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.
75 Reviews
Endearing Sybil
RaeganBeaumont_9923 March 2006
I loved it for the time it was made it was made great, Sally Feild was touching, sweet, innocent and all around wonderful in it. She showed us emotion and fear. No wonder she is such a great actress. One of the first serious ones she did after Gidget & Flying Nun, she showed us just how great she could be. Its a long, heartbreaking story and i definitely recommend it to anyone who is serious about sitting down and watching it. I see there making another one, a new one. No one will ever be able to do it like Sally. I hope they don't ruin a great movie by adding things or embellishing way to much. It would ruin the story and depth of it all.
Jessamine Milner, the "Grandma"
mercuryix200327 February 2008
This was a deeply harrowing movie to watch, and unbelievably so when it came out in 1976. A small child in the grip of her homicidally insane mother, who inflicted sadistic torture on her, while her ineffective husband looked the other way when the signs of abuse were obvious.
There's a small performance in this movie that haunted me more than almost anything else in the film; the part of the grandmother, played by Jessamine Milner, who was as much a victim and prisoner in the home of her psychotic daughter as Sybil was. The difference was she was aware of the extent of her daughter's insanity.
What must it be like to be a prisoner in your own adult child's home, knowing she is inflicting abuse on your grandchild and will do the same to you if you speak? That kind of helplessness must be sheer hell to live with. She could have told her son-in-law or the police at any time (if she was able to get out of the house), but would they have done anything? Or turned a blind eye, considering the time?
Jessamine Milner's performance was so honest and affecting, it stands out as one of the most painful parts of the film, and she is in only two minutes of it! She was born in 1894, and was almost 80 when she made the film. She apparently was in her mid-seventies when she went into film! She's a mystery, and other than her few TV appearances in the late 70s, nothing apparently is known about her. However, she deserves a mention somewhere because of her performance in this difficult to watch film.
There's a small performance in this movie that haunted me more than almost anything else in the film; the part of the grandmother, played by Jessamine Milner, who was as much a victim and prisoner in the home of her psychotic daughter as Sybil was. The difference was she was aware of the extent of her daughter's insanity.
What must it be like to be a prisoner in your own adult child's home, knowing she is inflicting abuse on your grandchild and will do the same to you if you speak? That kind of helplessness must be sheer hell to live with. She could have told her son-in-law or the police at any time (if she was able to get out of the house), but would they have done anything? Or turned a blind eye, considering the time?
Jessamine Milner's performance was so honest and affecting, it stands out as one of the most painful parts of the film, and she is in only two minutes of it! She was born in 1894, and was almost 80 when she made the film. She apparently was in her mid-seventies when she went into film! She's a mystery, and other than her few TV appearances in the late 70s, nothing apparently is known about her. However, she deserves a mention somewhere because of her performance in this difficult to watch film.
Vivid, unsettling true story given enormous stature by Joanne Woodward and Emmy-winning Sally Field.
gbrumburgh18 April 2001
How does one survive, much less overcome, long-standing child abuse? Newscasts are littered with the more unusual, horrific stories - children imprisoned in closets or chained to beds with little more than food or water; tiny children dying in hot, sweltering autos or stuffed into car trunks while a parent works. In yesterday's paper alone, an archbishop of a progressive church was charged with the strangulation of a 15-year-old girl he sexually assaulted for years, while on the opposite page a woman and her boyfriend were charged with beating two of her children with a metal pipe, their battered bodies bearing the marks of years of abuse. How does a child get through this WHILE IT IS HAPPENING? Somehow, some way they MUST build up some sort of mental toughness or defense mechanism to combat the agony and fear - either by tuning out or systematically shutting down -- going into deep states of denial and emotional withdrawal. And then there is Sybil Dorsett...
Sally Field is unforgettable as the titular victim of incessant child abuse, a woman who dissolved into SIXTEEN separate and distinct personalities in order to cope with a mother who inflicted indescribable childhood tortures. She is nothing short of amazing, especially in her "dissociative" scenes as she morphs with lightning speed into one or more of her "inner family" -- a combative, self-assertive Peggy Lou, a mothering but suicidal Mary, a vivacious, ambitious Vicky, a frightened, thumb-sucking Sybil Ann, or even an athletically-inclined Mike. All of them personalities created and programmed unconsciously by Sybil to endure any situation she herself couldn't handle, and triggered by almost anything -- a hostile argument, piano music, certain colors, street sounds, even a word.
What is incredible about Field's performance as Sybil (not her real name) is the ability to tear down her own barriers to such an extent that she can revert into a flood of strange babblings or shockingly infantile behavior at the drop of a hat. It is such a compelling and all-consuming feat that these scenes come off almost improvisatory in style. One particular marvel of a scene has Sybil's psychologist discovering her patient, an artist by nature, lodged under a piano taken over by one of her more immature personalities, tormented by thunderous sounds of Dvorak and Beethoven, illustrating her torment on paper with brightly-colored crayons. It is to director Daniel Petrie's credit that he was able to create such a safe environment for Field to let herself go like this. With "Sybil," Field, who won an Emmy, forever dispelled any theories that she was a one-note actress trapped with a Gidget-like cuteness.
In an ironic bit of casting, Joanne Woodward essays the role of Sybil's psychologist, Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, who finally pinpoints Sybil's mental disability and starts her on the long, arduous journey of putting the "selves" back together. Woodward won an Academy Award decades earlier as a similar victim of MPD (multiple personality disorder) in a curious but ultimately heavy-handed and very dated film "The Three Faces of Eve." Woodward is superb here as a professional clearly out of her element but determined to find a light at the end of the tunnel for this poor, unfortunate girl.
The late Brad Davis, as an unsuspecting acquaintance who wants to get to know Sybil better, adds a tender, sympathetic chapter to Sybil's turbulent life, while William Prince and Jane Hoffman are compelling as Sybil's bloodless father and stepmother who offer puzzling, ignorant explanations to Sybil's "problem." Charles Lane has a significant scene as Sybil's small-town doctor (as a child) who failed to report his examination findings, and little Natasha Ryan, in flashback sequences, must be commended for reenacting the more harrowing details of Sybil's childhood torment. Jessamine Milner as Sybil's grandmother has a few affecting moments as a doting grandma who offers Sybil brief moments of respite.
