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Movies / On DVD / The Virgin Suicides
The Virgin Suicides

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The Virgin Suicides (1999)

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Reviews Counted:91

Fresh:70

Rotten:21

Average Rating:7/10

Consensus: Sofia's successful directorial debut lies in the movie's compelling story and the actors' genuine emotions.

Rated: 15

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:19-05-2000

Synopsis: Based on the 1993 novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES tells the dreamlike tale of the Lisbons, a family living in a sheltered 1970s suburbia. When Cecilia (Hannah Hall), the youngest of... Based on the 1993 novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES tells the dreamlike tale of the Lisbons, a family living in a sheltered 1970s suburbia. When Cecilia (Hannah Hall), the youngest of the five teenage Lisbon daughters, inexplicably commits suicide, the rest of the family--Mr. Lisbon (James Woods), an awkward high school math teacher; Mrs. Lisbon (Kathleen Turner), a stern, humorless housewife; and the four remaining sisters: Lux (Kirsten Dunst), Bonnie (Chelse Swain), Mary (A.J. Cook), and Therese (Leslie Hayman)--recedes into a morbid cloud of repression and denial. As the girls are forced to retreat from everyday life by their conservative mother, they become the subject of fascination for a group of neighborhood boys, who narrate the story and hope to rescue the girls from their listless confinement. The first feature by director-screenwriter Sofia Coppola (Francis Ford Coppola's daughter), THE VIRGIN SUICIDES is a mesmerizingly atmospheric film that perfectly captures both the moody tone of the book and the light-saturated feel of the 1970s. Dunst gives a standout performance as the promiscuous Lux, who becomes the sole obsession of high school ladies' man Trip Fontaine (Josh Hartnett). The movie also includes cameos by Danny DeVito and Scott Glenn. In addition to songs by Heart and Todd Rundgren, the film features an evocative score by the French duo Air. [More]

Starring: James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett

Starring: James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, Hannah Hall, A.J. Cook, Chelse Swain, Danny DeVito, Scott Glenn, Jonathan Tucker, Leslie Hayman, Anthony DeSimone, Michelle Duquet, Michael Paré

Director: Sofia Coppola

Director: Sofia Coppola
Screenwriter: Sofia Coppola
Producer: Dan Halsted, Chris Hanley, Francis Ford Coppola, Julie Costanzo
Composer: Air

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Virgin Suicides

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21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

In the end, the strengths of the movie are overwhelmed by what is pretentious, unplugged and boring to boot.

Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment 1 Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer

A heartbreaking glimpse at the secret life of adolescents... shockingly tender and remarkably acted.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Today | comment Comment
09/06/02
Brent Simon
Brent Simon
Entertainment Today

...a tragic fable, as diffuse as an imperfectly remembered dream

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
07/31/02
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

When a film's most sensible character commits suicide within the first 15 minutes it cannot be a good sign.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment 1 Comment
06/18/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

All style, no structure.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
04/03/02
Paula Nechak
Paula Nechak
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
03/24/02
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sofia Coppola has made one of the most unusual films ever fashioned out of the fears and the fantasies of adolescent boys.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
03/13/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

The film coalesces into a truly transporting experience.

Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | comment Comment
03/05/02
Jeremy Heilman
Jeremy Heilman
MovieMartyr.com

Kind to all its inhabitants.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
02/28/02
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies

All the snickering about Francis's little girl can't hide the genuine talent at the heart of this film, talent that has only begun to find a voice.

Full Review Source: Flipside Movie Emporium | comment Comment
10/24/01
Rob Vaux
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

a disarmingly wispy film given its subject matter, which is pretty much spelled out by its title.

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
09/10/01
Glenn Kenny
Glenn Kenny
Premiere Magazine

Coppola's adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides's novel is both tender and devastating.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
05/02/01
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

Both accomplished in its direction and marred by freshman mistakes.

Full Review Source: Matinee Magazine | comment Comment
05/01/01
Chuck Rudolph
Chuck Rudolph
Matinee Magazine

Spunky directing debut by Sofia Coppola unfortunately plays like after-school special.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
04/04/01
Jim Bartoo
Jim Bartoo
Hollywood.com

not so much about plot as it is about feeling

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
02/27/01
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

It will resonate with anyone who's ever gone through adolescence. It ranks with the very best films of the year.

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
02/14/01
Bob Aulert
Bob Aulert
culturevulture.net

The film is an evocative visual depiction of a typical suburban family and community.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
02/14/01
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Weird but compelling.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
01/01/00
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

More than most recent movies about suburban adolescence, The Virgin Suicides catches both the triviality and the grandeur of youth, its prosaic details and its mythopoetic flights.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film, with its large ensemble cast, is well acted, and director Coppola gets the best out of old pros.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Athan Bezaitis
Athan Bezaitis
Filmcritic.com
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Virgin Suicides

July 15, 2005: Trailer Bulletin: Pretty Persuasion
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