Susanna scene from Girl Interrupted, practice script

DR. WICK

Good morning, Susanna.

SUSANNA

Good morning.

DR. WICK

How are you?

SUSANNA

Fine, I guess.

DR. WICK

Sit down. You look tired.

SUSANNA

Polly freaked out last night, and we stayed up singing to her... Lisa and I.

DR. WICK

Have you become friends with Lisa?

SUSANNA

Why, is that bad?

DR. WICK

Does it feel bad?

SUSANNA

No.

DR. WICK

(referring to her notes)

Before you came here, did you have many girlfriends?

SUSANNA

Not really.

DR. WICK

Would you say that before you come here your friends consisted mainly of boys?

SUSANNA

Does it say in there that I’m promiscuous?

DR. WICK

Why do you choose that word?

SUSANNA

How many guys would I have to sleep with to be considered promiscuous? Textbook promiscuous?

DR. WICK

What do you think?

SUSANNA

Ten, eight, five...and how many girls would a guy my age have to sleep with to be considered promiscuous? Ten, twenty, one hundred and nine?

DR. WICK

Or someone who is compulsively promiscuous might engage in a sex act with a guest in their room and engage in another sex act on the same day with an orderly.

SUSANNA

Am I in trouble for kissing an orderly or giving my boyfriend a blow-job?

DR. WICK

(looking at her notes again)

Melvin says you have some very interesting theories about your illness. You believe there is a mystical undertow in life... quicksands or shadows.

SUSANNA

Yeah, and another one of my theories is that you people don’t know what you’re doing.

DR. WICK

Still, you acknowledge that there’s a problem coping with this quicksand?

SUSANNA

I have a problem coping with this hospital, and I want to leave.

DR. WICK

I can’t do that.

SUSANNA

I signed myself in, and I should be able to sign myself out.

DR. WICK

You signed yourself into our care. We decide when you leave. You are not ready for it, Susanna. Your progress has plateaued. Does that disappoint you?

SUSANNA

I’m ambivalent. In fact, that’s my new favorite word.

DR. WICK

Do you know what that means, "ambivalence"?

SUSANNA

I don’t care.

DR. WICK

It’s your favorite word. I would have thought--

SUSANNA

It means I don’t care. That’s what it means.

DR. WICK

On the contrary, Susanna, ambivalence suggests strong feelings in opposition. The prefix ambi, as in ambidextrous, means both. The rest of it in Latin means vigor. The word suggests that you are torn between two opposing courses of action.

SUSANNA

Will I stay, or will I go?

DR. WICK

Am I sane, or am I crazy?

SUSANNA

Those aren’t courses of action.

DR. WICK

They can be, dear, for some.

SUSANNA

Well then, it’s the wrong word.

DR. WICK

No, I think it’s perfect. What world is this? What kingdom? What shores of what worlds? It’s a very big question you’re faced with, Susanna. The choice of your life. How much will you indulge in your flaws? What are your flaws? Are there flaws? If you embrace them, will you commit yourself to hospital for life? Big questions. Big decisions. Not surprising you’d profess carelessness about them.

SUSANNA

Is that it?

DR. WICK

For now.