Product Description

Award winners Christina Ricci (CURSED, MONSTER) and Jessica Lange (BIG FISH, ROB ROY) star in this emotionally charged true story about a journey into excess! When talented young writer Elizabeth Wurtzel (Ricci) earns a scholarship to Harvard, she sees it as her chance to escape the pressures of her working-class background and concentrate on her true talent. But what starts out so promising leads to self-destructive behavior and paralyzing depression that reflects an entire generation's struggle to navigate the effects of divorce, drugs, sex, and high expectations. Based on the best-selling autobiographical novel, PROZAC NATION also stars Michelle Williams (THE STATION AGENT), Anne Heche (JOHN Q), Jason Biggs (JERSEY GIRL), and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12527 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-07-05
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 95 minutes

Amazon.com
Fans of Christina Ricci will note that the saucer-eyed actress takes a big leap from deadpan-child and grumpy-ingenue roles with Prozac Nation, an adaptation of Elizabeth Wurtzel's bestselling book. Ricci puts her all into playing Lizzie, a self-absorbed Ivy League writer wannabe who alienates friends and family with her out-of-control mood swings and other chemical imbalances. Ricci is committed and convincing, but nothing she does ameliorates Lizzie's exasperating personality; spending 90 minutes around this person is an eternity of tantrums. Around to provide audience stand-ins are Jason Biggs, Michelle Williams, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, all of whom disapprove of Lizzie's self-destructive behavior. Jessica Lange, professional as always, is Lizzie's brittle mother. If the movie really did capture the sense of the zeitgeist suggested by its grandiose title, or if it carried some intriguing stylistic urgency that carried us into its depressive labyrinth, perhaps Lizzie's journey would be palatable. But the long delay between Prozac Nation's shooting (in 2001) and its emergence on cable-TV and DVD is all too easy to understand. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Picked up from the Discount bin
I picked up this movie from a discount bin because it had a picture of Christina Richie on it. She has always intrigued me. I was stunned to find a movie of substance and deep emotional material.

Late the other night, I was tired, but not enough to sleep, so I popped Prozac Nation into my DVD player and watched. I wondered, why didn't I know more about this movie which had such talented actors in it? As the movie progressed I was amazed at the quality in acting, the beautiful cinematography, the flowing direction which neither tried to placate me or reduce the story to idiocy such that I could get it on the first try.

Prozac Nation is exactly the kind of movie I want. It has depth and truth and tells it like it is. It wasn't until near the end that I even realized that this was a movie about depression. When it was over I was transfixed, eager to know more about the writer, pleased that Ms Richie took on such a complicated and misunderstood subject, amazed at the astounding performance of Jessica Lange.

That night I couldn't sleep. My mind was racing analyzing what I had just experienced. I wanted to know more only to find mixed review. Rotten Tomatoes gave it the worst movie of 2005. The lack of interest in the movie sadden me, I needed to know more. Finally after more searching I discovered this site with people who found this movie as amazing as I did. I was not alone in my admiration of a story so well told.

I have such disdain for movies these days, so little substance and nothing of real value. It is rare that a movie can affect me as Prozac Nation did. If you are interested in a movie which does not lower itself to the typical lethargic audience of today and want to provoke your thoughts and emotions then I recommend you see this movie.

Unfortunately, as usual, try reading the book
A decent film about a young woman's battle with Mental illness. I would guess though that the book was better. The ending of this seemed rushed. Unfortunatley, the movies seemed choppy, melodramatic, and just kinda blah. Worth watching, kinda interesting for a person that works in the field.

Always look for the "Root of the Family Problems."
I would recommend this movie to all families experiencing "problems." The beautiful Christina Ricci portrays Elizabeth Wurtzel life. This is based on Wurtzel's own memoir on addiction. In this movie Lizzie's parents are totally disconnected. With each disconnection, it reinforces Lizzie's need to self medicate with alcohol and other drugs. She is medicating emotional pains that will not go away. Of course the pains won't go away, since her parents screwed up her life.

In true life, Ms. Ricci's parents also divorced and she went through a period of "self injury and issues with self esteem." Ms. Wurtzel is currently studying to be a lawyer. This field has a high rate of depression, burn out, and can be emotionally taxing. Good luck to her.

Parents are usually in another world when they began to divide their child emotionally. They are too caught up in their heated arguments, hatred, tempers, back and forth blaming that they forget how the child is suffering from all the chaos. I hold parents completely responsible for child-related family issues. It will take many more years to finally come to grips with why our youth are so troubled. All ways look to the root of the family problems.