However, the most chilling portrait of evil you'll ever witness on TV goes hands down to stocky, harsh-looking Martine Bartlett as Sybil's monster of a mother. She lends horrifying believability to the fragmented, unbalanced woman who gets sadistic pleasure out of her routine torturous acts. Bartlett, a respected stage actress little seen on film, was known for another bizarre but fascinating screen role as a crazy, self-abusing mental patient in "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden." As Hattie Dorsett, she displays subtle, calculating menace, which makes her even more terrifying, as she devises a number of "games" to inflict on her only child. Some of these scenes are extremely repelling and graphic in nature, but it is all handled as responsibly as possible, considering the actual incidents DID occur.
Hopefully seeing this dark, disturbing, but ultimately important TV-movie will inspire you to read Flora Rheta Schreiber's best selling book, which details Sybil's childhood, blackout episodes (the real Sybil once woke up finding out she had missed the entire sixth grade(!), therapy sessions, the battle of alter-egos for control of Sybil, and the subsequent unifying process, through the professional vantage point of Dr. Wilbur and with more depth. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down and you'll never question the boundaries and/or consequences of child abuse again.
WARNING - Don't rent the confusing, chopped-up two-hour version, also available on tape. This was a two-part, over three-hour long drama when initially shown and THIS version is what rates a "10."
Sally Field is unforgettable as the titular victim of incessant child abuse, a woman who dissolved into SIXTEEN separate and distinct personalities in order to cope with a mother who inflicted indescribable childhood tortures. She is nothing short of amazing, especially in her "dissociative" scenes as she morphs with lightning speed into one or more of her "inner family" -- a combative, self-assertive Peggy Lou, a mothering but suicidal Mary, a vivacious, ambitious Vicky, a frightened, thumb-sucking Sybil Ann, or even an athletically-inclined Mike. All of them personalities created and programmed unconsciously by Sybil to endure any situation she herself couldn't handle, and triggered by almost anything -- a hostile argument, piano music, certain colors, street sounds, even a word.
What is incredible about Field's performance as Sybil (not her real name) is the ability to tear down her own barriers to such an extent that she can revert into a flood of strange babblings or shockingly infantile behavior at the drop of a hat. It is such a compelling and all-consuming feat that these scenes come off almost improvisatory in style. One particular marvel of a scene has Sybil's psychologist discovering her patient, an artist by nature, lodged under a piano taken over by one of her more immature personalities, tormented by thunderous sounds of Dvorak and Beethoven, illustrating her torment on paper with brightly-colored crayons. It is to director Daniel Petrie's credit that he was able to create such a safe environment for Field to let herself go like this. With "Sybil," Field, who won an Emmy, forever dispelled any theories that she was a one-note actress trapped with a Gidget-like cuteness.
In an ironic bit of casting, Joanne Woodward essays the role of Sybil's psychologist, Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, who finally pinpoints Sybil's mental disability and starts her on the long, arduous journey of putting the "selves" back together. Woodward won an Academy Award decades earlier as a similar victim of MPD (multiple personality disorder) in a curious but ultimately heavy-handed and very dated film "The Three Faces of Eve." Woodward is superb here as a professional clearly out of her element but determined to find a light at the end of the tunnel for this poor, unfortunate girl.
The late Brad Davis, as an unsuspecting acquaintance who wants to get to know Sybil better, adds a tender, sympathetic chapter to Sybil's turbulent life, while William Prince and Jane Hoffman are compelling as Sybil's bloodless father and stepmother who offer puzzling, ignorant explanations to Sybil's "problem." Charles Lane has a significant scene as Sybil's small-town doctor (as a child) who failed to report his examination findings, and little Natasha Ryan, in flashback sequences, must be commended for reenacting the more harrowing details of Sybil's childhood torment. Jessamine Milner as Sybil's grandmother has a few affecting moments as a doting grandma who offers Sybil brief moments of respite.
However, the most chilling portrait of evil you'll ever witness on TV goes hands down to stocky, harsh-looking Martine Bartlett as Sybil's monster of a mother. She lends horrifying believability to the fragmented, unbalanced woman who gets sadistic pleasure out of her routine torturous acts. Bartlett, a respected stage actress little seen on film, was known for another bizarre but fascinating screen role as a crazy, self-abusing mental patient in "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden." As Hattie Dorsett, she displays subtle, calculating menace, which makes her even more terrifying, as she devises a number of "games" to inflict on her only child. Some of these scenes are extremely repelling and graphic in nature, but it is all handled as responsibly as possible, considering the actual incidents DID occur.
Hopefully seeing this dark, disturbing, but ultimately important TV-movie will inspire you to read Flora Rheta Schreiber's best selling book, which details Sybil's childhood, blackout episodes (the real Sybil once woke up finding out she had missed the entire sixth grade(!), therapy sessions, the battle of alter-egos for control of Sybil, and the subsequent unifying process, through the professional vantage point of Dr. Wilbur and with more depth. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down and you'll never question the boundaries and/or consequences of child abuse again.
WARNING - Don't rent the confusing, chopped-up two-hour version, also available on tape. This was a two-part, over three-hour long drama when initially shown and THIS version is what rates a "10."
More than 20 years later, I still remember this riveting and emotional movie.
bluetwin9 November 1999
I was only 10 when I saw this on TV but still remember scenes vividly from it (I believe I watched it again since). Sally Field is awesome as she portrays a woman who was abused as a child by her mother and has developed multiple personalities as a result. It is fascinating and heart-breaking as the psychologist played by Joanne Woodward (also very good) uncovers all her personalities and reveals the suppressed memories which caused them. I can't recommend this movie enough. 10/10
I can't emphasize how underrated this film is!
