The sensational element of "My Mother's Split Personalities" (a.k.a., "Terrified at 17") is manifested in the character of the mother, who at any moment may appear as Gail (the fragile wife/mother), Madeleine (the sensualist), Sadie (the sadist), and little Amy (the little lost girl who never had the comfort of a mother's love). But, as the film unfolds, the most interesting character is the daughter Julie, who stands relentlessly by all of the split personalities of her mentally ill mom.
There was also a potboiler subplot that involved a nefarious pair of villains, Warren and Toni, a tag-team pair of criminals, who hope to fleece the mother of millions. But against these evil forces, young Julie stands tall.
A recurring phrase that that emerges in the profile of the mom plagued by DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) is the ability to be "standing in the light." The light protects her from the forces of darkness invading her mind. But when the light recedes, the forces of darkness return to wreak havoc on the victim.
It is Julie's tenacity to find a place in the light where she can truly be with her mother. The theme of love and family emerges triumphant. The case study of Julie and her mom is one in which eternal love defeats the encroaching darkness!
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