1977 Sybil's personalities

Scenes from one of my favorite movies 1977 Sybil starring Sally Field

- What kicked it off this time?

- I lost my job and I,
I tried to ask my, my...

- Yeah, you asked your
father about seeing me.

What happened, what did he say?

Sybil?

(whimpers)

- The people, the people, the people.

The people, they're everywhere.

They're, they're, they'e,
they're everywhere.

No, you keep them away from me.

I will, I will, I will
do it, I will do it.

(sobs)

He doesn't care, he doesn't care.

- Sybil?

- I hate Sybil, I hate her.

- Who are you?

- I can do anything. I
can do anything I want to.

I can do anything.

I can walk on the furniture
if I take my shoes off

like that and like that and like that.

And I can walk on the chair,

like that and like that and
like that and you can't stop me.

- I promise you.
- You can't stop me.

- I wouldn't stop you, I won't stop you.

Tell me, tell me, it's all right.

(cries)

It's all right.

- Oh, it hurts me.
- What hurts, what hurts you?

Where does it hurt?
- I have to get out.

I have to get out.
- No, wait a minute.

No, no.
- I have to break the glass.

- No, we don't, don't break glass.

- You won't let me out and you
won't let me have any peace

and you leave me alone and it hurts,

and you don't leave me alone, it hurts.

- Who are you talking to, who am I?

- Oh, please, I have to get out.

- Who hurt you?
- Get out.

I have to get out.
- We'll just go downstairs,

we'll get in the taxi and
then you'll be out, alright?

- No, no, no, she's there.

When she's there, the people are there.

- Who's there?
- The people.

- Who is there?
- I don't wanna see them.

I don't wanna feel them,
I don't wanna know.

- Where is Sybil?

- I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know.

- Where is Sybil, tell me.

- I have to get out, I
have to feel the glass.

I have to feel the glass.

- No, no, no, no, no, no.

- [Sybil] I have to feel the-

- Don't break it.

- I see the knob.

I see the knob on the white house.

On the white house, I see the knob.

And the shades are pulled down.

I live right there, I live
right there, right there.

201 West 4th Street,
Willow Corners, Wisconsin.

I live right there,
right there, right there.

(unsettling classical music)

My name's Peggy.

(unsettling classical music)

And you're my Dr. Wilbur.

(unsettling classical music )

- Hello Sybil.

(speaking in French)

Ah, what's your name?

- Oh, I'm sorry, you
don't recognize my voice.

I'm Vicky, Victoria, Sybil's friend.

Victoria Antoinette Scharleau.

'Allo.
- 'Allo.

- Good to see you.
- Uh huh.

(speaking in French)

- Well, come, come right in.

- Merci, merci. (chuckles)

Oh.

(speaking in French)

- Oh, thank you.

(speaking in French)

(speaking in French)

(speaking in French)

(speaking in French)

(chuckles)

(clicks)

- I don't blame you for not remembering.

It was months and months
ago since I called you

from that dreary little Harlem hotel.

- But tell me, where's Sybil?

- Sybil is a bit embarrassed about

the financial arrangements

since you've been seeing
her in your practice privy,

she doesn't know how
she will ever repay you.

- She'll repay me when
she gets herself together.

(chuckles)

If you'll excuse the pun.

(chuckles)

Yes?

- I wouldn't hurt anyone
either, not by word nor deed.

I don't even like to
hurt someone's feelings.

Do you know if someone
calls me Sybil by mistake,

do you know what I do?

I look in their face and I say, 'Yes?'

'Yes, oui, oui, you're speaking to me?'

Because it hurts to be
embarrassed, you know?

- Mm-hm.

Marcia became so fearful
she dissociated into Peggy,

who wanted to escape with me to Amsterdam

to get away from what
she called 'the people'.

I look at all the faces,

furious terrified Peggy,
sepulchral little Marcia,

Vicky with her social ease
and uninterrupted memory,

and Sybil and I wonder
what there was back there

that could have caused such a shattering.

What could have forced her
to thrust onto creatures

she doesn't even know exist?

All those capacities in
herself she must deny.

And why is it so vital that she deny them?

What was the torment?
Who was the tormentor?

- [Sybil] Sybil can't say yes.

Vanessa, you go, you like music.

You may go Vanessa.

- Richard?

Richard?

- Richard.

Richard? Hey!

I'm okay, well, look,

I'm not any good at jumping over fences,

so where do you live?

- The gray house apartment, 5C.

- Okay.

(unsettling classical music)

Now, don't let appearances deceive you.

I am really not company.

You know what I am?

I'm a princess who's been
asleep for a thousand years

in a forest called Simmer
Down and you know why?

That's because a wicked
witch put an evil spell

on my ice cream on the
very day I was born,

and if a prince doesn't come along soon

and break the spell with a kiss,

I guess I have to go on forever
looking like Sybil Dibble

and I wouldn't wish that
on a dragon, would you?

(yawns)

Oh, I'm getting so sleepy.

(snores)

- I see you blinking.

