''Strange Voices'' is a 1987 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

about

schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...

directed by

Arthur Allan Seidelman Arthur Allan Seidelman (born 1937 in New York City) is an American television director, television, film director, film, and theatre director and an occasional writer, producer, and actor. His works are distinguished by a humane, probing, and sympa ...

and written by Wayne and Donna Powers. It was one of the ten highest rated made for TV movies that year with a 33 share in the

Nielsen Ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

. The reviews were mixed as the film was criticized as inferior to other made-for-television movies about the disorder, including ''

Promise A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...

'' (1986). ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', for instance, called it "too much, too late".TV Review; NBC's 'Strange Voices,' On Schizophrenia
The New York Times, October 19, 1987

Plot

Nicole is a bright, gifted and attractive college student, with a normal home life and a boyfriend. Trouble starts when she is troubled by her father's computer print-outs; subsequently, she becomes paranoid that her boyfriend (Jeff) is cheating on her and comments that "they" told her everything. She returns home from college and begins to consistently hear voices. Confused, she acts violently, destroying her father's computer and offending his guests during a party. Her parents (Dave and Lynn) take her to the hospital, where she is diagnosed with

. They refuse to believe that she has the disorder, however, blaming Nicole's behavior on her split with Jeff. They ignore the doctor's advice and take her back home, where she admits to her younger sister Lisa that she reacted the way she did because she heard voices and couldn't control herself. Nicole soon returns to college, reunites with Jeff and stops taking her prescribed

medication Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to medical diagnosis, diagnose, cure, treat, or preventive medicine, prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmaco ...

. Shortly, Nicole starts to hear voices again and becomes

delusion A delusion is a fixed belief that is not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence. As a pathology, it is distinct from a belief based on false or incomplete information, confabulation, dogma, illusion, hallucination, or some other m ...

al. She ends up stopping her car in the middle of a road, stepping out of her car and panicking. Her parents agree to take her to the hospital, but are upset to find out that there is no cure, and respond angrily when she fights taking treatment. Lynn tries to force Nicole to take medication, but she refuses to, explaining that it makes her feel sick. However, without the medication, she has a relapse of her psychotic symptoms. Realizing what she is doing, she gives in on the pills and allows her mother to help her.

Side effects In medicine, a side effect is an effect of the use of a medicinal drug or other treatment, usually adverse but sometimes beneficial, that is unintended. Herbal and traditional medicines also have side effects. A drug or procedure usually used ...

include suffering from

seizure A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...

s, which pushes her to make the decision to quit using medication again. She pretends that she is taking the pills, but is caught by Lisa. Nicole is upset to find out that her parents are constantly arguing over the way she should be treated. Meanwhile, Lisa feels neglected by their parents and says that she believes Nicole acts the way she does only to get attention. After a few more outbursts, destroying items with a knife and starting a small kitchen fire, Lynn sends Nicole to a

mental institution A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe mental disorders. These institutions cater to patients with ...

. Dave is opposed to this, feeling that he is abandoning his daughter. Nicole stills refuses to take pills, telling her

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

that she would rather feel confused than to feel nothing at all. One night, she escapes from the institution and is nowhere to be found. During his search for her, Dave blames himself for what happened to her. After two weeks without a trace of her, Nicole is arrested for having eaten at a diner without paying. She is questioned, but initially can't remember who she is. Lynn and Lisa finally pick Nicole up and take her home, but Dave refuses to talk to her and when Lynn confronts him about it, he responds that she is too sick to notice anyway. Meanwhile, Lisa is admitted to university, but she decides not to go, much to the distress of Lynn. When Lynn confronts her, Lisa admits that she is afraid that she may turn out the same way as Nicole, but Lynn assures her that that is not a likely possibility. In the end, Nicole tries to commit

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

by an

overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.

. She recovers and rebuilds her bond with her father, and Lynn and Dave finally decide to work together to help Nicole find a meaningful life.

Cast

References

External links

* {{Arthur Allan Seidelman 1987 television films 1987 films 1987 drama films American drama television films American films based on actual events Fiction about schizophrenia Films about schizophrenia NBC original films Films directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman 1980s English-language films 1980s American films