The Bell Jar (film)

The Bell Jar is a 1979 film based on Sylvia Plaths 1963 roman clef it was directed by Larry Peerce, and stars Marilyn Hassett and Julie Harris. The story follows a young womans summer in New York City working for a womens magazine, her return home to New England, and her subsequent psychological breakdown within the context of the difficulties of the 1950sranging from the Rosenbergs execution, to the disturbing aspects of pop culture, to the distraction of predatory college boys.

After the movies release, Dr. Jane V. Anderson, a Boston psychiatrist, claimed she was portrayed as the character Joan and filed a lawsuit. In the film, Joan attempts to get Esther to agree to a suicide pact, an incident which is not in the book. Joan is implied to be a lesbian in Plaths novel, although this is never explicitly stated. Dr. Andersons lawyer said the film portrayal has grossly damaged her reputation as a practising psychiatrist and a member of the Harvard Medical School faculty.

Source: Wikipedia