6. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977)
Kathleen Quinlan plays Deborah, a young schizophrenic girl whose mind inhabits a bizarre alternate reality. She is institutionalised for 3 years as she struggles to find some semblance of sanity. I liked this film a lot. It is probably a cash in on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with the protagonist being female instead of male. Kathleen Quinlan does a really good job in portraying a mentally disturbed young woman. There is plenty of opportunity for her to chew the scenery (to really munch it) but she reins herself in admirably. The film also features a deviant nurse - there is always one in every ward, even in real life, trust me. It is a claustrophobic film to watch as it is primarily set within the confines of an institution. The film is replete with all the psychiatric stereotypes you could imagine. Bibi Andersson does a terrific turn as the warm, humane doctor who sticks by Deborah and coaxes her into something resembling sanity. Highly interesting to watch, but not as good or as detailed as the real life story book upon which it was based which is a masterpiece of mental health literature.