The Virgin Suicides 2000

In the quaint neighborhood of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a coterie of men who once roamed the streets as carefree boys now find themselves reminiscing about the enigmatic Lisbon sisters. These five siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 17, were an elusive presence in their community, shrouded in mystery due to the overprotective nature of their parents, Ronald and Sara Lisbon. The sisters - Therese, Mary, Bonnie, Lux, and Cecilia - occupied a realm that was both fascinating and unattainable for the boys who would one day become men.

As summer’s warmth begins to wane, the youngest sister, Cecilia, makes a desperate attempt to cry out for help by slitting her wrist in a bathtub. Miraculously, she survives. Dr. Horniker, her therapist, suggests that this act of desperation was a plea for connection with others, particularly boys. Though Mrs. Lisbon is resistant to the idea of her daughters engaging in normal social interactions, Mr. Lisbon convinces her to allow a chaperoned gathering, hoping it will alleviate Cecilia’s distress. However, during this party, Cecilia becomes disillusioned after witnessing other boys mock Joe, a teenager with Down syndrome. She excuses herself and, in a moment of tragic despair, takes her own life by leaping from her second-story bedroom window, impaling herself on the spiked iron fencepost below.

Following this devastating event, the Lisbon parents redouble their efforts to monitor their remaining daughters, further isolating them from the world outside. This increased scrutiny only serves to heighten the aura of mystery surrounding the sisters, captivating the imagination of the neighborhood boys who once knew them.

As a new school year begins, Lux, the most rebellious sister, forges a clandestine bond with Trip Fontaine, the school’s resident heartthrob. In an attempt to deepen their connection, Trip pays a visit to the Lisbon residence, where he watches television with the family. He convinces Mr. Lisbon to permit him to take Lux to the homecoming dance by promising to provide dates for Therese, Mary, and Bonnie, and they will attend as a group, with Mr. Lisbon serving as chaperone. After claiming victory in the homecoming King and Queen competition, Trip persuades Lux to ditch their group and take a stroll on the football field, where they ultimately surrender to their desires. Following this encounter, Lux drifts off to sleep, only for Trip to abandon her. At dawn, Lux awakens alone and takes a taxi home, where she is met by her distraught parents.

As a result of Lux’s flagrant disregard for curfew, the sisters are collectively punished, leading to a clandestine exchange of emotions with a group of neighbor boys. Through the medium of light signals and shared records, they pour out their feelings to each other across the telephone wires. However, Lux’s rebellious nature takes a darker turn as she becomes increasingly promiscuous, engaging in anonymous trysts on her rooftop under the cover of night, while the neighborhood boys watch from afar. The sisters’ confinement eventually gives way to subtle attempts at communication, as they leave notes outside for their admirers.

Months later, the girls make a final plea, inviting the boys to join them for a midnight escape from their oppressive environment. When the boys arrive that fateful evening, they find Lux alone in the living room, smoking a cigarette and seemingly poised for freedom. However, their expectation of aiding the sisters’ escape is shattered when Lux invites them inside, only to disappear and leave them waiting for her non-existent sisters. The boys, now filled with curiosity, venture into the basement, where they stumble upon the lifeless body of Bonnie, suspended from the ceiling rafters.

Horrified by this gruesome discovery, the boys rush back upstairs, only to be confronted by the ghastly sight of Mary’s lifeless form in the kitchen, her head eerily positioned in the gas oven. The reality sets in – the Lisbon sisters have succumbed to a tragic suicide pact, with Therese meeting her end through an overdose of sleeping pills and Lux perishing from carbon monoxide poisoning in the garage.

The community is left reeling in the aftermath of this devastating event, as Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon quietly flee their home, never to be seen again. The family’s estate is eventually sold to a young couple from Boston, who unwittingly inherit the dark history that lingers within its walls. As the years pass, the neighborhood boys, now grown men themselves, are unable to shake off the haunting memories of the Lisbon sisters and the enigmatic circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Despite the adults in the community moving on with their lives, seemingly unaffected by the tragedy, the boys are forever changed by the experience. They cannot help but revisit the mystery surrounding the sisters’ demise, acknowledging that they had developed deep affection for the girls, and that the unresolved questions will torment them for the rest of their days.