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.
- Won 4 Primetime Emmys
- 6 wins & 5 nominations total
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe real "Sybil" was identified in 1998 as Shirley Ardell 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.
- GoofsIn 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
Sybil Dorsett: Who dat?
Richard J. Loomis: Who dat who say who dat?
Sybil Dorsett: Who dat who say who dat who say who dat?
- Alternate versionsThe 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
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 29th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1977)
Review
Featured review
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.
helpful•151
- RaeganBeaumont_99
- Mar 23, 2006
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