
done for what is essentially a small-time film. The picture quality
is very good. You'll notice a slightly muted color palette, but
this seems intentional. The movie takes place in the 1970's and
the cinematography and choice of camera filters really sets the
mood. I noticed some slight artifacting in a few areas.
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The sound mix is fairly tame, but
over-the-top surround effects aren't necessary or desired in a film
like this.
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Included on the disc is a featurette
that comes in at under a half hour, but still manages to cram a
ton of in-depth information about the film. Also included is a behind
the scenes photo gallery, two theatrical trailers and a very strange
music video by the group Air. In all, there aren't a lot of extras,
but what is here enhances the film well. Although I do wish director
Sophia Coppola could have provided a commentary track.
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I wasn't sure what to expect from this film
and I was pleasantly surprised with a thought provoking, entertaining
and very well crafted story. At the very least, give this one a
rent.
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| Though
the cast predominantly consists of kids, the film is filled with adult
themes. It might be OK for older teens. |
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| -- By Robert Wurth. Copyright
© 2003. |
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