The Virgin Suicides (1999), directed by Sofia Coppola in her feature film debut, is a haunting, poetic, and deeply melancholic exploration of adolescence, repression, and the mysterious allure of tragedy. Based on the acclaimed 1993 novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, the film captures the suburban melancholy of 1970s America with dreamlike precision.
Detailed Summary
The Lisbon Family and Their Daughters
The story takes place in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, during the mid-1970s. The Lisbon family consists of a strict, religious mother (Kathleen Turner), a well-meaning but passive father (James Woods), and their five beautiful daughters: Cecilia, Lux, Bonnie, Mary, and Therese.
The girls live under intense parental control, rarely allowed to interact with others. Their isolation fascinates a group of neighborhood boys, who narrate the story as adults looking back, still haunted by what happened.
Cecilia’s Death – The Beginning of the End
The tone of the film is set early on with the youngest sister, Cecilia (played by Hanna R. Hall). After a failed suicide attempt, the family hosts a neighborhood gathering in hopes of easing her loneliness. During the event, Cecilia excuses herself and leaps to her death from her bedroom window onto a wrought-iron fence below.
This moment fractures the family’s already fragile dynamic and marks the beginning of the girls’ slow descent into isolation and despair.
The Aftermath and Teenage Fascination
Following Cecilia’s death, the Lisbon parents become even more protective of their remaining daughters. Despite this, the girls briefly experience normal teenage life—attending school, flirting with boys, and sharing small acts of rebellion.
The neighborhood boys—who include Trip Fontaine (played by Josh Hartnett)—become obsessed with the girls. Trip, the school heartthrob, is especially drawn to Lux Lisbon (played by Kirsten Dunst), the most daring of the sisters.
The Homecoming Dance
The boys convince the Lisbon parents to let the sisters attend the school dance, under strict conditions. Trip escorts Lux, and the night becomes a rare taste of freedom. Lux and Trip sneak away and make love on the football field under the stars—a tender yet tragic scene that epitomizes the fleeting beauty of youth.
However, when Lux wakes up alone, Trip has left her there. The next morning, the Lisbon parents, humiliated and angry, confine their daughters to the house permanently.
The Lisbon Sisters’ Imprisonment
As the days pass, the Lisbon home decays physically and emotionally. The once-lively girls grow pale and despondent. The boys outside can only watch, their obsession deepening as the girls disappear from view. They communicate through records, lights, and small signals, trying to maintain contact.
Eventually, the girls send a message to the boys, asking them to come over one night to help them “escape.” The boys arrive, full of hope, but what they find instead becomes the film’s devastating climax.
Movie Ending
When the boys enter the Lisbon house, they are met with eerie silence. They discover that the girls have committed suicide—each in a different room, by different means. Lux, the last to die, has left a cigarette burning, a symbol of her defiance and doomed vitality.
The boys are horrified. They run from the house into the dawn, realizing they never truly knew the sisters—only their own imagined versions of them.
In the final voiceover, the adult narrator reflects on how, even decades later, the boys are still trying to understand the Lisbon sisters’ motives. Their beauty, sadness, and mystery remain forever out of reach. The film closes not with answers, but with a lingering sense of loss and unfulfilled yearning.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No. The Virgin Suicides does not have any post-credits scenes. The film ends definitively with the narrator’s somber reflection, reinforcing the sense of unresolved mystery and melancholy.
Type of Movie
The Virgin Suicides is a psychological drama and coming-of-age tragedy. It blends elements of romance, mystery, and suburban gothic, wrapped in a dreamy, nostalgic tone.
Cast
- Kirsten Dunst as Lux Lisbon
- Kathleen Turner as Mrs. Lisbon
- James Woods as Mr. Lisbon
- Josh Hartnett as Trip Fontaine
- Hanna R. Hall as Cecilia Lisbon
- A.J. Cook, Leslie Hayman, and Chelse Swain as the other Lisbon sisters
- Narration by Giovanni Ribisi
Film Music and Composer
The ethereal soundtrack, composed by Air (the French electronic duo), plays a crucial role in shaping the film’s dreamlike atmosphere. Tracks like “Playground Love” capture the bittersweet innocence and melancholy that permeate the story.
