The Bell Jar

Plot synopsis:
Based on Sylvia Plath's novel, The Bell Jar Esther Greenwood (Marilyn Hassett) dances turning around and around. She speaks directly to the camera, saying that she has won a scholarship and that she is a "very proper New England girl". She arrives to college by bike, and a friend wishes her luck. All the teaching body have gathered to hear the announced of the winner. The head of the English Department announces the winner of the Mary Elizabeth Harrison Award because that person has proved consistently an ability to write poetry along the year. All heads to Esther Greenwood, the winner of the award, but she doesn't look happy or satisfied about it - she just ignores the stares and keeps on dribbling on a notebook. Finally, she reacts, stands up and smiles to everybody in acceptance of the award.Later, she goes to meet the boy she likes Buddy Willard (Jameson Parker); they are alone in a bedroom, presumably his at his parents'. He proposes to her instead of having sex - this is the 50's, and premarital sex is very much frowned upon. He says that his mother says that marriage is the only way, "living in sin" is unthinkable and his mother says that people who have sex out of marriage end up in hell. They kiss and seem to be about to have sex, but she stops him. He has plans to study Medicine, and Esther worries that in his plans, there is no education for her. He says that she may go to college as well, and goes back to the topic of what will happen when he will have his practice. She inquires about his previous love affairs - he has had several, a waitress, another woman. He says that for a guy it is different, and sex may not always lead to have an emotional attachment. He assumes that she is still a virgin, and she finds it offensive. She finally admits that she has never sex with any man; this secretly relieves and satisfies him. He asks whether she has ever seen a naked man, and she says she hasn't. He asks her whether she would like to see one - referring to himself, of course. She finally says she is interested in doing that. He starts to undress while she munches on something. She laughs when she sees him on his undies. When he takes his underwear off, the light goes off, so she has to make do with the weak light from the street lamp coming in from outside the window. It's pitch dark anyway, and we don't get to see his willy. She laughs and directs his positioning. Immediately, he tells her that it's her turn to strip - she wasn't expecting that and argues that he has already seen a naked woman. She tries to laugh it off but he presses on. He tells her that she is really beautiful. He kisses her and wants to have sex with her. She finally stops him, screaming and crying. He asks what the matter was, as it seems an exaggerated reaction. She says that she doesn't know what the matter is.Esther speaks with her afraid about the incident. She found particularly annoying that he put away his clothes very neatly when he undressed. Esther saw his dick and his balls, and he compares everything with a turkey.
Esther is very excited because she has won a four-week trip to New York to work at a women's magazine, all expenses paid, including the hotel. Mrs Greenwood (Julie Harris), her mother, doesn't like the idea and can't wait to tell her - New York is a dangerous and dirty place, which could be either very hot or very cold. Esther doesn't appreciate the comments and becomes serious and detached. Mrs Greenwood and Esther are walking while pushing their bikes - they are going to have a picnic by the banks of a small river - the day is glorious, and they choose an area close to the water to the shade of trees. The mother says that her father would have been really proud of her. Esther was an A-student, and once she arrived home crying because she thought the teacher would give her a B, something which didn't happen. Her mother only regrets that Esther didn't have more friends. Esther denies to have been a lonely child. The mother takes a photo of her, and tells her to stop fooling around putting an apple on her mouth. The mother tells her that Esther has become la créme of the world, but Esther regrets not having so much money and silk sweaters as her classmates; some of them even had horses that they would take to school. Her mother says something obvious - that happened because those girls' parents were rich. The mother changes the subject, and says that she has joined a folk dancing class. Both laugh about the ridiculous hand-made hat she has made. Esther asks why she hasn't married again, and her mother says it's complicated. Esther says that she may find somebody during the dancing lessons, but the mother says that it would have to be somebody her daughter likes. Esther thinks that quite a ridiculous notion, as she doesn't even live at home anymore, but Mother says that during the holidays she lives there. Esther asks why she didn't let her go to Dad's funeral. Mother says that Esther was too young and that he didn't suffer. Mother doesn't want to keep on talking about that, but Esther complains that she doesn't even know what he died from. Mother ends up saying that some things are better left alone. Esther would do anything her father wanted, although on some other