Not too long ago, I went to a screening of this recently released film at The Sundance Film Festival. Going in, I was praying that Sofia Coppola (daughter of Francis) could direct better than she could act (she had a much maligned role in Godfather 3). After watching her directorial debut, I'd have to say it's a pretty close call. In other words, The Virgin Suicides isn't a very good film.

Kathleen Turner and James Woods play strict and God fearing parents of five daughters, one of whom commits suicide. The surviving daughters try to cope with their loss, as well as the teen angst that plagues their daily lives.

Kirsten Dunst is very good here as the most troublesome of the daughters, while James Woods steals nearly every scene he's in with lively energy and an impeccable sense of timing. One of the more intriguing reasons to watch The Virgin Suicides is to get an early look at Hayden Christenson, who recently won the coveted role of Anakin Skywalker in the next two Star Wars films.

In this unfocused and disjointed effort, Coppola is trying to show us the timeless problems of the common adolescent. It just never rang true and winds up with an abrupt climax that I just couldn't grasp. It could be argued that this is all based on a novel, so I guess I wouldn't like the book much either.