Arctic_Wizard1 July 2005
What a moving, outstandingly brilliant film starring Joanne Woodward, Brad Davies and Sally Field who won an Emmy for her unforgettably, rare and treasuring performance as the susceptible and disturbed Sybil!
Psychological drama, based on a true story; Sally Field stars as Sybil Dorset, a 20-something supply-teacher who suffered unspeakably horrifying treatment from her volatile mother (Martine Bartlett) and subsequently developed sixteen different personalities. With the help of her caring psychiatrist (Joanne Woodward), she slowly but surely learns how to identify herself.
Sally Field could have been the Meryl Streep-like actress of this generation. Before watching Sybil, I was unaware of her erratic next role and as such was intrigued upon discovering she played a woman with multiple personalities. Watching her portray each character thoroughly is overwhelming and cherished. It's a shame both she Sybil are so underrated and ignored.
Joanne Woodward is equally cherished in her role as the sympathetic and patient psychiatrist who nurses Sybil back to a normal woman. She too seems rather underrated as I'd never heard of her until I watched Sybil. I may need to consider delving into her CV for some good movies to get a hold on.
The only problem with the video I managed to snatch off eBay was that fact it was a pirate copy AND didn't even get to the end of the sodding film! Despite getting towards the end of the film is still sadly disrupted my enjoyment of Sybil and now I don't know how it ends. I've posted a message on the message board and hope to have an answer from someone soon. However, all of what I watched was incredibly excellent and as I said earlier - overwhelming.
My only question would be why the hell hasn't this been released on DVD? Or even screened on British TV?! I will not rest until amazon.com sees sense and releases the full four hour, uncut version. With a range of special features, including commentary from both Sally Field and Joanne Woodward, a documentary on Shirley Ardell Mason - the real Sybil who passed away back in 1998 and a selection of different languages - including Spanish and French - for non-English speaking viewers.
UPDATE: To my delight, I have recently realized that whoever they are have finally seen sense and agreed for a two disk, full, uncut version of the original Sybil - accompanied with several special features - is to be released on May 23rd 2006. To celebrate its 30th anniversary. I've already marked it in my calendar. Tick-tock ... tick-tock ... tick-tock ...
Psychological drama, based on a true story; Sally Field stars as Sybil Dorset, a 20-something supply-teacher who suffered unspeakably horrifying treatment from her volatile mother (Martine Bartlett) and subsequently developed sixteen different personalities. With the help of her caring psychiatrist (Joanne Woodward), she slowly but surely learns how to identify herself.
Sally Field could have been the Meryl Streep-like actress of this generation. Before watching Sybil, I was unaware of her erratic next role and as such was intrigued upon discovering she played a woman with multiple personalities. Watching her portray each character thoroughly is overwhelming and cherished. It's a shame both she Sybil are so underrated and ignored.
Joanne Woodward is equally cherished in her role as the sympathetic and patient psychiatrist who nurses Sybil back to a normal woman. She too seems rather underrated as I'd never heard of her until I watched Sybil. I may need to consider delving into her CV for some good movies to get a hold on.
The only problem with the video I managed to snatch off eBay was that fact it was a pirate copy AND didn't even get to the end of the sodding film! Despite getting towards the end of the film is still sadly disrupted my enjoyment of Sybil and now I don't know how it ends. I've posted a message on the message board and hope to have an answer from someone soon. However, all of what I watched was incredibly excellent and as I said earlier - overwhelming.
My only question would be why the hell hasn't this been released on DVD? Or even screened on British TV?! I will not rest until amazon.com sees sense and releases the full four hour, uncut version. With a range of special features, including commentary from both Sally Field and Joanne Woodward, a documentary on Shirley Ardell Mason - the real Sybil who passed away back in 1998 and a selection of different languages - including Spanish and French - for non-English speaking viewers.
UPDATE: To my delight, I have recently realized that whoever they are have finally seen sense and agreed for a two disk, full, uncut version of the original Sybil - accompanied with several special features - is to be released on May 23rd 2006. To celebrate its 30th anniversary. I've already marked it in my calendar. Tick-tock ... tick-tock ... tick-tock ...
Excellent Movie
don20374 July 2005
This is one of the most impressive movies I've seen ever. Sally Field's acting was superb! I can see why she won an award for it. Ms. Field's portrayal of this poor girl's (Sybil) insight into her emotions and thoughts was breathtaking. Sally was perfect for the part. Joanne Woodward was also excellent in her role as the psychiatrist who supports Sybil thru her memory ordeal concerning her abhorrent upbringing. The movie gives, I think, a very thorough understanding of Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as MPD.
This is a great movie for psychology students to watch, as well as, anyone who is interested in the psychology of the mind and how it deals with trauma for some individuals. Although I don't suffer from multiple personalities, I found that this movie helped to give me personal insight into my own issues dealing with my own abusive upbringing. This is a great film to watch whether it be for entertainment or for educational reasons.
This is a great movie for psychology students to watch, as well as, anyone who is interested in the psychology of the mind and how it deals with trauma for some individuals. Although I don't suffer from multiple personalities, I found that this movie helped to give me personal insight into my own issues dealing with my own abusive upbringing. This is a great film to watch whether it be for entertainment or for educational reasons.
A fascinating movie detailing Behavior
zelda19646 April 2004
I saw this film a few times, and loved Sally Field's performance. Here we see a grown up who blocks out the memories of a harrowing child abuse. What we discover is that Sybil learns to protect the psychological "inner child" by developing personalities that are warm and comforting. The way she unlocks the real Sybil is by therapy with a Dr. Wilbur.This film does not portray childhood as rosey and bright;We see the poor child hung up by a rope as the mom administers an enima.We see the mother lock her in a dark box.From the film,We understand the "hands' of evil belonged to a person Sybil dearly loved and trusted. The way Dr. Wilbur helps Sybil is to unite the personalities together in one. We hear Sybil say "I love You" as she hugs herself;That expression of affection was what the poor child never heard growing up. What this film teaches us, is to believe in our own worth and gain strength in our abilities. I loved Joanne Wooodward, and her character helps Sybil find the perfect person she truly was.
