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Sybil

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1976
  • TV-14
  • 1h 6m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
7.7K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,376
91
Sally Field in Sybil (1976)
DocudramaPsychological DramaBiographyDrama

A young woman whose childhood was so harrowing to her that she developed sixteen different personalities is treated by a doctor.A young woman whose childhood was so harrowing to her that she developed sixteen different personalities is treated by a doctor.A young woman whose childhood was so harrowing to her that she developed sixteen different personalities is treated by a doctor.

  • Stars
    • Joanne Woodward
    • Sally Field
    • Brad Davis
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.9/10
    7.7K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,376
    91
    • Stars
      • Joanne Woodward
      • Sally Field
      • Brad Davis
    • 76User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 4 Primetime Emmys
      • 6 wins & 5 nominations total

    Episodes3

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    TopTop-rated1 season1976

    Photos6

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    Top cast28

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    Joanne Woodward
    Joanne Woodward
    • Dr. Cornelia Wilbur
    • 1976
    Sally Field
    Sally Field
    • Sybil
    • 1976
    Brad Davis
    Brad Davis
    • Richard
    • 1976
    Martine Bartlett
    Martine Bartlett
    • Hattie
    • 1976
    Jane Hoffman
    • Frieda Dorsett
    • 1976
    Charles Lane
    Charles Lane
    • Dr. Quinoness
    • 1976
    Jessamine Milner
    • Grandma Dorsett
    • 1976
    William Prince
    William Prince
    • Willard Dorsett
    • 1976
    Penelope Allen
    Penelope Allen
    • Miss Penny
    • 1976
    Camila Ashland
    Camila Ashland
    • Cam
    • 1976
    Tommy Crebbs
    • Matthew
    • 1976
    Gina Petrushka
    • Dr. Lazarus
    • 1976
    Harold Pruett
    Harold Pruett
    • Danny
    • 1976
    Natasha Ryan
    Natasha Ryan
    • Child Sybil
    • 1976
    Paul Tulley
    • Dr. Castle
    • 1976
    Anne Beesley
    Anne Beesley
    • The Selves
    • 1976
    Virginia Campbell
    • The Selves
    • 1976
    Missy Karn
    • The Selves
    • 1976
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews76

    7.97.7K
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    Featured reviews

    10bluetwin

    More than 20 years later, I still remember this riveting and emotional movie.

    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
    zelda1964

    A fascinating movie detailing Behavior

    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.
    ForReal84

    A Modern Masterpiece of movie making

    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.
    8RaeganBeaumont_99

    Endearing 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.
    10don2037

    Excellent Movie

    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.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The real "Sybil" was identified in 1998 as Shirley Mason, an art teacher who died in 1998 at the age of 75 in Lexington, Kentucky. Flora Rheta Schreiber, who wrote the book on which "Sybil" was based, gave her the name based on the women prophets of Greek mythology, the Sibyls, who spoke with multiple voices.
    • Goofs
      In present day scenes (set in mid Seventies), Sybil appears to be in anywhere from 25-to-30 years old. But in flashbacks to her childhood scenes when she's around 5 years old (which would be either late 1940's or early-mid 50's), everything (cars, fashions, hair, etc.) appears to be set in 1930's - long before she was even born.
    • Quotes

      Dr. Cornelia Wilbur: [Hugging Sybil] Once a long time ago when I was a little girl in Montana, I was laying in the grass looking at the ants. And the sun was warm on my back and the grass was deep and soft and the insects were buzzing... everything was drowsy. Then all of a sudden, I saw this one ant who was struggling to pick up this grain of sand that was far too heavy to carry alone. And he struggled. And pretty soon, ANOTHER ant came along and helped the first ant and together they carried it away! Well, I got so excited that I hollared to my mother and she came out and plopped down in the grass beside me and she said, now isn't that miraculous how much two creatures can accomplish together... when they care about each other.

    • Alternate versions
      The original TV-version ran two nights for a total of four hours (198 minutes minus the commercials). Most video copies are pared down in length, one running 122 minutes and another "expanded" to 132 minutes. Both these versions are missing key scenes such as:
      • The introduction of of the alternate personality "Vanessa"
      • Sybil's first date with Richard
      • Her recollection of her childhood sweetheart.
      • Sybil dissociating into the personality of an infant, leading to Dr. Wilbur's memorable statements "My god Sybil, what did that monster do to you? What happened in the green kitchen?"
      • Dr. Wilbur confronting Willard Dorsett over him having left his daughter in the care of such an obvious and dangerously disturbed woman as Hattie
      • Sybil's two male personalities arguing with Dr. Wilbur about them being able to father children
      • Sybil finally confronting and learning to accept all of her personalities while under hypnosis
    • Connections
      Featured in The 29th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1977)

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    FAQ25

    • How many seasons does Sybil have?Powered by Alexa
    • What is 'Sybil' about?
    • Is 'Sybil' based on a book?
    • Is 'Sybil' based on a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 14, 1976 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sybil - en verklig mardröm
    • Filming locations
      • Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Lorimar Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 6 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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