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Director: Erik Skjoldbjerg
Release Date: Fall 2003
Rating: R (for language, drug content, sexuallity/nudity, and some disturbing images)
See it on Amazon
 The main premise of Prozac Nation is that it's supposed to be an indictment (or at least I thought so), of the liberal way medication is doled out to people suffering from modern life. The film follows the story of Lizzie Wurtzel -- author of the bestselling novel by the same name -- and her family and friends at Harvard.
Christina Ricci is really good, and of course Anne Heche as the "evil" psychiatrist. But overall I was confused by the ending.
Lizzie is a tortured soul. She gets so wound up that she lashes out at everyone and then hates herself for it. She has trouble getting out of bed. She can't write.
And she's put in therapy.
Apart from some relationship window dressing, that's really all that happens. Except that the doctor ends up prescribing Prozac. Then everything gets, well I won't say better. Everything gets /different/, and then she's able to write her bestseller.
Where's the indictment in that? It's almost like watching this very long commercial that really REALLY spells out that list of symptoms.
I'm making this up to sound witty, but I almost felt as if the end credits should include a list of side-effects.
From a film-making perspective, I think Prozac Nation was fairly well put together. It wasn't a visual feast by any means, and it had Jason Biggs in it, but it was nice.
An interesting tale for anyone who's taken anti-depressants.
Related links:
Official website |
