Children of a Lesser God (film)
| Children of a Lesser God | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Randa Haines |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | Children of a Lesser God 1979 play by Mark Medoff |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | John Seale |
| Edited by | Lisa Fruchtman |
| Music by | Michael Convertino |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages |
|
| Budget | $10.5 million[1] |
| Box office | $101.5 million |
Children of a Lesser God is a 1986 American
Children of a Lesser God premiered at the
Plot
An energetic new teacher, James Leeds, arrives at a school for the deaf and hard of hearing in New England. He soon sees a young deaf woman, Sarah Norman, working as a janitor. Sarah, a former top student, is not well regarded by the hearing staff, but seems to integrate well with the deaf students. James begins to try to talk with her, arranging a meeting through her boss, pursuing her after school while she is attempting to clean, and persisting despite being rejected several times. She eventually agrees to go to dinner, and from the sidelines he watches her dance as she feels the music.
Sarah does not want to use her voice, and James eventually agrees not to try to force her to—a promise he later breaks. He finds out that Sarah refuses to visit her home, and assumes her mother has stopped reaching out. Through her mother, James finds out that Sarah and her sister Ruth were popular, and according to her mother her peers treated Sarah as if she was not different from other women. Unfortunately, Sarah later reveals that she was sorely used by the unnamed "boys", and may have been a victim of sex abuse. Such treatment has led Sarah to mistrust men and resist interacting with anyone. Later, in a pool scene, he walks in on her swimming nude. James confesses that he is falling in love with Sarah. She seems to be afraid. He falls into the pool on purpose, which changes the mood of the interaction. They share a passionate kiss in the water, then James undresses. It is implied that they have sex that night for the first time.
The relationship between James and Sarah develops. The school superintendent warns James that he does not believe the relationship will work, but James is adamant that he will stay with Sarah because he loves her. James choreographs a dance with his deaf students, in which they lip-sync to a song on a stage in front of their parents. Sarah sees this performance and becomes upset over the fact that the students use their voices. The conflict between James and Sarah persists as she thinks James hates her for not speaking. James convinces Sarah to leave her job and move in with him, although it is not clear what her plans for the future are. James's determination to hear Sarah speak and his inability to help her to develop individual pursuits frustrates her, and she feels he is patronizing her. They split up shortly after.
Sarah leaves James and goes to live with her estranged mother, reconciling with her in the process. James chases her, but she refuses to see him. After inquiring about her, James learns Sarah is working as a manicurist. Eventually, she and James reconcile at the
Cast
- William Hurt as James Leeds
- Marlee Matlin as Sarah Norman
- Piper Laurie as Mrs. Norman
- Philip Bosco as Dr. Curtis Franklin
- Allison Gompf as Lydia
- Bob Hiltermann as Orin
- Linda Bove as Marian Loesser
Production
Development
After meeting deaf actress
Following the vast success of his Broadway debut, Medoff, with fellow writer Anderson, penned a screenplay adapted from the original script. Though many changes were made, the core love story remained intact.
Filming
The movie was shot primarily in and around Saint John, New Brunswick, during the autumn of 1985, with the Rothesay Netherwood School serving as the main set.[1] Aside from locations in Saint John and Rothesay Netherwood School, sets were constructed by Saint John local Keith MacDonald.
Release
The adaptation premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 1986, and was released widely in the United States on October 3 of the same year. Like its source material, the film generally gained praise from the hearing and deaf communities alike.[6]
Reception
Box office
The film opened at number five at the box office in the United States and Canada with an opening weekend gross of $1,909,084. The film stayed in the top ten for eight weeks and grossed a total of $31,853,080.[9][10] Internationally it grossed $69.6 million for a worldwide total of $101.5 million.[11]
Critical reception
Children of a Lesser God received generally positive reviews. On
The film is not subtitled (neither the spoken dialogue nor the signing); instead, as Ebert observed, the signed dialogue is repeated aloud by Hurt's character, "as if to himself".[6]
Awards and nominations
The film received five
See also
References
- ^ a b "Children of a Lesser God". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^
ISBN 978-0-252-06850-8.
- ^
Medoff, Mark (1981). Children of a Lesser God. Clifton, NJ: James T. White & Company. p. vii. ISBN 978-0-88371-032-6.
- ^
Lang, Harry G.; Meath-Lang, Bonnie (1995). Deaf Persons in the Arts and Sciences: A Biographical Dictionary. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-313-29170-8.
- ^ "Children of a Lesser God". Internet Broadway Database. The League of American Theatres and Producers. Archived from the original on July 11, 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Ebert, Roger (October 3, 1986). "Children Of A Lesser God". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 12, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ Sherrod, Kerryn. "Children Of A Lesser God". Turner Classic Movies Database. Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ Tennyson, Alfred Lord. "Idylls of the King". eBooks.Adelaide.edu.au. University of Adelaide, South Australia. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "Children of a Lesser God". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
- ^ "Foreign Vs. Domestic Rentals". Variety. January 11, 1989. p. 24.
- ^ "UIP's $25M-Plus Club". Variety. September 11, 1995. p. 92.
- ^ "Children of a Lesser God". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ Schickel, Richard (June 21, 2005). "Miracle Worker: Children of a Lesser God". Time. Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2012. Subscription required.
- ^ Attasanio, Paul (October 3, 1986). "'Children of a Lesser God'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ "The 59th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ "Help Page – Academy Awards Database – AMPAS". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ Michaelson, Judith (July 21, 1991). "What Took So Long?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ "Berlinale: 1987 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
