Tonight on TV: rating 4.4/5, it’s one of the greatest films about adolescence and Hayden Christensen has a role in it

Tonight on TV: rating 4.4/5, it’s one of the greatest films about adolescence and Hayden Christensen has a role in it



Virgin suicidesSofia Coppola’s great premiere

Rarely has a first feature film been as mastered as the Virgin suicides (1999) Sofia Coppola. The daughter of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola, who is now an accomplished director, was 28 years old at the time. And after appearing in front of her father’s camera several times, it was her turn to direct a young cast and experienced actors. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jeffrey Eugenides, the film tells the story the story of the five sisters of Lisbon living in a middle-class suburb of Detroit in the 1970s.

Therese (Leslie Hayman), Mary (Andrea Joy Cook), Bonnie (Chelse Swain) and Lux (Kirsten Dunst) they are extremely close to each other, especially after the failed suicide attempt of their younger sister, Cecilia (Hanna R. Hall). Despite their strict Catholic upbringing and the presence of their father (James Woods) as a high school teacher, the teenage girls are the object of fascination by a group of boys. After Cecilia’s final death, the four friends, madly in love with the Lisbon sisters, will try to help them. For example by communicating with them through music. But their efforts will be in vain and they will fail to predict or prevent a terrible tragedy.

Virgin suicides ©American Zoetrope
Virgin suicides ©American Zoetrope

A little about Star Wars

Among the young boys who cross paths with the Lisbon sisters, we find Josh Hartnett as Trip Fontaine, a handsome dark-haired boy who seduces Lux. Jonathan Tucker plays Tim, one of the four friends who observe the girls. WhileHayden Christensen appears as Jake, a teenager who notably dances with Therese at the high school dance. The actor was still at the beginning of his career and had not yet been cast in the role of Anakin Skywalker the trilogy Star Wars. Only in 2002 he appeared on the screens in this role. On the other hand, Sofia Coppola was already part of the universe created by George Lucas. She appears as one of Padmé’s servants The Phantom Menace (1999), released in the United States on the same day as Virgin suicides.

Teenage tragedy captured perfectly

With her first feature film, Sofia Coppola made a surprising proposal. Her approach to adolescence is particularly relevant, because it shows with extreme delicacy a buried discomfort that can hardly be perceived by those around her. The death of his brother Gio Coppolafollowing a speedboat accident when he was 15, would be one of his motivations for creating Virgin suicides. The film is therefore a transcription of his experiences during adolescence. Added to this is the place of women in a puritanical and patriarchal society and family. Finally, the feature film is brought forward a captivating soundtrack signed by the Air group.

Considered a classic today, Virgin suicides received much praise from the press – with an average of 4.4/5 on Allociné. For Firstwho gave the film five stars,”Virgin Suicides imposes its morbid darkness on the mechanics of the adolescent film“. For the media Adenit’s a “scary subject, treated with surprising sweetness by Sofia Coppola“. Finally, The Figaroscope wrote: “A masterful, surprising and original work. Sofia, worthy daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, it has everything greatThe director later confirmed this, despite the ups and downs of her filmography. His last film to date, Priscilla (2024), however, brought the filmmaker back to the top.

Source: Cine Serie

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