The Virgin Suicides

Director: Sofia Coppola
Cast: James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst
USA, 97’, 1999, color
English with Turkish subtitles

The film explores the emotional underpinnings of a family starting to come apart at the seams in 1970's Midwestern America. The Lisbons seem like an ordinary enough family; Father teaches math at a high school in Michigan, Mother has a strong religious faith, and they have five teenage daughters, ranging from 13-year-old Cecilia (Hannah Hall) to 17-year-old Therese. However, the Lisbon family's sense of normalcy is shattered when Cecilia falls into a deep depression and attempts suicide. The family is shaken and Mother and Father seek the advice of psychiatrist Dr. Hornicker, who suggests the girls should be allowed to socialize more with boys. The debut feature from Sofia Coppola (whose father, Francis Ford Coppola, co-produced this film), was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series as the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.