My wife read the book and she was... kind enough... to let me know what was different from the movie... while we were watching it. Not a great plan. Apparently the characters are a lot more fleshed out, you know who is who and why they do what they do, not just a bunch of wackos doing random things. There is also no physical violence from Hobbs and his problems are a lot more subtle. If I am to trust the wife, the movie is to the book as what a bludgeon is to a rapier.
I've recognized Kathleen Quinlan in many of her movies when she was older, but I didn't here. She is young (23 at the time) , gorgeous and brimming with talent. No wonder her IMDb page lists this film as what she is most known for. This role almost got her a Golden Globe. Her performance is why I rated the movie as high as average. Bibi Anderson was great as well, as the psychologist.
The rest, I am afraid, is a shallow copy of the idea of the book with a lot of inspiration from Flight Over the Cuckoo's Nest, minus the quality of characterization. The acting was not bad, but most of the movie is a lot of crazy random things that almost bring nothing to the story. The few moments of import, the ones that could have explained what her family situation was and what was triggering her episodes or what were her feelings about the other patients, were glossed over and replaced with imaginary Indian-country worlds that, again, didn't make any contribution to the plot.
Bottom line: a story about the slow rehabilitation of a schizoid young girl in an insane asylum. It's short enough, but it doesn't put its time to good use, so in the end it just feels shallow. Great performances do not save it.
I've recognized Kathleen Quinlan in many of her movies when she was older, but I didn't here. She is young (23 at the time) , gorgeous and brimming with talent. No wonder her IMDb page lists this film as what she is most known for. This role almost got her a Golden Globe. Her performance is why I rated the movie as high as average. Bibi Anderson was great as well, as the psychologist.
The rest, I am afraid, is a shallow copy of the idea of the book with a lot of inspiration from Flight Over the Cuckoo's Nest, minus the quality of characterization. The acting was not bad, but most of the movie is a lot of crazy random things that almost bring nothing to the story. The few moments of import, the ones that could have explained what her family situation was and what was triggering her episodes or what were her feelings about the other patients, were glossed over and replaced with imaginary Indian-country worlds that, again, didn't make any contribution to the plot.
Bottom line: a story about the slow rehabilitation of a schizoid young girl in an insane asylum. It's short enough, but it doesn't put its time to good use, so in the end it just feels shallow. Great performances do not save it.