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The Bell Jar

  • 1979
  • R
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
274
YOUR RATING
The Bell Jar (1979)
BiographyDrama

As the horrors beneath the idealized 1950s come about, a successful young woman finds herself having a serious mental breakdown when she returns to New England.As the horrors beneath the idealized 1950s come about, a successful young woman finds herself having a serious mental breakdown when she returns to New England.As the horrors beneath the idealized 1950s come about, a successful young woman finds herself having a serious mental breakdown when she returns to New England.

  • Director
    • Larry Peerce
  • Writers
    • Marjorie Kellogg
    • Sylvia Plath
  • Stars
    • Marilyn Hassett
    • Julie Harris
    • Anne Jackson
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.3/10
    274
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Larry Peerce
    • Writers
      • Marjorie Kellogg
      • Sylvia Plath
    • Stars
      • Marilyn Hassett
      • Julie Harris
      • Anne Jackson
    • 12User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos6

    The Bell Jar (1979)
    The Bell Jar (1979)
    The Bell Jar (1979)
    The Bell Jar (1979)
    The Bell Jar (1979)

    Top cast

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    Marilyn Hassett
    Marilyn Hassett
    • Esther Greenwood
    Julie Harris
    Julie Harris
    • Mrs. Greenwood
    Anne Jackson
    Anne Jackson
    • Dr. Nolan
    Barbara Barrie
    Barbara Barrie
    • Jay Cee
    Robert Klein
    Robert Klein
    • Lenny
    Donna Mitchell
    Donna Mitchell
    • Joan
    Mary Louise Weller
    Mary Louise Weller
    • Doreen
    Jameson Parker
    Jameson Parker
    • Buddy Willard
    Thaao Penghlis
    Thaao Penghlis
    • Marco
    Scott McKay
    Scott McKay
    • Mr. Gilling
    Meg Mundy
    Meg Mundy
    • Bea Ramsey
    Carole Monferdini
    Carole Monferdini
    • Hilda
    Debbie McLeod
    Debbie McLeod
    • Betsy
    Elizabeth Hubbard
    Elizabeth Hubbard
    • Vikki St. John
    Karen Howard
    • Toni LaBouchere
    Margaret Hall
    • Jane McLode
    Dick Carballo
    • Frankie
    David Faulkner
    • Professor Edwards
    • Director
      • Larry Peerce
    • Writers
      • Marjorie Kellogg
      • Sylvia Plath
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Larry Peerce and star Marilyn Hassett were married at the time of production.
    • Goofs
      Early in the picture an early-'50s New York cab has a telephone number on it beginning with "555". The all-numeric phone numbers were not put into use for another decade.
    • Quotes

      Esther Greenwood: To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream.

    • Alternate versions
      CBS edited 16 minutes from this film for its 1983 network television premiere.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: The Bell Jar, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dreamer, Old Boyfriends, Hurricane, Beyond The Door 2, Circle of Iron (1979)
    • Soundtracks
      Here Comes The Night
      Written and Performed by Janis Ian

      Produced by Janis Ian and Ronald Frangipane

      Arranged and Conducted by Ronald Frangipane (uncredited)

    User reviews12

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    no, it's not the book, but...a flawed, intriguing interpretation nonetheless
    I saw this movie when it first came out, before I had read the book. It's impossible to capture the immensity of Esther's pain as she staggers toward oblivion, but watching the movie gave me a definite sense of a life in utter chaos. Yes, the film is flawed, but in my mind it stands alone as a separate entity. Marilyn Hassett's portrayal of Esther is terrifying--I haven't empathized so completely with a character on the brink of dementia since Kathleen Quinlan as Deborah in "I Never Promised You A Rose Garden." The supporting cast is equally solid--it's not their fault that there's just too much ground for one little movie to cover. Donna Mitchell stays in my mind as creating, in Joan's character, a young woman as doomed and in as much mental disarray as Esther. Mitchell is an amazingly underrated (and under-used) actress. I'm not sure if our boys would have given it two thumbs up, but it remains one of my closet classics.
    helpful•11
    4
    • rrrusty
    • Dec 2, 1999

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 25, 1979 (Denmark)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Glaskupan
    • Filming locations
      • New Jersey, USA
    • Production companies
      • Brandt-Todd Company
      • La Marca Productions
      • Bonime Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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