occasions she used to have a temper as a child. Mother seems to be jealous of Esther and her father's close relationship. She wants to know if there was any blood - finally, her mother starts crying.They finally go to a restaurant with John Gilling (Scott McKay), a rich man who has invited them and will pay. He makes Joan (Donna Mitchell) uncomfortable, even mentioned her alcoholic mother. Gilling stands up and asks for an ovation - he drunkenly sings; everybody joins in, even Mrs Greenwood - not Esther and Joan. Joan and Esther walk hand in hand in the night. Joan thinks that in ten years she will be dead. Esther cuts Joan when she speaks about death the same as her mother cut her. She mentions that it's possible that she ends up doing the same things than her mother. She wonders if she should marry a nice boy and get over with all worries.Another night, her boyfriend is pressing her again about marrying before leaving. She mentions that she wants to be a writer, and he tells her that they would lead a comfortable life with plenty of kids and that she could write while the children are in bed; he promises that he will wash the dishes for her. Later, they drunkenly walk. Esther watches a fashion catwalk.Esther is going to an elite college. Her mother is already preparing her. Esther and Joan speak about Mrs Tenner, their expelled old teacher, while they drink. Joan seats close to Esther, who starts thinking about ways of committing suicide. It is suggested that Joan is a Lesbian who is attracted to her.The editor tells about her professional life and old jobs, and tells Esther that her A marks won't help her in a professional life. When Esther insists that she wants to be a poet, but the editor seems to mock her off. Later, Esther throws all her toys to the floor and stays awake staring at the ceiling. Joan hugs and consoles her. Finally, they go to a party. Buddy and her dance. They go out to a garden and he tries to have sex with her - she rejects him and bites his face. He ends up screaming "slut" while she runs away. She arrives home and throws all her clothes away. She screams on the window, naked except for her undies. A dog is barking in the distance. She seems to be having a breakdown.Her mother recommends her to go outside more. Dr Gordon starts treating Esther, as he thinks she's mentally disturbed. Mrs Greenwood wants to teach Esther shorthand, so that she may take a job in the future, but Esther wants to go to university. Esther spills milk all over her mother's notebook - there is a tug-of-war between them two, with Mrs Greenwood screaming "stop it!, stop it!" This time it is electroshock for Esther; she is forced to take them; afterwards, she can't even walk on her own - she becomes a zombie. Dr Gordon thinks that she's improving. She cries and laughs because her mother won't take her to Boston.She writes on a mirror with lipstick that she is visiting Daddy. She looks around for the tombstones until she finds the right one; she gives him his old bad. Coming back home, she tries to cut her wrists, but later she gives up and has plenty of pills. She puts on red lipstick which makes her look like a clown. Finally, she is saved in the nick of time and sent again to the mental hospital.Dr Nolan (Anne Jackson) is more helpful, although after two months she realises that she has not improved. Dr Nolan puts her again on shock treatment, but this time she does it the right way. She gives her anesthetics, and when she wakes up she is already in bed. She feels a little bit better and she can have a normal conversation with Dr. Nolan.Her mother visits her. Esther tells her other to knock on the door. Her mother says "I am your own other" and enters anyway. Mrs Greenwood talks about the terrible trip. She has even brought a bouquet of roses for her. Mrs Greenwood asks what she has done wrong. Esther says she is sorry if she disappoints / embarrashes her. Mrs Greenwood leaves. Dr Nolan asks Mrs Greenwood not to visit for a while. Esther admits to Dr Nolan that she hates her mother.Joan visits Esther, who's returning from a biking trip. Esther is actually happy to see her. Joan is also staying at the hospital as well, as she couldn't handle living in the real world. She spoke to some of the people of the ladies' magazine. It looks like Joan's father is a crossdresser. Esther is a little nervous, and can't believe that Joan has realy tried to kill herself.Buddy visits Esther. He has started Medicine and hasn't found it easy. She hasn't forgiven him for the attempted rape. Buddy wants her to follow him to an internship in New Jersey, and takes for granted she will go with him. But she refuses - she still wants to be a poet. Buddy can't believes what he hears.Joan and Esther take a long stroll. Joan admits that he used her crossdressing father's razor to try to commit suicide. Joan hugs and kisses her tummy. Esther finally realises Joan's feelings for her. Esther stays frozen and eventually runs away, leaving Joan on her own, crying.Dr Richards (Gil Rogers) asks Esther to locate Joan. She finds her body - Joan had hung herself. Dr Nollan hugs her.The treatment will finally work.---written by KrystelClaire

Tags: insanity, autobiographical

Review:
What could they possibly have been thinking?.
