The Virgin Suicides poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Kirsten Dunst, James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Josh Hartnett, Hanna R. Hall ... see more see more... , Chelse Swain , A.J. Cook , Leslie Hayman , Danny DeVito , Scott Glenn , Jonathan Tucker , Anthony DeSimone , Giovanni Ribisi , Michael Paré , Fred Scialla , Noah Shebib , Joe Dinicol , Hayden Christensen , Robert Schwartzman

A dark comedy punctuated by moments of drama, The Virgin Suicides explores the emotional underpinnings of a family starting to come apart at the seams in 1970's Midwestern America. The Lisbons seem li... read more read more...ke an ordinary enough family; Father (James Woods) teaches math at a high school in Michigan, Mother (Kathleen Turner) has a strong religious faith, and they have five teenage daughters, ranging from 13-year-old Cecilia (Hannah Hall) to 17-year-old Therese (Leslie Hayman). 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 (Danny DeVito), who suggests the girls should be allowed to socialize more with boys. However, boys soon become a serious problem for Cecilia's sister Lux (Kirsten Dunst). Lux has attracted the eye of a high-school Romeo named Trip (Josh Hartnett), who assures Father of his good intentions. But Cecilia finally makes good on her decision to kill herself, throwing the Lisbons into a panic; and after attending a school dance, Trip seduces and then abandons Lux. The Lisbons pull their daughters out of school, as an emotionally frayed Mother keeps close watch over them. Meanwhile, Lux continues to attract the attentions of the local boys, and she responds with a series of clandestine sexual episodes with random partners as often as she can sneak out of the house. The debut feature from Sofia Coppola (whose father, Francis Ford Coppola, co-produced this film), The Virgin Suicides also features supporting performances from Scott Glenn and Giovanni Ribisi. The film was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series as the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

80% liked it

168,922 ratings

Critics

76% liked it

94 critics

R, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Sofia Coppola

Release Date: April 21, 2000

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: December 19, 2000

Get It:

Stats: 8,117 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

The Virgin Suicides virgin suicides Lux Trip and Lux Virgin Suicides Lux's Intro ... lux lisbon... A powerful tagline. the virgin suicides Opening titles Mary's Intro Cecilia's wrists Just beautiful The Virgin Suicides The girls The Virgin Suicides The Boys Boys & Girls
Upload a Photo | View All The Virgin Suicides Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (8,117)

  • fb100001048934982
    May 13, 2012
    fb100001048934982
    Sofia Coppola's debut is no doubt an impressive one. The story is engaging and the script is poignant, but the acting exceeds levels for these young actors. Its not always as gripping in some parts as it is in others, but in retrospect it is a satisfyingly complete film. Coppola ... read moreclearly has a knack for coaxing great performances from her actors, and this debut is a sure sign for things to come.
  • LoughnerWasLucid
    February 1, 2012
    LoughnerWasLucid
    Josh Hartnetts hair is messed up in every movee ive seen him and then he doesnt wanna brush it so he shaves his head in black hawk down
  • fb791220692
    November 19, 2011
    fb791220692
    Beautiful direction, a haunting (and unexpectedly humorous) script, and solid performances make "The Vigin Suicides" an affecting drama about the dangers of being sheltered and suppressed, despite a slow moving middle section.
  • tolkienfan101
    September 27, 2011
    tolkienfan101
    Sofia Coppola is following in he footsteps of her acclaimed father with her debut as the writer and director of this sublime film. Teen suicide is not only investigated in this film, but thoroughly realistic in its delivery. The casting is great, except I wasn't the biggest fan o... read moref Josh Hartnett but hey, he's very hit and miss actor anyhow. The way it is told from the point of view of the boys who actually were pretty much the only ones who wanted to help girls; solely knowing of and understanding their struggle in an abusive home wrought at the hands of a zealously overbearing and religiously fundamentalist mother and an enabling, absent-minded father, both refusing to accept the reality of their daughters' feelings, and ignoring the reality of the world progressing around them. This notion tied together with the relentless uncomfortableness of the bulk of the film and pure (almost Greek) tragedy of the story is just that more unsparing. And it is all tied together with one of the greatest, most stark and realistic representations of teenage rebellion ever put to film. The cinematography is quite innovative, the direction is amazing, the screenplay is ungodly fascinating to me, and the overall composition of the film is just fantastic. One of my all-time favorite films, it is something to really to check out and experience.
  • cosmo313
    September 19, 2011
    cosmo313
    At first glance, it might seem like this is some flowery chick flick based on a piece of estrogen soaked chick lit. That is actually not the case at all, and I was pleasantly surprised by what this really turned out to be. It just amazes me that it took me this long to finally st... read moreart getting into the films of Sofia Coppola.