Fine picture!
pangipingu1 February 2021
My God ! What did that monster do to you!?
dwr2461 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
For most, childhood is full of pleasant memories of loving parents. But what happens when your parents don't love you? Worse yet, what happens when they commit acts of unspeakable abuse? This movie examines one girl's choice as to how to cope with such horror.
Dr. Cornelia Wilbur (Joanne Woodward), who narrates the movie, first meets Sybil Dorsett (Sally Field) in the emergency room of a New York hospital where Sybil has come after putting her hand through a window. Sybil seems a bit shaken up, and is acting strangely when suddenly, she appears to "wake up" and not know where she is or how she got there. Thus starts the journey these two women will take into Sybil's past to find out what happened to, in the words of Dr. Wilbur, "produce such a shattering," which led to Sybil's developing sixteen distinct personalities, all of which share her mind. Along the way, we meet Dr. Quinoness (Charles Lane), Sybil's childhood doctor, who lives with the guilt of remaining silent about Sybil's abuse; Sybil's father, Willard (William Prince) who blinded himself to what his wife was doing; and Sybil's mother, Hattie (Martine Bartlett), who earns the title of "monster" by abusing Sybil in an almost unimaginable way. But finding the cause of the split in personalities is only the beginning of helping Sybil to heal.
The movie is based on the book by Flora Rheta Schreiber, which was written at the request of Dr. Wilbur, and with Sybil Dorsett's consent. The script is basically faithful to the book, but some license is taken in order to make the story more dramatic. Whereas the book presents issues in a factual, almost unemotional, way, the movie gives a sense of the horror Sybil faced as a result of growing up with a mother like Hattie Dorsett. This works well in that when Sybil finally confronts what has been done to her, the audience is ready for the resulting catharsis.
The acting was excellent. Prince's portrayal of Willard is spot on as someone who will hide behind anything he can to keep from facing the truth. Bartlett is the epitome of evil malice as Hattie. Brad Davis does a nice job as a potential love interest for Sybil. Woodward's Dr. Wilbur is a stunning performance of a kind and caring psychotherapist. But the film really belongs to Field, who deserves the Emmy she won. Each personality is distinctly created, and comes across as its own vibrant entity. And Field's ability to instantly switch between them is astonishing. She gives a virtuosic performance.
While the contents are somewhat disturbing, the film is well worth the viewing, not only because it is a compelling story, but because it is so well told. This is a classic which holds up as well today as it did thirty years ago.
Dr. Cornelia Wilbur (Joanne Woodward), who narrates the movie, first meets Sybil Dorsett (Sally Field) in the emergency room of a New York hospital where Sybil has come after putting her hand through a window. Sybil seems a bit shaken up, and is acting strangely when suddenly, she appears to "wake up" and not know where she is or how she got there. Thus starts the journey these two women will take into Sybil's past to find out what happened to, in the words of Dr. Wilbur, "produce such a shattering," which led to Sybil's developing sixteen distinct personalities, all of which share her mind. Along the way, we meet Dr. Quinoness (Charles Lane), Sybil's childhood doctor, who lives with the guilt of remaining silent about Sybil's abuse; Sybil's father, Willard (William Prince) who blinded himself to what his wife was doing; and Sybil's mother, Hattie (Martine Bartlett), who earns the title of "monster" by abusing Sybil in an almost unimaginable way. But finding the cause of the split in personalities is only the beginning of helping Sybil to heal.
The movie is based on the book by Flora Rheta Schreiber, which was written at the request of Dr. Wilbur, and with Sybil Dorsett's consent. The script is basically faithful to the book, but some license is taken in order to make the story more dramatic. Whereas the book presents issues in a factual, almost unemotional, way, the movie gives a sense of the horror Sybil faced as a result of growing up with a mother like Hattie Dorsett. This works well in that when Sybil finally confronts what has been done to her, the audience is ready for the resulting catharsis.
The acting was excellent. Prince's portrayal of Willard is spot on as someone who will hide behind anything he can to keep from facing the truth. Bartlett is the epitome of evil malice as Hattie. Brad Davis does a nice job as a potential love interest for Sybil. Woodward's Dr. Wilbur is a stunning performance of a kind and caring psychotherapist. But the film really belongs to Field, who deserves the Emmy she won. Each personality is distinctly created, and comes across as its own vibrant entity. And Field's ability to instantly switch between them is astonishing. She gives a virtuosic performance.
While the contents are somewhat disturbing, the film is well worth the viewing, not only because it is a compelling story, but because it is so well told. This is a classic which holds up as well today as it did thirty years ago.
Dx: Too Many Cooks.
rmax30482324 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
It's an interest, more-or-less straightforward story of a woman with multiple personality disorder, named Sybil here, and played by Sally Field. Sybil was a real woman who lived in Kentucky. She was treated by a psychiatrist for many years, charged on a sliding scale that evidently had a zero point, because nobody in Sybil's position is going to afford twelve years of private psychiatric treatment. The complimentary treatment is provided by Joanne Woodward as Dr. Wilbur.
Most of the popular stories about people with MPD have a convenient three personalities, one of which -- the most fully integrated one -- "wins" in the end, leading to a happy ending. Sybil, like so many real patients, had so many alter egos that it was hard to keep track of them. The film only introduces about half a dozen, all with different names and ages, and skips the remaining fifteen or so. Thank God for small favors. I have enough trouble keeping up with my own roles.
This story has a happy ending too, a kind of dream sequence in which the original Sybil gets to meet and embrace her other personalities and they are absorbed into her. She evidently did manage to pull herself together because she went on to a successful career as a professor of art, a position she wouldn't have held long if she'd showed up on campus one day as an eight year old child.
The story has been modified, necessarily, in other ways too. As a representative of Sybil's spare contacts with others, we have Brad Davis in the role of a street musician and concocted clown. It's a sympathetic role and he does well by it, but he disappears from the narrative rather abruptly.