Jameson Parker And Marilyn Hassett are the screen's most unbelievable couple since John Travolta and Lily Tomlin.
Larry Peerce's direction wavers uncontrollably between black farce and Roman tragedy.
Robert Klein certainly think it's the former and his self-centered performance in a minor role underscores the total lack of balance and chemistry between the players in the film.
Normally, I don't like to let myself get so ascerbic, but The Bell Jar is one of my all-time favorite books, and to watch what they did with it makes me literally crazy..
Instead of "Sylvia" see this original movie about Plath.
This movie is one of the few I actually bought several copies of.
Though it is circa 1979, it is not dated, and so much more effective than the recent "Sylvia" film, which is dominated by Gwyneth Paltrow's persona.Marilyn Hassett plays the principal role, and does an excellent job.
She does not overshadow the personality of Sylvia Plath, who was an interesting, conflicted and brilliant individual.The story follows Sylvia at Smith College, where a young Donna Mitchell ("Mona Lisa Smile" mother to Kirsten Dunst), plays her best friend.
The scenery invokes New England autumn, promise and hope.
Julie Harris is perfect as Aurelia Plath, Sylvia's mother.
We can almost feel Sylvia's disdain, as her mother reminds Sylvia ...""you got nothing but straight A's....oh, except for deportment"...
Her mother is always at her, and this mirrors Sylvia's eventual faltering self-image.The story progresses as she wins a scholarship to NY where ..."ëvery one envied me that summer"...
However, there is the fateful backdrop of the Rosenbergs, the Eisenhower era, and Sylvia's doubts about her future.
We see fashion shows, jewelry, cosmetics, and the fear Sylvia has of what awaits her.
One should also read the book to get her true impressions, which are quite astute, reflecting women's roles in the late 1950's.Since it was the late 50's Sylvia was expected to marry, but does not see this as a viable solution, indeed it is a hindrance to her writing career.
She is on the brink of decision, when she has the ultimate breakdown; I will not delineate the detail, you must watch the brilliantly constructed story, which leads her to her decision.
The main issue I liked was that her life was shown, not in conjunction with a man (like the more recent movie) but how SHE was affected, and what life meant to her..
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..
An Abomination.
This is one of the worst films I've ever seen.
I looked into it mainly out of a morbid curiosity since I loved the novel, and I wish I hadn't.
I turned it off after a little less than an hour, though I wanted to turn it off after five minutes.
I wish I had.
It disregards the novel a lot and changes all sorts of factors.
Unless the film managed to redeem itself in the last 50 or so minutes (which would be impossible) I would in no way recommend this.
Its an insult to one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
I don't think, as many people say that it is, that "The Bell Jar" is necessarily unfilmable, but this particular rendition could have been done without.
I'd almost like to see this one day in the hands of a director and screenwriter who can do it justice..
horrible in every way.
I rented this movie from the library (it's hard to find for good reason) purely out of curiosity.
I'm a huge Plath fan and this movie was a complete disappointment.
The Bell Jar (1979) is by far one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
The script is horrible, not because it strays from the original novel text, but because it strays without focus or intent.
The scenes are ill-constructed and don't lead the viewer anywhere.
What's with the hokey voice over of Plath's poetry?