Filming Locations
The movie was filmed primarily in Toronto, Ontario, standing in for 1970s suburban Michigan. The quiet neighborhoods and pastel tones reflect the film’s nostalgic, suffocating atmosphere. Coppola and her cinematographer Edward Lachman used soft lighting and warm color palettes to evoke a faded memory, emphasizing the story’s dreamlike tone.
Awards and Nominations
- Nominated for the Golden Camera at the Cannes Film Festival (1999)
- Won Best Film at the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize (nominated)
- Received critical acclaim for direction, cinematography, and soundtrack
- Recognized by multiple critics’ associations as one of the best films of 1999
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Sofia Coppola’s father, Francis Ford Coppola, produced the film but gave her full creative control.
- Kirsten Dunst was only 16 during filming but brought a mature emotional depth to Lux.
- Coppola created “mood books” filled with vintage photos, Polaroids, and 1970s memorabilia to guide the cast and crew.
- The voiceover narration was recorded after the entire film was edited to match the nostalgic tone perfectly.
- Coppola insisted on naturalistic acting and subdued lighting to heighten realism.
Inspirations and References
- Based on Jeffrey Eugenides’ 1993 novel, The Virgin Suicides.
- The book itself was inspired by true stories of suburban repression and adolescent isolation.
- Coppola cited Terrence Malick’s “Badlands” and Peter Weir’s “Picnic at Hanging Rock” as key visual and tonal influences.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
There were no major alternate endings filmed. However, several deleted scenes show more of the Lisbon parents’ backstory and the sisters’ school life. Coppola chose to remove them to keep the story focused on atmosphere rather than exposition.
Book Adaptation and Differences
The film remains remarkably faithful to Eugenides’ novel, particularly in tone and structure. The main difference lies in perspective: the novel provides more depth into the narrators’ adult reflections, while the film leans into visual storytelling and mood. Coppola softens some of the darker details to preserve an air of tragic beauty.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- Cecilia’s haunting suicide at the beginning of the film.
- Lux and Trip’s romantic night on the football field.
- The Lisbon girls dancing together in their living room to “Come Sail Away.”
- The boys discovering the suicides inside the house.
Iconic Quotes
- “What are you doing here, honey? You’re not even old enough to know how bad life gets.” – Doctor to Cecilia
- “Obviously, Doctor, you’ve never been a 13-year-old girl.” – Cecilia
- “We knew the girls were really women in disguise… that they understood love, and even death.” – Narrator
- “It didn’t matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls… The Lisbon girls wouldn’t be held down.” – Narrator
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- The Lisbon house number “603” references June 3rd, the date of the girls’ deaths in the novel.
- The boys’ narrations are often paired with symmetrical shots of the girls, emphasizing the voyeuristic distance.
- Lux’s cigarette and lipstick are subtle symbols of rebellion and awakening sexuality.
- The decaying Lisbon house mirrors the mental and emotional decline of the family.
Trivia
- Sofia Coppola wrote the script in just three weeks.
- The film’s visual style influenced numerous later indie dramas.
- Air’s soundtrack was composed before filming, allowing Coppola to choreograph scenes to music.
- Jeffrey Eugenides praised the film, calling it “the truest adaptation imaginable.”
Why Watch?
Because The Virgin Suicides captures something few films ever do: the elusive mix of nostalgia, beauty, and tragedy that defines adolescence. It’s not just a story about death—it’s about longing, repression, and the incomprehensible mysteries of youth. The film lingers with you long after it ends, like a memory you can’t quite shake.
Director’s Other Movies
- Lost in Translation (2003)
- Marie Antoinette (2006)
- Somewhere (2010)
- The Bling Ring (2013)
- On the Rocks (2020)
Recommended Films for Fans
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
- Lost in Translation (2003)
- Blue Velvet (1986)
- Heavenly Creatures (1994)
- A Ghost Story (2017)
- The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