    The story takes place in 1970s suburban Minnesota and is about the seemingly normal yet highly reserved and mysterious Roman Catholic Lisbon family- led by the old fashioned homemaker mom and math teacher father, and featuring five gorgeous daughters all of whom range in age from 13-17.

    The film is an examination of this family, and the eventual suicides of all five girls told in retrospect from the poitns of view of various neighbors, especially a group of boys whose infatuations and fascinations with the girls only increases as the girls' parents try to keep them more and more secluded and sheltered. The material sounds dark, and it is, but the tone and the way it is handled makes the film very watchable, even ethereal thanks to the score and cinematography.

    The film is really best looked at as a darkly comedic dramedy punctuated by satire and subtext. I've not read the book, but research tells me that the film is rather faithful (especially in spirit) to the source material even that the latter has an unconventional narrative structure. Also, I'm sure the book further elaborates on the elements of subtext, if not making them a bigger focus.

    I found this to be a very enjoyable and dreamlike film, and, though it is really good, it seems even more so considering that it was the feature length debut of Sofia Coppola. For this to be a debut is a pretty good sign, and, though her career has had a few ups and downs, I'd still like to think that Coppola remains an important director, just like how her father used to be (but unfortunately still isn't).

    James Woods and Kathleen Turner are sublime as Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon, Kirsten Dunst, Hanna R. Hall, Chelse Swain, A.J. Cook, and Leslie Hayman are all really good as the Lisbon sisters, Josh Hartnett showed some real star potential as Trip the love itnerest of Dunst's Lux, and Giovanni Ribisi hits all the right notes and puts in fantastic work as the film's narrator, conveying a great sense of both maturity and youthful wonder.

    I think this is a very solid film, and I really enjoyed it, though I don't think it's quite a masterpiece. Some might find the film's conclusion unsatisfying, but, without getting into it, I think that might have been the point. This is one of those cases where it's not about the destination but the journey, and I love those types of situations (for the most part). I could have used more detail, but at the same time, I loved the subtlety and the way the film used imagery, music, and sometimes silence to provide the answers instead of just outright saying it, although even this technique isn't always totally subtle.

    Bah. I'm rambling. I apologize. I must say I'm impressed that not only is this iflm not a chick flick, but it''s got a nice sense of nostalgia and depth. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy a film about suicide, and, though the film does have its somber moments, it's filled with good sequences, evidence of real talent, and hits a tone that makes it all work. Give this one a look. It's pretty good.
  • blkbomb
    September 15, 2011
    blkbomb
    Doctor: What are you doing here, honey? You're not even old enough to know how bad life gets.
    Cecilia: Obviously, Doctor, you've never been a 13-year-old girl.

    "Beautiful, mysterious, haunting, invariably fatal. Just like life."

    The Virgin Suicides is an emotionally char... read moreged, stylistic, depressing and beautiful film from Sophia Coppola. The movie has a fabulous cast and a nice little soundtrack. It manages to be sad and funny at the same time. For example when a girl is talking about her grandmother eating her rat poison pie. Don't judge; it's funny as shit.

    Although the whole movie is composed of big names, there are a few standouts. Kirsten Dunst gives one of my favorite performances from her and Josh Hartnett gives the first performance that I've seen from that isn't completely horrible. He actually fits that character very well. Kathleen Turner and James Woods are good in their roles as the over protective, religious parents.

    The movie is so stylistic, which can with some filmmakers take away from the movie. There are moments in this movie where I thought it was a little too much, but after watching the whole movie and looking back, I don't think it was too much. I definitely wouldn't say this is an example of style over substance. The movie has a lot of substance; just not a whole lot on the surface. It is thought provoking and really makes you think about what Sophia Coppola is trying to get across.