- That's because princesses
always blink in their sleep.

They have to stay alert
for the palace revolution

which is liable to take
place at any moment.

(snores)

- [Boy] If you wake up,
I'll show you my toys.

- There's only one way.

(snores)

(kisses)

- Okay, enchantment's broken.

(sighs)

Say goodnight to Sybil.

- That's not Sybil, Sybil stayed home!

(plays piano)

- Isn't that nice?
- Mm-hm.

- Sometimes he plays songs
that are happy and gay.

One time he played 'With
a Song in my Heart',

you know that one?

It goes--
- 'I was...'

- Yeah, right.

♪ I always knew I'd live life through ♪

♪ With a song in my heart for-- ♪

(laughs)

One time we went to the park, you know,

because we were gonna play catch

and then one of the boys came
out, he wanted to play catch,

and Richard thought it was
me so he went over to Mike

and he kissed him right
smack dab on the lips.

He went 'mwa' and I went 'blegh'!

- Wait a minute, you mean
some of the others are boys?

- I wasn't supposed to tell you that.

Now Vicky's gonna be mad at me.

- Vanessa, I don't understand.

- It hurts.

When Richard kisses Sybil, it hurts.

Why is that? Why does love hurt?

(plays piano)

- Love doesn't hurt, sweetie, love heals.

(plays piano)

- It smelled like disinfectant.

- What smells like disinfectant?

- The hands in the green kitchen.

Like that stuff you made Sybil
smell that time, remember?

- Mm-hm.

- I just love you to death.

Bushel and a peck, a hug around the neck.

Now you just come on over here,

lemme give you a hug, honey.

That's a girl, don't hang back like that.

No, ain't that fun?

Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle?

Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle?

Then there'd be a big pinch.

(plays piano glissando)

But I wasn't hurt by love
because I came later.

Besides that, it was
quick as grease lightning

and I could always get away.

Sybil had a dream she could
play, but I can really play.

(plays piano)

♪ Da da da dreamer ♪

You have 'Easter Bonnet'!

(gasps)

I love 'Easter Bonnet'!

Play it for me, will you?

Do it.

(hums melody)

Okay, I'm ready. Okay, wait, wait.

Start again.

(plays piano)

♪ In your Easter bonnet ♪

♪ With all the frills upon it ♪

♪ I'll be the grandest
fellow in the Easter parade ♪

(hums melody)

♪ I'll be all in clover ♪

♪ And when they look me over ♪

♪ I'll be the proudest
fellow in the Easter parade ♪

♪ On the avenue, ha ha ha ha ♪

♪ Fifth avenue, ha ha ha ha ♪

(cries)

- Vanessa, what's the matter, sweetie?

- I'm not Vanessa.

- Sorry, Peggy, but
you popped out so fast.

What's the matter, sweetie?

- It was my idea and she stole it.

I wanted to sing 'Easter
Bonnet' really really bad.

- Oh, you can sing 'Easter Bonnet'.

- I don't want to, I want to dance.

- Well, fine.

- And I want you to watch me.

- Alright, alright, I'm all eyes, alright?

- Okay, alright.

And this will be my stage then
and you're gonna watch me.

Okay, okay.

♪ Heaven, I'm in heaven ♪

♪ And my heart beats so
that I can hardly speak ♪

♪ And I seem to find happiness ♪

I don't find happiness anywhere.

- We'll find it, Peggy, it
just got lost some place.

- Paper's valuable, paper is valuable.

Yes, it is, yes, it is.

It's valuable, it's valuable.

You can see now, you can see.

The people, you can see the
people now, you can see them.

(cries)

You can see.

(cries)

Oh!

- It's alright. It's alright.

- Oh God, I gotta get out of here.

I gotta get out of there.

You have to stop me from doing this.

Who does those drawings?

- You do. But you do them as other people.

Do you understand?

You do them as other parts of yourself.

- No, I don't.

- You're still children.
- No, I don't.

- It's true.
- No, it's not.

- Sybil, you have got to
understand, it's true.

- This is not possible.

They all have names and they come here

and they protect you, they
keep your appointments,

and they're the ones who
pour out this information

that you're afraid to face.
- Oh no.

- You've got to understand that.

- No, it's not true!

- It's true!

- It's not true. No, it's not.

No, it's not true.

- Sybil. Sybil.

Everything you care about
survives in those parts of you

that your mother wasn't able to reach.

Your music, your painting,
even your ability to love.

They survived there.

(classical piano music plays)

That's Vanessa.

And she's got all your
music for safekeeping.

(classical piano music plays)

- That's me?

Playing Mozart?

- Mm-hm.

And you play Sibelius too.
You played 'Finlandia'!

(clicks)

(recording of Sybil speaking plays)

- Oh! That's my mother's voice.

That's my mother's voice,
that's my mother's voice.

- Sweetie, that's not your mother's voice.

That's you imitating your--

Sybil?

Sybil?

(dramatic orchestral music)

What the hell did that monster do to you?

What happened in the green kitchen?