Seminar Paper #5 Assignment
Girl, Interrupted (1999) James Mangold
“Madness in Movies” Coordinated Studies
Brian Holt & JC Clapp, North Seattle Community College, 2013
Focus/Topic: Costumes
In film, the mise-en-scene refers to aspects such as the setting, the human figure (costuming,
makeup), props, lighting, composition, staging, movement, balance and use of space. Costumes
communicate everything from gender to occupation and from socioeconomic status to mental
state, and are part of a film’s mise-en-scene.
Your Tasks (What your paper should include): Separate and label each section, please.
Section 1: Explain and describe what Suzanna wears (what style, color, pattern, quality and type
of clothing) and then analyze what those costuming choices communicate to the viewer. How
might the clothing be indicative of Suzanna’s mental state? Explain. How does the clothing
indicate what kind of person Suzanna is? Does her clothing change throughout the film?
Where? Be precise and refer to specific scenes to illustrate your analysis (use time stamps,
please). About ¾ page.
Grading Criteria for Section 1 (5 points):
 Analysis of Suzanna’s clothing and what it communicates
 Specific examples (with time stamp) illustrating ideas
 A minimum of 250 words (about ¾ page)
 A heading that includes the name of the film, the year, and the name of the director
 Assignment typed in 12 pt. font, double spaced, and has 1 inch margins
 Grammatically correct and proofread
Section 2: Explain and describe what Lisa wears (what style, color, pattern, quality and type of
clothing) and then analyze what those costuming choices communicate to the viewer. How
might the clothing be indicative of Lisa’s mental state? Explain. How does the clothing indicate
what kind of person Lisa is? Does her clothing change throughout the film? Where? Be precise
and refer to specific scenes to illustrate your analysis (use time stamps, please). About ¾ page.
Grading Criteria for Section 2 (5 points):
 Analysis of Lisa’s clothing and what it communicates
 Specific examples (with time stamp) illustrating ideas
 A minimum of 250 words (about ¾ page)
 A heading that includes the name of the film, the year, and the name of the director
 Assignment typed in 12 pt. font, double spaced, and has 1 inch margins
 Grammatically correct and proofread
Section 3: Consider the cultural messages this film is sending about mental illness. What does it
lead us to believe about mental illness? How does this film shape the audience’s perception of
psychological health? Of the individual? Of family? Of society? How does the film provide
feedback and affect how we should think about various psychological disorders? What are the
consequences of these kinds of portrayals? What are the intersections here between mental
illness and race, class, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status? What messages
does the film send about who is mentally ill and why? Make a claim about the message this film
is sending (a thesis) and support your claim with at least three specific examples from the film.
This is a mini-essay of about 1 ½-2 pages.
Grading Criteria for Section 3 (10 points):







Takes the form of an academic essay including an introduction, supporting paragraphs connected by
tight transitions, and a conclusion
Has a clearly identifiable, persuasive, unique, and focused thesis that the rest of the mini-essay is
supporting
Essay analyzes how the film shapes the audience’s perception of psychological health and influences
how the viewer thinks about the disorder (and the consequences of the portrayal).
Essay considers what message the film is sending about “crazy” people and how those messages
reinforce or subvert social fears or anxieties.
All points include examples from the film
At least 1 ½ pages and no more than 3 pages in length
Carefully edited and proofread
What your paper should not include:
 a biography of the director or actors
 a synopsis of what the director/actors say in the “Director’s Cut” of the film
 the use of any research (everything in your paper should be your own analysis, not
analysis you’ve read from research sources) -- if we find anything that is from any
sources (even if you cite them correctly) you will not earn a passing grade