10 Harrowing Hollywood Portrayals Of Addiction

By Kristopher Powell /

8. Brittany Murphy - Girl, Interrupted

Addiction: Bulimia What To Say: Your daddy loves you really What Not To Say: You going to eat that? The great Peter O€™Toole once said that there is no such thing as a small part, only a small actor. If that€™s true then the late Brittany Murphy could count herself far from small in the talent stakes thanks to her role in Girl, Interrupted, James Mangold€™s drama set in a female mental institution in sixties America. Murphy plays a supporting character called Daisy Randone who has suffered sexual abuse as a child and suffers from bulimia, who keeps the carcasses of cooked chickens in her room. Murphy plays her character as a deeply troubled young girl desperately in need of help without ever turning her into a caricature. She is a victim of not just her abusive past but also of the limits and understanding of the time she lives in and delivers a brilliant performance that makes a real impact on the viewer despite her lack of screen time. Winona Ryder may have been the film€™s star and Angelina Jolie may have received most of the plaudits but it was the performance of Murphy that gave the film it€™s heart. She did her best to try and elevate the film above its melodramatic inclinations and, while not always successful (through no fault of hers), her performance is genuinely affecting.