The splashiest role by far is Sally Fields'. She gets to mope, to mumble, to shriek, to put her fist through windows, to pull her face into gargoyle masks, to be sophisticated, to be petulant, to be mean, and to scuttle along the floor and hide under the piano. She's given it her all, because she's completely put aside that usual fey quality she carries with her -- girlish, provocative, and abundantly sexual. She has pretty toes too. If you go for that sort of thing.
But I admired most the performance of Joanne Woodward as the psychiatrist. She's delightfully mature after we've spent some time with Sybil. She can be nurturing, tolerant, firm, and directive. She's attractive and wears a becoming hair do or hair style or whatever it's called. A good shrink, in other words. My shrinks were never like that. After calling me names like "paranoid" right to my face, they all sneaked around telling dirty stories about me behind my back and writing letters of recommendation so condemnatory that I wouldn't have sent them to someone who wanted to hire a dog. Years after this treachery and they're still dunning me for unpaid bills.
Clearly, a lot of effort on everyone's part went into this production. The only real problem I had with it is what one might call the psychoanalytic ploy. In these tales, the patient must always have symptoms caused by some repressed memory of childhood trauma. All you have to do is bring the trauma to conscious awareness (and the emotions associated with it) and BINGO -- no more disorder! B. F. Skinner would have a lot to say about that, but it DOES make for a smoother ending, emotionally more satisfying if not very realistic.
Most of the popular stories about people with MPD have a convenient three personalities, one of which -- the most fully integrated one -- "wins" in the end, leading to a happy ending. Sybil, like so many real patients, had so many alter egos that it was hard to keep track of them. The film only introduces about half a dozen, all with different names and ages, and skips the remaining fifteen or so. Thank God for small favors. I have enough trouble keeping up with my own roles.
This story has a happy ending too, a kind of dream sequence in which the original Sybil gets to meet and embrace her other personalities and they are absorbed into her. She evidently did manage to pull herself together because she went on to a successful career as a professor of art, a position she wouldn't have held long if she'd showed up on campus one day as an eight year old child.
The story has been modified, necessarily, in other ways too. As a representative of Sybil's spare contacts with others, we have Brad Davis in the role of a street musician and concocted clown. It's a sympathetic role and he does well by it, but he disappears from the narrative rather abruptly.
The splashiest role by far is Sally Fields'. She gets to mope, to mumble, to shriek, to put her fist through windows, to pull her face into gargoyle masks, to be sophisticated, to be petulant, to be mean, and to scuttle along the floor and hide under the piano. She's given it her all, because she's completely put aside that usual fey quality she carries with her -- girlish, provocative, and abundantly sexual. She has pretty toes too. If you go for that sort of thing.
But I admired most the performance of Joanne Woodward as the psychiatrist. She's delightfully mature after we've spent some time with Sybil. She can be nurturing, tolerant, firm, and directive. She's attractive and wears a becoming hair do or hair style or whatever it's called. A good shrink, in other words. My shrinks were never like that. After calling me names like "paranoid" right to my face, they all sneaked around telling dirty stories about me behind my back and writing letters of recommendation so condemnatory that I wouldn't have sent them to someone who wanted to hire a dog. Years after this treachery and they're still dunning me for unpaid bills.
Clearly, a lot of effort on everyone's part went into this production. The only real problem I had with it is what one might call the psychoanalytic ploy. In these tales, the patient must always have symptoms caused by some repressed memory of childhood trauma. All you have to do is bring the trauma to conscious awareness (and the emotions associated with it) and BINGO -- no more disorder! B. F. Skinner would have a lot to say about that, but it DOES make for a smoother ending, emotionally more satisfying if not very realistic.
Split personality as a metaphor for what we must all do to survive intense pain
stebmarc6 January 2001
This movie isn't actually about the actual case or even the best selling novel. It is a metaphor for childhood and the plight of children (and other human beings). Stunning performance by Sally Fields, quite likely her best (though certainly not her only stunning performance. She is a vastly underrated actress.) Some very fine writing and many memorable lines. I saw this movie over twenty years ago and I will never get it out of my mind, "what that monster did to her in the green kitchen." Joanne Woodward is as fine as silk, as she always is. I could watch her just breathe in and out for the foreseeable future, and she does it wonderfully here, and makes great acting look just that easy. Like the Godfather, this movie completely transcends all the source material it is based on, a serious kind of "mockumentary" revealing rather than mocking the human condition.
Not nonfiction
larrydearing21 June 2019
Interesting story, well acted by Sally Field & Joanne Woodward. When a child actor is needed, why do directors so often settle for a kid who can spout the lines with no meaning? There are children who can act. One of the two serious problems with this movie is that the person who was the inspiration for it lied about her multiple personalities to keep seeing her therapist. The other problem is that it is about an hour too long. Some of the scenes dragged on mercilessly.
I gave it a 7 only because Sally Field is tremendous in the title role.
"Sybil" The true story!
debnjode18 March 2006
Hi. I am 18 years old, and I first seen the film "Sybil" when I was roughly 6 or 7. I agree with comments made with the performances, of Joanne Woodward (Dr. Cornelia Wilbur) and Sally Field (Sybil Dorsett), however I must say this film (although old as it is) still scares me to death. We have got the film on video (although you are unable to see some parts) and it is the full version, and it has only been recently I have been able to watch it by myself, without being scared half to death. This film is NOT for the weak hearted (in my opinion). This film (when I first seen it) tormented me, and thinking about it, still can have an effect on me. The first time I seen it, I could not sleep that night, because of the film.
Saying all this and how much it frighted me as a child, I must say that this film is one that you can't help feel sorry for the woman who suffered as a child and as an adult.
To be honest I wish the film was never made (here i go digging myself into a hole and making many people angry he he), but saying this, I realise now, that this is a true story and it still happens in the world today. This film (weather you like it or not) WILL make you open your eyes and see the pain that this woman goes through in everyday life.
