United States

WHEN SHE TRIED TO KILL HERSELF, IT WAS THE JUST BEGINNING. This powerful and deeply moving drama provides a fascinating and thought-provoking picture of the rehabilitation of a mentally ill patient and, said The New Yorker, it 'treats the subject of a pretty, schizophrenic girl with pity and understanding'. The story has strong echoes of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest but here, handled with great sympathy and intelligence, it provides unforgettable adult entertainment. The film is dominated by a stunning portrayal by Kathleen Quinlan who plays sixteen-year-old Deborah Blake who attempts to kill herself and is committed for treatment to a psychiatric hospital and finds herself trapped in a nightmare world where reality and fantasy collide. Time magazine noted her 'strong and sensitive performance', the Daily Express said that she 'displays enormous talent' and Monthly Film Bulletin thought she was 'excellent'. And she is magnificently supported by Bibi Andersson as the sympathetic therapist who slowly guides her back to sanity. There is a brilliant script (based on the cult novel by Hannah Green) by Gavin Lambert and Lewis John Carlino, and fine emotional direction by Anthony Page, making a film that Time magazine said has 'a good many touching and vivid moments'.