Sybil (DVD, 2006, 2-Disc Set)

It has been many years since I first saw this very memorable, made for TV movie. Starring Sally Field, in what I consider to be one of her finest performances as Sybil, a young woman tortured by childhood memories that she cannot allow herself to remember.

The story begins with the adult, present day Sybil, who begins to experience memory loss during seemingly everyday events, which eventually brings her into the care of a psychiatrist, Dr. Wilbur, performed by Joanne Woodward. Together, over many years time, they are able to unlock the puzzle of Sybil's memory lapses, namely the discovery of Sybil's multiple personalities.

This way of coping with her world was seriously compromising Sybil's present day happiness; but what could have happened to Sybil in her childhood to cause her personality to splinter? Only by revealing the awful truth about her childhood abuse at the hands of her psychotic mother could Dr. Wilbur ever be able to help Sybil begin to heal.

One thing to note here is the casting of Joanne Woodward as the benevolent Dr. Wilbur. Earlier in her career, Ms. Woodward won an Academy Award for her portrayal as a woman who suffered from multiple personalities, in "The Three Faces of Eve", another true case of Multiple Personality Disorder. It only goes to show the versatility of this legendary actress.

I absolutely love this movie because it shows a woman going through hardships I cannot even imagine, and overcoming them.

I also am excited because I had to tape the original version off TV to get the full, uncut movie. The VHS got lost and when I tried to replace it, all I could find were edited versions missing crucial scenes.

The second DVD shows all 83 "lost" pieces of art that were found and not sold after "Sybil's" death. There is obvious variety of styles, and these were done before "Sybil" met Dr Wilbur. There is also an interview with a close friend of "sybil's" who gives us insight into the real person.

The movie is fictionalized, and most of the 2nd DVD is about casting and production. I was less interested in that part. It was interesting to me to know Sally Field was not always a dramatic actor & had to fight for the part, and how much resistance there was by nearly everyone except the writer & Joanne Woodward.

All performances by the major roles are absolutely wonderful, casting could not have been better!

i had seen sybil when it first came out 30 years ago, and tried to buy a copy of it then, but was told it was never up for public purchase. i did find it one time on tv, and taped it, but that consisted of commercials. i have always loved this movie and recommend it to anyone who loves true stories...you couldnt make up a story like this! it is so hard to believe that a mother could treat her child like this, and the child was able to survive this kind of abuse. i also love the 2nd dvd that comes with this movie explaining about the real sybils life, the interview with the cast, how the movie was almost not even made, and some of sybils real friends who actually knew her. i highly recommend this movie and am thinking of buying more for christmas presents.

I have read the book several times, I've watched the movie in VHS format, and I will be purchasing the DVD so I can watch it again. Sally Field has given an astounding, mesmerizing performance as the tormented Sybil. Joanne Woodward was perfect as the psychiatrist, and the schizophrenic mother was every child's worst nightmare. Wonderful performances by all, and an excellent conversion from book to documentary, I highly recommend this movie.

This is a fascinating story of a woman with multiple personalitites, with hints at the abuse she experienced throughout her childhood. I had been fascinated with the book and TV movie when it was originally released. I like the way certain aspects and information were added to the DVD that does not appear on the video, clarifying and adding more depth and information. The graphic detail included on the DVD was perfect -- not too much, just enough to give the viewer an idea of what happened.

It would be even more interesting to add onto the bonus DVD which events brought out which personalities and why.