The Virgin Suicides (1999) is Sofia Coppola's feature film directing debut, based on the book by Jeffrey Eugenides, starring Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett. It's kind of a morose experience, perfectly tragic and heartbreaking, as a group of boys find themselves infatuated with sisters who are kept sheltered by parents James Woods and Kathleen Turner, who don't seem to realize how restricting their restrictions are. One by one the sisters commit suicide, as you might expect from the title. Dunst is her usual luminescent self (she also stars in Coppola's Marie Antoinette), while Hartnett, still thought at the time to be a future Hollywood leading man (he did become one, but has since been eclipsed by the similar and arguably inferior Channing Tatum and has slipped into obscurity) is his usual excellent self. Coppola achieved her greatest success to date in her next film, Lost in Translation, which seems to have occupied the bulk of anyone's interest in her career. She has also made Somewhere, another trademark intimate portrait of alienation.
Star Trek bonus!
V is for Vorik
(from Star Trek: Voyager)
After being something of a taboo following Spock's unexpected breakout status as Kirk's rival in popularity, Vulcans started making a resurgence in the last two Star Trek TV shows, snaring regular series roles as well as recurring characters like Vorik, who could wig out in all the ways that would be unseemly for Tuvok. Introduced in the third season of Voyager and portrayed by Alexander Enberg (who happens to be the son of Jeri Taylor, one of the chief architects of the third Star Trek era), he got to fulfill the promise of "Amok Time" and actually suffer all the worst effects of the famed pon farr (much to the chagrin of B'Elanna Torres) before fading back into the lower decks of the ship.
(That last line contains a deliberate joke; Enberg portrayed a different Vulcan in a Next Generation episode called "Lower Decks.")
A-to-Z Challenge!
8 comments:
The virgin Suicides is probably the most depressing movie I've ever seen. Good though.
I haven't seen this one, but I absolutely enjoyed Lost in Translation. So maybe I'll check this one out too. :)
As S.L. Hennessy reiterates, it's horribly depressing. But Sofia Coppola is a filmmaker I will follow through all of her efforts.
Its funny when the EMH Doctor tells Vorik that a holographic female, T'Pera, could be the answer for the vulcans awkward pon farr urges.
And then Tuvok actually has holographic therapy several seasons later. And the same actress played his wife then as when we'd glimpsed her earlier, a nice bit of continuity for a bit character.
Loved The Virgin Suicides (book, not film). Alas, I'm no Star Trek fan, so the second part of your post went over my head :)
The Virgin Suicides sounds intriguing. I haven't seen it yet. I usually wait for a rerun on television. Love Star Treck and all the characters. Blog on!
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Virgin Suicides is one of those movies that keeps popping up as a must watch. I'd better get on the ball and dig it up. Thanks for the reminder.
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