Lady Lazarus has little do with Greenwood's situation; Plath's poetry was completely misused.
Marilyn Hassett is completely unbelievable as Esther Greenwood (or any 20 year old for that matter) partly due to casting (she was 32 during filming, the age Plath was when she DIED) and partly due to the fact that she can't act.
Hassett is all emotion, no craft, no skill.
The direction is mediocre; the director simply covers what's there, which isn't much.
The only reason I'm giving the film a 1 is because 0 isn't an option.
Sorry Sylvia, you'll have to wait for someone else to adapt your fine work into something more fitting..
Disappointing at best.
When they say that a book is always better than the film adaptation, "The Bell Jar" is a movie that can support that opinion to its highest degree.
Sylvia Plath`s American classic, "The Bell Jar", is a vivid, disturbing and brutally honest depiction of a young woman`s plunge towards insanity in the 1950`s, and it has become my favourite book of all time.
The film version, however, failed miserably in trying to tranfer the book onto the big screen.
The original story was cut up so badly for the film, you sometimes can`t even tell if they`re the same story.
The acting by the main character`s was mediocre at best, and worst of all, the movie completely lacked the poetic and evocative spirit that made the book special.
Watching "The Bell Jar" just isn`t the same as reading the book, trust me when I say the book is much better..
Didn't follow the book.
While Marilyn Hassett is a fine actress (she's absolutely wonderful as Jill Kinmont in the "Other Side of the Mountain" movies), she was totally miscast in "The Bell Jar".
According to the book, the character of Esther Greenwood was nineteen, and Ms. Hassett was almost thirty-two at the time of this filming.
Sylvia Plath's novel is a haunting, harrowing, timeless classic, and the film reflected none of that.
It was a mess.
Read the book instead..
Marilyn Hassett Gives A Great Performance!.
Remember seeing this film years ago and it had a lasting impression on me!
I remember the wonderful performance of Marilyn Hassett as Esther and Julie Harris as her mother!
The breakdown of the main character was horrorfing and so well acted!
I wish this was on video!
Whatever happened to Marilyn Hassett she had a real promising career and what beautiful hair!.
Almost Every Girl's Favorite at One Point.
Just as all boys who become readers as a result of CATCHER IN THE RYE and later are either discovering Phillip Roth or "rebel" types, the same goes for the adult woman emerging from the BELL JAR....EVERY sort of bright or pseudo intellectual girl is introduced to this book which becomes their stepping stone into the neurotic hormonal changes into WOMAN.
That is trite and will annoy most of you, but it has been true for a long time.
Even Liz Taylor once was going to do the film when young but could not get anyone to finance the "downer" aspect of this terrific work.
Of course, a film with a mental narrative is almost impossible to make into a good film.
Joan Didion's PLAY IT AS IT LAYS was a fantastic film of a very little known subject....filmmaking and the "biz", but a good portrait of a woman and Tuesday Weld was mind blowing in it.Just as the boys went on into the literary world to Mailer, Kesey, Tom Wolfe,and others went on to the political savants Vidal etc.;the women did the Virginia Woolf and offshoots of downer hood and independence and the intellectuals of both genders met in the middle with earlier mentioned Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, but the bump in the rug was when Erich Segal had such a hit with LOVE STORY and both sexes were now trapped by this silly little book and started reading together because they became "adult" enough to discuss each others' favorites.
Now, are new literary heroes are emerging through politics or trash and some heavy handed intellectuals or NO READING at all---compared to the days when one had up to three or four books going at once.There are so many writers from foreign lands who are doing better work because the world is so bizarrely transitioning into a heavy handed place to create and kids are using electronic communication devices which has played havoc with a lot of good storytellers who cannot get a publisher and we almost know what our old "favorites" are going to write about..There are a lot more books and writers than I make it appear....but, it is still frustrating to go into a store and come out empty handed because it is quite a luxury to spend $25-40 when you are having financial setbacks or one struggles to justify not reading a great book they have at their apartment or home bookshelves which are bursting.
Try Lorca or some Chinese writers by going to the public library first..
