The Virgin Suicide (1999)

The Virgin Suicide is directed by Sofia Coppola.

There are five beautiful daughters (Therese, Mary,Bonnie,Lux and Cecilia)

 in Lisbon’s family.

But…behind the silent surface…those five girls killed themselves unexpectedly.

1.      The youngest girl, Cecilia, killed herself by jumping out of her bedroom window and impaling herself on an iron fence.

2.      The other four girls killed themselves in the end. Therese took sleeping pills. Mary put her head into the oven. Bonnie hanged herself. Lux burn herself in the car.

Why did they commit suicide?

Their mother said: none of my daughters lack any love, there’s plenty of love in our house. I never understand why.

The film did not give us the answer why they commit suicide, yet I figure these all about the way their parents treat them.

1.      When Cecilia died, the father tried to cover up the reason why she committed suicide. He told his four daughters that Cecilia’s death was only an accident. He never wanted to discuss the real problem in the house.

2.      The parents allowed them to join the homecoming party with boys.Mrs.Lisbon took them to buy dresses. The dresses are all white. What does it symbolizes? White means purity and innocent. This is very irony. Those girls are all blonde. They looked so innocent with the white dresses that the boys cannot help but fall in love with them. Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon do not allow their daughters to have relationships with boys!!

3.      The Lisbon sisters have very strict curfew. One time, after the party, Lux did not come back on time because she was having sex with Trip, who is the most handsome boy in school.Later,they all are grounded by their parents.Mrs.Lisbon even forced Lux to burn all her favorite CDs for punishment!!The worse is that they cannot go to school or contact with other people anymore!!!!

I think Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon do love their daughters, but they are too overprotecting them. Their love somehow is too much that suffocate their daughters!!The Lisbon sisters can only live in their own world .They don’t have any social skill since their parents block their connection with outside world. When the sisters breaks family rules, their parents did not want their explanations. They think that were ecuses.There is certainly a big gap between Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon and their five daughters. When the sisters no longer put up with that, they find the way out by committing suicide.

Do you think Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon love their daughters in a proper way? Do you think your parents

are very strict?