I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977)A disturbed,institutionalized 16-year-old girl struggles between fantasy and reality. Director:Anthony Page |
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I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977)A disturbed,institutionalized 16-year-old girl struggles between fantasy and reality. Director:Anthony Page |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Kathleen Quinlan | ... | ||
| Bibi Andersson | ... | ||
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Ben Piazza | ... | |
| Lorraine Gary | ... | ||
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Martine Bartlett | ... | |
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Margo Ann Berdeshevsky | ... | |
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Darlene Craviotto | ... | |
| Reni Santoni | ... | ||
| Susan Tyrrell | ... | ||
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Signe Hasso | ... | |
| Norman Alden | ... | ||
| Sylvia Sidney | ... | ||
| Dennis Quaid | ... |
Shark, Baseball Pitcher
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| Karin de la Penha | ... |
Nurse
(as Elizabeth Dartmoor)
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Robert Viharo | ... | |
Based very loosely on the intricate novel by Joanne Greenberg. A young woman's devotion to a childhood fantasy kingdom has taken over her entire life and causes her endless pain and degradation. Placed in a mental hospital, she has the great good fortune to have a truly caring therapist who tries to help her accept reality, even though reality isn't so great either. Written by Molly Malloy <mailcall@bluemarble.net>
Kathleen Quinlan plays Deborah, a very bright girl, who is institutionalized for three years in a psychiatric hospital. Though different from the book in some ways, this keeps the spirit of it quite well and with a much more satisfying ending than the book. Quinlan is a wonderful actress. Deborah, who is diagnosed as a schizophrenic (though she probably wouldn't be today), has a long, torturous journey through her illness. Quinlan makes us believe that she will succeed. In addition, there is a strong cast of mostly women of many ages. I saw this film first when I was a teenager and the problems Deborah faced also resonated with me (despite not being in a hospital). I have never forgotten this film, though it has been out of print on video for many years and can only view it when it occasionally makes it on television. Catch it if you can -- especially if you are a teenage girl or ever were.