Vastly disappointing.
I greatly enjoy the novel and the poetry of Sylvia Plath, but this movie does a great disservice to the book.
I had seen the movie a number of years ago at the theater, and at this moment I am sort of half watching it on late night broadcast TV (which has done nothing to improve my opinion of the movie).
The lead character comes across as whiny and irritating.
The acting of the cast in general is pretty poor.
It seems a shame that such a fine novel by such a complex and tragic author received the mediocre treatment given it by this film.
Read the book!.
what a horrible movie...
i saw this a few months ago and i hope i never will have to again...i was not expecting something so hideously bad and corny....julie harris couldn't even save it...she was the only one who acted with some dignity...everything in the movie is jumbled and done wrong...the book is amazing, don't get me wrong, i love it to death..it's one of my all-time favourites, absolutely brilliant...but i find it sad how terrible the only movie it was made into is....i could've done a better job with the idea and i don't even know the first thing about moviemaking.
Moving adaptation (this review contains spoilers).
I read the book The Bell Jar when I was 17 a couple years ago, and enjoyed it even though I didn't fully understand it.
I understand it better just from the experiences I've had since then, putting myself in the context of my memories of reading it.
I had heard about the movie version and that it wasn't a satisfying adaptation, and after seeing it I only half agree with that assessment of it.Certainly, it had flaws, most notably it's continued attempts to identify Esther Greenwood as Sylvia Plath directly, even having Marilyn Hassett read narration that took excerpts directly from some of Plath's most famous poems, including "Daddy," "Lady Lazarus," and "Mad Girl's Love Song." While it's true that Plath based the book upon herself and her experiences, the book stands alone as a work of it's own.
We don't need to know anything about Plath to appreciate it, and that's how the movie should have presented it.
By connecting it directly to Plath, they sensationalize her and her death, and indeed the whole movie is guilty of oversensationalizing.I'm going from memory, but I don't remember the novel's Esther as going quite so crazy as Hassett's character does in this film.
I don't remember her writing "gone to see daddy, good bye" dramatically with lipstick on the mirror, and I don't remember her writing a note which implied Esther had dissociative personality disorder.
The screenwriters didn't seem to know what exactly Esther's problem was, so they inserted that ridiculous and inconsistent bit, as well as other dialogue that implied that Esther was schizophrenic, which she was not.However, despite the movie's flaws, it creates the atmosphere well.
Hassett turns in a believable and talented, if sometimes over-the-top performance as Esther, a brilliant university student in 1953, torn between following her dream of being a poet and becoming a traditional housewife, as girls were expected and expected themselves to become in the 50's.
She is treated as an object by men, critisized by bitter, self-rightous women for her intelligence, and her mother is in denial that her daughter is cracking under the pressure placed upon her.The other performances are excellent mostly, except for Julie Harris as Esther's mother who seems a little too weak and flaky.
Part of the blame lies with the screenwriters, who don't give her enough screen time to develop her character.
Barbara Barrie is convincing as the  bitter magazine editor who urges Esther harshly and forcefully to update her tastes in novelists and write from the point of view of the average college student.Donna Mitchell is powerful as Esther's good friend who is spiraling downward at the same time as she.
Although they gleefully discuss the best methods of self-destruction in a bar, neither of them realizes that the other one is drowning at the same time as she.
Virtually every scene with Mitchell in it is haunting, and the lesbian overtones are convincingly subtle and not overstated.
I don't think the extra scene where she kills herself was necessary, but it was still effective.Finally, Mary Louise Weller is convincing in a small but important role as the stunning southern belle who befriends Esther but does not connect with her, and saves herself from Esther's problems by allowing herself to be pigeonholed into the same category as all the other young girls of the 50's, abandoning her dreams.Overall, the insertion of Plath's poetry borders on being insulting to her, and any attempt to translate her ingenious work will inevitably be imperfect and flawed, but this movie offers a powerful, moving effort and is a notable portrayal of a complex, brilliant girl's descent into madness and depression and her turbulent recovery.