VOICES WITHIN:THE LIVES OF TRUDDI CHASE

US, 1990, 200 minutes (abridged version, 117 minutes), Colour.
Shelley Long, Tom Conti, John Rubinstein.
Directed by Lamont Johnson.

Voices Within is a film about multiple personality. In the '50s, Joanne Woodward starred in The Three Faces of Eve and Eleanor Parker in Lizzie. In the '70s Sally Field was Sybil. In the 1980s, Shelley Long is the woman who has over twenty personalities within her, calling them "we" and "the Troops". In fact, this is a true story and Truddi, on whom the story is based, is given technical adviser credit - along with the Troops.

Shelley Long seems rather more ordinary and normal at the beginning of the film but gets more complex as her life becomes more involved and she seeks therapy. John Rubinstein is particularly good as her bewildered husband. Tom Conti is the psychologist. The film was directed by Lamont Johnson, director of many interesting films and telemovies from the '70s to the '90s including The Execution of Private Slovik, Lipstick, One on One ...

1. Audience interest in the theme of multiple personality, the tradition of movies about this phenomenon? Impact on the audience, understanding, communication?

2. Psychological background of the story, the true story - in contemporary American society? Audiences identifying with Truddi and her experience? The affluent background, the flashbacks to the poor home and Truddi's upbringing? Musical score?

3. The strength of the cast and Shelley Long's interpretation of Truddi?

4. The film based on a true story, the reference to the Troops, their support of Truddi, sharing her life, the "we" of the group of personalities and their influence on her life, their manifestations? And advisers to the movie?

5. The framework: Truddi and her going on the trip, her attitude towards murder, getting the scissors, the flashbacks, the experience of her life, the resentment towards her stepfather, finding him - an old man and her leaving him?

6. Truddi as a little girl, her mother with the washing, nagging, talking negatively about sex? The stepfather, his work, menace, brutality, sexual abuse, the snakes and the well? The effect of such abuse on a little girl of this age? Her ability to cope, not coping, forming the group of personalities who were mechanisms for coping? Seeing this all again in her memory? The significance of the well? The effect of the abuse on her life? Confronting her stepfather and his being a helpless old man, wanting her to come back and her walking away?

7. Truddi and Shelley Long's style, presence, coping, manner? Her art, the job interview, getting the job, the attraction towards Norman, relationship with him, sexuality, fear? Shared experiences, the proposal and the marriage?

8. Her marriage, the moods, sexuality, the announcing of her pregnancy and her bitterness, Norman and his understanding and changing her? His not realising that it was multiple personalities responding to him? The experience of the birth? Page and the question about her name? The photo collage of the baby growing up and the parents' responses? Truddi's angers, ignoring her daughter, the incidents at school, her growing fear that she would hurt her daughter?

9. Truddi with Norman, the mood changes, her wanting to study, her job and real estate, the growing breakdowns? Her warnings, her leaving Norman, the desperate phone calls to the police?

10. Truddi on the phone, her torment, her personalities, talking with Albert Johnson, his listening, her hanging up, trying to trace the call? Her calling him again - and the reference to the doctor? The talk with the doctor, her agreement to go into therapy, her agreement that everything should be videoed to help others? The gradual manifestations of the variety of personalities, their names eg Twelve? Simple, childlike, vivacious, seductive? Her not knowing who was in charge? The effect of the therapy, her bewilderment, the passing of time? Norman and his response, his illness and his death? Page and Norman being with her, growing to understand her? Page's response to her mother?

11. The significance of the trip, wanting to confront and kill her stepfather, the scissors, describing him as an ugly old man and returning to her life?

12. The character sketch of Norman, his work, attraction towards Truddi, hiring her, his busyness? The relationship, the marriage? His love for her, patience and understanding, his busy work life and her intrusions? His love for his daughter, her birth, the name? The collage of her growing up? His growing desperation, ability and inability to handle the crises? His own physical weakness? The separation, the reconciliations, the pathos of his death? Page, love for her father, her bewilderment with her mother's treatment, love, gifts, being ignored, her school work, growing up? Her gradual understanding of her mother?

13. The doctor, discussions with Truddi, his voice-over heard during her journey? His therapy, techniques, the videoing, listening, suggesting, asking questions? His personal support of her?

14. The themes of child abuse, victims, their effect, abilities and inability to cope, growing needs, therapy? The prevalence of this kind of experience in contemporary society?