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
Browse episodes
Storyline
The story tells of a young woman admitting to having blackouts, fearing they are getting worse. She is diagnosed as suffering from multiple personalities, as a result of severe abuse at the hands of her mother, whom her psychiatrist, Cornelia Wilbur, believes was schizophrenic. The movie Sibyl is based upon author Flora Rheta Schreiber's biography of Shirley Ardell Mason, an American psychiatric patient, suffering from multiple personality disorder. The book, also called Sibyl, was in its turn based largely on the actual accounts of psychiatric treatment that Shirley Ardell Mason underwent, documented by American psychiatrist Cornelia Wilbur —Jim Berg
- dissociative identity disorder
- psychiatrist
- multiple personality
- child molestation
- split personality
- 41 more
- Genres
- Certificate
- K-16
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe real "Sybil" was recently identified 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 around five (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)
Top review
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
helpful•454
- bluetwin
- Nov 9, 1999
Details
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content

Recently viewed
Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.





















