Sybil (1976) Daniel Petrie (TV movie)
Discussion Questions, Resources, and Viewing Guide
“Madness in Movies” Coordinated Studies
Brian Holt & JC Clapp, North Seattle Community College, 2012
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Music is very important in this film. How does the diegetic and non-diegetic sound work in this
film. Pick a particular scene where you feel the sound/music is used effectively and explain what
the sound/music communicates.
Notice the very long takes in many of the scenes. The scene in Dr. Wilbur’s office where Sybil ends
up under the piano is an example of a very long take. What effect do these long takes have on the
viewer? Find examples of other long takes and analyze what they communicate.
There are several strong motifs in this film: cats, glass, and clocks are a few of them. Choose a
particular motif that you found interesting and discuss how it was used and what it
communicates.
This film was created to be shown on television. How does that affect how it was edited? Can you
tell where the commercial breaks were? A television screen is much smaller than a big screen in a
movie theatre, so there are different considerations and techniques for shooting a film for TV as
opposed to a feature film. What do you notice about how the way this film is presented that is
different from a feature film?
Notice how the scenes with the child (the little girl that played Sybil as a child) were shot and
edited. Since treating a real child actor the way Hattie treated Sybil would be unethical and/or
highly problematic, the filmmakers had to shoot Hattie speaking and then shoot the child, and
then edit them into a shot-reverse-shot pattern to make it appear as if Hattie and the child were in
the same room at the same time (in some shots they are together, of course). Where else do you
see editing used for a particular purpose?
Of course, films take liberties, even with “true” stories. Did you feel the liberties that were taken
(like adding a love interest) helped the film? Why or why not? Explain. How does the target
audience contribute to the way the film was put together and what was included in the story?
Does the film accurately portray the symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder? Is it an accurate
portrayal of a person with this disorder? Regardless of whether or not you think that Shirley
Mason (the actual person) had the disorder, how does the film portray the symptoms? What does
it get right? Wrong?
What kind of client/therapist relationship do Sybil and Dr. Wilbur have in the film? How does it
differ from the relationship they had in real life? Do you feel it was an ethical/appropriate
relationship? Why or why not?
With the Sybil case the big question is whether or not Shirley Mason actually had Dissociative
Identity Disorder or not. Based on everything you’ve read about the case, what do you think? How
might Dr. Wilbur and Flora Schreiber have influenced the diagnosis and portrayal of Shirley? What
other diagnosis might be appropriate for Shirley? Clearly, she’s mentally ill, but if she’s not an
authentic Multiple Personality, then what diagnosis would you give her? What evidence do you
have to substantiate that diagnosis?