If they had portrayed the parents as two completely strict and tough persons, the movie would had become more, claustrophobic, sensible, emotional and more understandable. Instead as strict and tough parents they are portrayed as simply narrow minded people, who have their own ideas about what's good and wrong for their children. The portrayal of their parents (James Woods and Kathleen Turner) was also a opportunity wasted. I never quite knew what went on in those girls heads and I never felt their desperateness and their cry for help. I also never really got into the characters. A lot of things still remain unclear after the movie has ended, which makes this movie as a whole an unsatisfying one to watch. I'm sure all those element worked just fine in the book but for a movie it is pointless and adds no extra value to the story. Those sort of scene's make it pretty obvious that this movie is based on a book. This is also due to the fact that at times the movie is set in 'present time' (1999), while the rest of the movie is set in the '70's. The story isn't always told from the right perspective which makes this movie at times a bit incoherent to watch. Characters come and go in this movie and once you think that they are going to play an important part for the movie, they are already gone again. This is mainly because there are often characters introduced in the movie, who once after they are out of the story, make you wonder what exactly their purpose for the movie was. It isn't always clear in the movie where the movie is heading to. A case of 'style over substance' you can perhaps conclude. It's a beautiful made movie with wonderful directed sequences in it but the storytelling doesn't always makes sense and is simply terrible lacking at times. 'The Virgin Suicides' is a sort of mixed bag.

The virgin suïcides book cover