MPAA Rating: R

Based on Susanna Kaysen's memoir of committing herself to a mental institution for "a rest" after attempting suicide, and how she was held there for 1˝ years. With Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall, Brittany Murphy, Elizabeth Moss, Jared Leto, Jeffrey Tambor, Vanessa Redgrave, Whoopi Goldberg, Mary Kay Place, Travis Fine, Jillian Armenante, Steve Altes, Angela Bettis, John Bobby, Larry Jameson, Christopher Manning and Kurtwood Smith. [2:07]

SEX/NUDITY 6 - Lots of sexual innuendo (including references to incest, lesbianism and fellatio) and several kisses (including one woman briefly kissing another). A woman begins to unbuckle a man's pants and it's implied that she performs fellatio. A man and woman are in bed together, presumably post-coitus (they're obviously naked but covered by sheets, though we do see her bare back as she's dressing); also, we see a man and woman beginning to take off each other's clothes (no nudity is visible) and kissing passionately on a bed. A woman licks a cherry suggestively in front of a man. We see a naked man at a distance through partially open blinds and briefly glimpse part of his genitalia. We see the side of a woman's breast and her entire bare back, part of a woman's bare breast through her wet nightgown after she's thrown into a bathtub and a few women bathing in separate bathtubs (we only see their bare shoulders, arms and legs).

VIOLENCE/GORE 6 - A person is seen hanging from a shower rod (we see the corpse dangling for a while in the background while two women are talking, as well as a close-up of the corpse's bloody wrist and clothing). A woman's hand is smashed in a sliding door; we see her bruised, bloody hand afterwards. We see a close-up of a needle injected into an arm and a close-up of an arm with self-inflicted cuts. A woman threatens to stab her neck with a pen and inject a needle in her arm. Some pushing and shoving; we also see a few people screaming and struggling while being dragged into rooms. A woman pulls a tube out of her throat and vomits. Throughout the movie, we see a burn victim's badly scarred and disfigured face. Several scenes during which people yell at each other.

PROFANITY 10 - About 55 F-words, numerous anatomical references, a few scatological references and several mild obscenities, insults, racial slurs and name-calling. [profanity glossary]

DISCUSSION TOPICS - Suicide, mental illness, despair, casual sex, masochism, being institutionalized, Vietnam War, family, infidelity, incest.

MESSAGE - Mental institutions are imperfect, but they can help those who want to help themselves.

Special Keywords: S6 - V6 - P10 - MPAAR