Sybil

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.