Plot - (after I've shown myself up he he) A woman in her late 20's suffers from multiple personality Disorder (MPD) or now know as Disassociative Identity Disorder (DID)and has 16 different personalities, while in therapy Dr. Wilbur discovers what a horrific childhood Sybil (now known as Shirley Ardell Mason) had. As a result she developed these personalities to protect her from remembering what she had suffered as a child. The Ending of the film is the most traumatic as you see her mother (played by Martine Bartlett - Hattie the Mother)give little Sybil enema (this happened everyday after breakfast!). Then you see Sybil facing all of the Multiple personalities, and after she had done this she can now remember what happened to her as a child! She could now remember without pain!
Thank you for reading my comment.
Saying all this and how much it frighted me as a child, I must say that this film is one that you can't help feel sorry for the woman who suffered as a child and as an adult.
To be honest I wish the film was never made (here i go digging myself into a hole and making many people angry he he), but saying this, I realise now, that this is a true story and it still happens in the world today. This film (weather you like it or not) WILL make you open your eyes and see the pain that this woman goes through in everyday life.
Plot - (after I've shown myself up he he) A woman in her late 20's suffers from multiple personality Disorder (MPD) or now know as Disassociative Identity Disorder (DID)and has 16 different personalities, while in therapy Dr. Wilbur discovers what a horrific childhood Sybil (now known as Shirley Ardell Mason) had. As a result she developed these personalities to protect her from remembering what she had suffered as a child. The Ending of the film is the most traumatic as you see her mother (played by Martine Bartlett - Hattie the Mother)give little Sybil enema (this happened everyday after breakfast!). Then you see Sybil facing all of the Multiple personalities, and after she had done this she can now remember what happened to her as a child! She could now remember without pain!
Thank you for reading my comment.
A Modern Masterpiece of movie making
ForReal8417 May 2003
Sybil, originally aired way before my time, but I got a chance to see it two years ago in my health class in school. Recently while channel surfing, I came across the movie again. I have always had an interest in Multiple personalities, or MPD. Having studied it in a Human Behavior class, I have become obsessed with learning more about it.
The movie Sybil is about the life and lives of at least 16 different people all sharing the body of one person. The movie deals with a hard subject and has some pretty disturbing scenes. One scene that is very unsettling happens towards the end of the movie where Sybil's crazy mom locks her in a trunk. The things that he r mother put her through are so horrible. It's a shame that this young woman's life was full of obstacles. Sally Field definitely deserved an Emmy for her compelling, complex performance as the title character. She goes from each personality flawlessly. She is a very talented actress, the performance only proves that she can play any part. Joanne Woodward, who in this film has switched roles from her Oscar winning performance in The Three Faces Of Eve, where she played a woman with MPD, does an equally outstanding job. Brad Davis turns in one of his best performances. The movie itself is one of the best made for television movies. It grabs you and holds you until it's chilling ending. Sybil is a movie surrounded hope, but covered in sadness. It is an excellent piece of movie making. I give it 4/4.
The movie Sybil is about the life and lives of at least 16 different people all sharing the body of one person. The movie deals with a hard subject and has some pretty disturbing scenes. One scene that is very unsettling happens towards the end of the movie where Sybil's crazy mom locks her in a trunk. The things that he r mother put her through are so horrible. It's a shame that this young woman's life was full of obstacles. Sally Field definitely deserved an Emmy for her compelling, complex performance as the title character. She goes from each personality flawlessly. She is a very talented actress, the performance only proves that she can play any part. Joanne Woodward, who in this film has switched roles from her Oscar winning performance in The Three Faces Of Eve, where she played a woman with MPD, does an equally outstanding job. Brad Davis turns in one of his best performances. The movie itself is one of the best made for television movies. It grabs you and holds you until it's chilling ending. Sybil is a movie surrounded hope, but covered in sadness. It is an excellent piece of movie making. I give it 4/4.
Sybil DVD was both informative and disappointing
sybilsfriend2 September 2006
The 30th anniversary DVD edition of Sybil was released in July. As Shirley Mason's (aka Sybil)long time friend, I was included in the documentary about the making of the movie. The documentary is a fascinating recap of how the movie was cast and how it came to be. However, I was disappointed that Shirley Mason is not mentioned anywhere in the documentary, and her name is not even shown on her paintings in the gallery. Shirley was a person to me, not a fictional character. I was told that her name couldn't be mentioned because of contractual agreements with the author of the book. Shirley Mason WAS Sybil and her life as an artist in Kentucky should not be minimized. Since Sybil is a story of abuse, but also one of recovery, I feel my friend was denied the recognition she deserves as a survivor of abuse, as a wonderful artist, as a warm, kind lady who lived a quiet life of dignity in Lexington. If and when my book, Life After Sybil... From the Words of Shirley Mason, gets published, I intend to correct that omission. Regards, Sybil's Friend ... Nancy Preston
If you liked this film you must read Flora Rheta Schreiber's book...
MarieGabrielle28 May 2006
This film was produced in the 70's when psychiatry and therapy was still considered taboo. Witness the statement by Sybil's father (Prince) when he is confronted with her need for medical treatment: ..."Armageddon, Sybil, that's how it begins; the devil works through these doctors...a sea of lost souls in a hospital"... How sad that many of these stigmas still exist in our society.
Sybil Dorsett, as portrayed by Sally Field, is a marked example of what occurs to children all over the world, and the statistics are still frightening. Field portrayed the real life lead by Sybil, an intelligent woman plagued by illness, and living on the $40.00 per month her father sent her to live in a dilapidated New York City tenement.
Joanne Woodward is excellent as Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, the eminent psychoanalyst who delved into Sybil's past to discover the root of her illness. It is quite interesting during one scene where Wilbur speaks to Sybil's pediatrician, who, while reading the files from her childhood, realized the extent of physical abuse the child had endured.
Hattie Dorsett, Sybil's mother, was brilliantly portrayed by Martine Bartlett ("I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"). Hattie verbally, emotionally, and physically brutalized Sybil for years. Hattie never received treatment, though she was diagnosed with dementia praecox-today known as paranoid schizophrenia.
This film is important and informative. It is based on truth, deals with illnesses that can be treated medically, where the only agenda should be to treat the patient. 10/10
Sybil Dorsett, as portrayed by Sally Field, is a marked example of what occurs to children all over the world, and the statistics are still frightening. Field portrayed the real life lead by Sybil, an intelligent woman plagued by illness, and living on the $40.00 per month her father sent her to live in a dilapidated New York City tenement.
Joanne Woodward is excellent as Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, the eminent psychoanalyst who delved into Sybil's past to discover the root of her illness. It is quite interesting during one scene where Wilbur speaks to Sybil's pediatrician, who, while reading the files from her childhood, realized the extent of physical abuse the child had endured.
Hattie Dorsett, Sybil's mother, was brilliantly portrayed by Martine Bartlett ("I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"). Hattie verbally, emotionally, and physically brutalized Sybil for years. Hattie never received treatment, though she was diagnosed with dementia praecox-today known as paranoid schizophrenia.
This film is important and informative. It is based on truth, deals with illnesses that can be treated medically, where the only agenda should be to treat the patient. 10/10
Get this MOVIE on DVD, PLEASE!!!
hamichael18 March 2002
We have waited long enough! After shelling out $100. for a VHS copy of this movie . . . I think there is a demand for this film. Especially the full version, on DVD! Now is the time! Especially with Sally Field having such popularity on E.R. and now with her own show! People WANT this film! Trust me!!! Please release it on DVD!!!
Great Movie
Fhantome23 July 2006
I have D.I.D. Out of the many portrayals and interviews that people in the media are exposed to, Sybil is about as close to the real thing that I've seen. Although I do tire seeing people with DID/MPD being portrayed as helpless and totally out of it. I have several friends that have DID and none of them are as portrayed in the media. I am a Paramedic and police dispatcher and have been for ten years... before that, I worked as a therapist as a social worker. I've always held a job and on those rare instances when the entire personality system does fall apart (all puns intended), there is almost always someone inside the personality system to take the reins. That's what is inherent about DID... the ability to persevere and "act normally" through the rough stuff. Sybil paved the way for future generations the way that Joanne Woodward paved the way for her generation into a better understanding of the way that DID works. I'm happy that they released the DVD (although I have yet to purchase it) now on the 30th anniversary. It is a testament to the perseverance of the human condition in times of severe abuse. I only wish that I could have met Shirley Ardell Mason and congratulated her and thanked her for her courageousness.
Gidget Goes Ballistic
ween-315 September 2003
so anyway...I finally get around to watching this tv movie about 27 years later...sally field's big breakout and a neat little role for brad davis...not much i can add at this late date except to suggest that one may want to do a bit of comparison shopping on nutty moms and watch piper laurie in "carrie" which was also released in 1976...very similar dramatic track considering the 2 movies were so vastly different...
Very good movie!!!!!!! I would watch again and again
beth_119121 July 2006
I think this was Sally Field's best acting movie out there. Sybil is quite a story, Joanne Woodward as the psychiatrist and Brad Davis, the man that dated and cared about Sybil are really a good human story. I've met one person with multiple personalities, but this movie gives a good idea as to what the person goes through, and until I saw the picture of the "real" Sybil, didn't realize this was a true to life story.
What that "monster" did to a child is beyond what anybody should do to somebody else, ESPECIALLY a child. After the doctor found out that she was actually cut "down there" with a knives and the scenes with the enema was horrible! These days she would be blamed and convicted with child abuse and never see her child again, Sybil actually grew up and actually became an adult despite what her mother did to her.
Just the whole plot of where the psychiatrist gets the personalities to come out and of course, Sally Field playing that many personalities, she was wonderful. Richard Loomis her boyfriend, didn't know what was going on, but I'm glad he was there to help her. But once the psychiatrist does some investigating to see if this is all real (the crayon markings in the box), the story gets very deep as she goes through these experiences with Sybil and eventually gets all her personalities and her to make peace with one another, so that they can live as one. These days somebody like that would be institutionalized or sheltered, but I'm glad to see the real Sybil that she actually did go to college and have most part of a normal life.
I give it 10 out of 10 stars, just the story of a woman that was abused so bad that I guess her body protected her and made multiple personalities. I recommend this movie to EVERYONE and realize what it is to live with mental illness. Mental illness is still treated in today's society as "crazy", "looney", etc. I have depression and it's amazing people that don't know about the disease, just think it's something you can turn on and off as you please.
What that "monster" did to a child is beyond what anybody should do to somebody else, ESPECIALLY a child. After the doctor found out that she was actually cut "down there" with a knives and the scenes with the enema was horrible! These days she would be blamed and convicted with child abuse and never see her child again, Sybil actually grew up and actually became an adult despite what her mother did to her.
Just the whole plot of where the psychiatrist gets the personalities to come out and of course, Sally Field playing that many personalities, she was wonderful. Richard Loomis her boyfriend, didn't know what was going on, but I'm glad he was there to help her. But once the psychiatrist does some investigating to see if this is all real (the crayon markings in the box), the story gets very deep as she goes through these experiences with Sybil and eventually gets all her personalities and her to make peace with one another, so that they can live as one. These days somebody like that would be institutionalized or sheltered, but I'm glad to see the real Sybil that she actually did go to college and have most part of a normal life.
I give it 10 out of 10 stars, just the story of a woman that was abused so bad that I guess her body protected her and made multiple personalities. I recommend this movie to EVERYONE and realize what it is to live with mental illness. Mental illness is still treated in today's society as "crazy", "looney", etc. I have depression and it's amazing people that don't know about the disease, just think it's something you can turn on and off as you please.
Nice and underrated movie, with an amazing Sally Field performance
zumbertinho11 March 2013
This is a movie that really impressed me with how much it is able to draw you in, make you relate with the characters and shock you with the psychological elements of it. Although the validity of the diagnosis of Multiple Personalities and Repressed Memories are still subject of debate, and until this day a lot of controversy exists over the book (apparently most of it was fabricated, specially the part of multiple personalities, which was mostly the result of suggestion by Dr. Wilbur to make things more interesting and monetize over the story), this is a very involving movie, with incredible acting and that dated very well. Kudos for Sally Field and her amazing rendition of a psychiatric patient, and also for Joanne Woodward and Brad Davis, and their respective moving performances as Dr. Wilbur and Sybil's neighbor.
This was initially made for TV, shown in 2 parts and having a total run of 3 hours. I strongly recommend that you get the DVD with the whole 198 minutes (I didn't see the abridged version). The cuts for commercial breaks show, but they won't bother you too much. It's very well directed and edited for its time, and everyone's acting is incredible.
Some people say that this movie was a breakthrough in treatment of Multiple Personalities (called DID nowadays, which stands for Dissociative Identity Disorder), while others blame it for the creation of an "industry of Repressed Memories". I strongly advise that you do your research about it, so you'll be aware of the controversy and the lack of consensus that those themes still face between professionals of the area (if you're interested about my opinion, I'm very suspicious about repressed memories, and it surely sounds to me like something that could be used to take advantage of people, but I don't have an opinion about DID, although it is said to be one of the most controversial dissociative disorders). However, do it AFTER seeing this movie, so it won't impair your ability to relate with the character of Sybil and prevent you from enjoying the movie. There are some really shocking things that will happen, so be prepared. The plot unravels very nicely, and it also treats the relationships between the characters very delicately, so the film never feels hushed and, although its running time is long, this is not boring or hard to digest, and it's a really enjoyable experience. Definitely worth the watch.
Rating: 7,5/10 (I round ratings down)
This was initially made for TV, shown in 2 parts and having a total run of 3 hours. I strongly recommend that you get the DVD with the whole 198 minutes (I didn't see the abridged version). The cuts for commercial breaks show, but they won't bother you too much. It's very well directed and edited for its time, and everyone's acting is incredible.
Some people say that this movie was a breakthrough in treatment of Multiple Personalities (called DID nowadays, which stands for Dissociative Identity Disorder), while others blame it for the creation of an "industry of Repressed Memories". I strongly advise that you do your research about it, so you'll be aware of the controversy and the lack of consensus that those themes still face between professionals of the area (if you're interested about my opinion, I'm very suspicious about repressed memories, and it surely sounds to me like something that could be used to take advantage of people, but I don't have an opinion about DID, although it is said to be one of the most controversial dissociative disorders). However, do it AFTER seeing this movie, so it won't impair your ability to relate with the character of Sybil and prevent you from enjoying the movie. There are some really shocking things that will happen, so be prepared. The plot unravels very nicely, and it also treats the relationships between the characters very delicately, so the film never feels hushed and, although its running time is long, this is not boring or hard to digest, and it's a really enjoyable experience. Definitely worth the watch.
Rating: 7,5/10 (I round ratings down)
One of the greatest psychological dramas ever made
indy_go_blue4429 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I read the book Sybil and saw the movie for the first time in 1976 as a student nurse. I've read the book probably three times and am watching the newly released DVD as I write. I don't find it hard to believe I am still so powerfully affected I am by this movie. Between this movie and Norma Rae, Ms Field was at the height of her career. Her performance is beyond believable. Joanne Woodward's character, Dr. Wilbur, I think is almost too perfect but still extremely affecting and sympathetic as Dr. Wilbur. Although the character of Richard Loomis is added for dramatic effect, the late (and wonderful) Brad Davis' performance as the caring neighbor and love interest is also quite moving. Sadly his death in 1991 took from us a very good actor. Sybil is drawing the green chicken now, her mother looking on and now going psychotic. It wasn't possible for me to see her insanity when I saw this the first time, but I can feel a little more sympathetic to her now (up from zero to one, maybe). As a drama this is also a superb show. We know from the opening scenes that something is terribly wrong, and the story slowly unfolds as more and more of Sybil's history is told until the final healing scene, which I do feel is a bit melodramatic but does nicely wrap up in 4 hours what actually took many more years to accomplish. I have cried and I have laughed over this wonderful movie, and am grateful that it has finally been made available on DVD. 10/10
Sybil is worthwhile viewing
aserrano2710 April 2005
Sally Field does a wonderful job recounting the true life story of the process that 'Sybil' underwent with the help of her therapist to deal with her multiple personalities. Field is wonderful in this role. She demonstrates here the same depth that she demonstrates in later films like "Steel Magnolias'. As always, JoAnne Woodward does a superb job playing the therapist.
This is a difficult movie to watch at times because it retells the trauma that 'Sybil' went through, but it is a very good film because the actors make you forget they are acting. Lastly, the technical aspects of the film like the transition and action scenes use somewhat dated techniques that are not as smooth as the processes we are used to seeing in today's movies.
This is a difficult movie to watch at times because it retells the trauma that 'Sybil' went through, but it is a very good film because the actors make you forget they are acting. Lastly, the technical aspects of the film like the transition and action scenes use somewhat dated techniques that are not as smooth as the processes we are used to seeing in today's movies.
Muddled and misleading pseudo-scientific dross
CutUncut20216 January 2023
Remember to read the low-rated reviews first, which in this particular case includes my own. Even accounting for its dated format and formula, this ghastly, over-simplified, processed-cheese movie about mental "disorder" with a confused script and incoherent acting is an accidental turkey. However, it bravely tackles issues which at the time were taboo: even the Vatican has accepted the detailed research data revealing that 70% of the abuse of minors occur within the family circuit. Omertà: the father with daughter, the uncle with nephew, the neighbour with both, relatives turning a blind eye, a deaf ear. Though she does her best, Field is a struggle to watch and barely capable of projecting variations between her personalities (her inadequacy means relying props like hair-style, glasses, and clothing). In later career, her "Brothers & Sisters" (2006-15) and "Doris" (2015) are proof of her acting limits. Meanwhile, despite her fame, Woodward is hardly better, and we'd best forget Davis altogether. In the 1970s folks were probing and analysing religion rules and regulation, and Sybil is a relatable offshoot of that surge of new awareness. Fifty years since the film's debut, abuse of minors remains rampant and is invariably a family affair. The closing shmaltz is ruinous.
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