Extremely unsettling--but not unpleasant--true story of a substitute teacher in New York harboring 16 different personalities. I recently saw this again on video which was pared down from the original TV-length of 198 minutes (my copy was roughly 2 hours-12 minutes and omitted several strong scenes); for those who don't remember that original version, there's a strong, sensitive finale wherein all Sybil's personalities face her in the park. Sally Field is riveting in the lead and Joanne Woodward resilient, lovely and kind as her psychiatrist. Many moments resonate with tenderness, although I'm not sure Sybil's eventual exclamation of hatred in remembrance of her abusive mother is conducive to her forgiving the evil woman (the movie seems to treat them one and the same). The abuse sequences themselves are downright shocking, and Martine Bartlett (in the frightening role of Mama) is quite convincing, but perhaps a bit more about this character's background might have answered some of our own questions. Nevertheless, powerful and enlightening and terrifying--one of the best TV-movies to date.
Review of Sybil