    The Virgin Suicides isn't the most fun movie you'll ever watch, but it is a brilliant piece of filmmaking. It's a movie that ends up hypnotizing you with it's beautiful picture, haunting ideas and stunning performances. I wouldn't quite call it a masterpiece, but it's about as close as one can get without being considered one.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    I didn't quite get the story. Was weird and confusing. Not really my sort of film.
  • helpahorse
    June 11, 2011
    helpahorse
    Hayden Christiansen is in this movie. I called it. When the boys were over at the girl's house for the homecoming, I was like "Whoa that boy is cute". Then I was like "Wait that looks a lot like Hayden Christiansen" then in the credits guess who it was? Yeah. I called it. I win.
  • jennifxu
    April 28, 2011
    jennifxu
    Such a messy, fractured movie but I love that sort of hapless, throwaway message of lust and love and hormones and naturalistic/suburban beauty. Because isn't that what adolescence is, so undefinable yet so touchable? I definitely think this is Coppola's best - it's her, all unfe... read morettered her.
  • lewiskendell
    January 22, 2011
    lewiskendell
    "Cecilia was the first to go."

    What defines Sofia Coppola to me as a director is the distinctive atmosphere that accompanies each of her movies. Whether she's adapting someone else's work or making a movie based on her on material, that otherworldly feeling is there. It doesn't ... read morematter if the film is focused on the mundane (Lost in Translation) or an incomprehensible tragedy (The Virgin Suicides), you can tell that she's the director. That distinctive fingerprint is what makes her one of my favorite directors, even though I think she's yet to make a masterpiece.

    The Virgin Suicides is the story of five adolescent sisters of various ages, told from the perspective of the four boys that knew them. Knew them as well as the audience gets to, I guess I should say. We only see fragments of the girl's lives, as their overprotective parents keep them mostly hidden away from the world, and Coppola also follows that mold with her film and storytelling style.

    Of the girls, we get to know Lux (Kristen Dunst, in what I think was the best performance she's given), the flirtatious, lovely middle child, the most. This is a movie full of great performances, actually, from the five girls playing the daughters, to Josh Hartnett, James Woods, and several others. Even the periodic narration was excellent, which is not something I say very often.

    I think the best way to watch The Virgin Suicides is with little expectations, like I did. It's a beautiful, haunting movie that isn't perfect, but will stick with you for days and begs to be watched again.

View All The Virgin Suicides Reviews

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
July 18, 2007
Emanuel Levy, Variety

Sofia Coppola tackles the issue of teenage suicide with an assured treatment in The Virgin Suicides, effectively employing a seriocomic tone. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
July 18, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

A very curious and eclectic piece of work. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Tragic, haunting, and sometimes darkly comedic, this movie leaves a strong impression in its telling of a story about the destruction of innocence. Full Review

A.O. Scott
January 1, 2000
A.O. Scott, New York Times

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

Matt Wolf
January 1, 2000
Matt Wolf, Associated Press

May haunt you for some time to come.

Peter Stack
January 1, 2000
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

The Virgin Suicides captures in stylized vignettes the intertwining strands of innocence, desire and despair in the psyches of teenage girls. Full Review

Kevin Thomas
January 1, 2000
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

A highly affecting film unafraid to exact an emotional toll.

Dennis Lim
January 1, 2000
Dennis Lim, Village Voice

The film slices through its dizzying succession of events with clean, swift efficiency. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
January 1, 2000
Elizabeth Weitzman, Film.com

A lovely, luminous dream.

Steve Murray
January 1, 2000
Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This shimmery, darkly comic adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides' novel marks the assured, often inspired feature film debut of writer-director Sofia Coppola. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Somewhere
    Somewhere (98%)
  • The Dreamers
    The Dreamers (78%)
  • Thirteen
    Thirteen (84%)
  • I Killed My Mother (J'ai tue ma mere)
    I Killed My Mother (J'ai tue ma mere) (33%)

More Movies like The Virgin Suicides

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Dr. Hornicker: What are you doing here honey? You're not even hold enough to know how bad life gets.
    • Cecilia: Obviously, Doctor, you've never been a 13-year-old girl.
Submit a Fact | View All

The Virgin Suicid... : Watch Free on TV

The Virgin Suicides Trivia

  • What movie does this quote originate from "She was the still point of the turning world, man."?  Answer »
  • Which movie did Kirsten Dunst act in, where she died in the movie along with her on-screen sisters?   Answer »
  • Which movie had the closing line "They hadn't heard us calling. Still do not hear us calling them from out of those rooms where they went to be alone for all time, and where we will never find the pieces to put them back together."  Answer »
  • In which movie did 4 sisters hide out in the house after their youngest sister committed suicide?  Answer »
More The Virgin Suicides Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All The Virgin Suicides Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add The Virgin Suicides to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

SuchATwistedDreamer Skin by SuchATwistedDreamer
1363 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins