CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD
US, 1986, 110 minutes, Colour.
William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, Philip Bosco.
Directed by Randa Haines.
Children of a Lesser God is an impressive drama about the hearing-impaired. It was nominated for the Oscar for best film, director, actor William Hurt - and won Best Actress award for Marly Matlin. (Marly Matlin was to appear in films Walker and, especially, the telemovie Bridge to Silence with Lee Remick.)
The film is adapted from the play by Mark Medov (writer of such dramas as Apology). The film is set in a school in Maine, focuses on the attempts at teacher Hurt in influencing the children, teenagers, with different educational methods. He clashes with the head of the institute, Philip Bosco. He is involved with Marly Matlin, resistant to attempts to make her speak. He also encounters her mother, Piper Laurie (also Oscar nominated) - bringing the film to hard-fought, emotional resolution.
1.A moving film? The title, favouritism and handicap in human beings? The meaning of the God who creates handicapped people? The hearing-impaired?
2.The American settings, the island, the school, the town, homes? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
3.The importance of sound, hearing? Silence? Music and the vibrations, the beat and the hearing-impaired perceiving the music?
4.Sign-language, the responses? Attention, lip-reading? The hearing-impaired learning to voice sounds? The dramatic effect of signing? - and James repeating for the hearing audience the sign communication?
5.The film based on a play, the opening-out of the play - locations, characters, situations and interactions?
6.The audience going to the island with James, sharing his experience? The hearing audience, encountering the hearing-impaired, education, policies, creativity, change, disappointment?
7.The head of the school, his vision, stereotyping, mockery of James? The importance of the money grants and his concern? Interfering? The limitations in education? The classes? The students and their range of backgrounds, disability, ability? The methods? The styles of behaviour, clothing, groupies? The ethos of the students? Of the staff? The domestic staff?
8.James in himself, his experience, the director's attitude towards him, his initial meeting of the class, the lip-reading, tricking them? The group, getting to know them, using sign language, using words? Their isolation, his use of music, the vibrations, boomerang, clothes, favourites? The build-up to the singing, the miming, performing? His achievement?
9.Meeting Sarah, discovering her? Rejected? Puzzled? Her surly attitude towards him in the laboratory? Her swimming? The confrontation, misunderstandings, communication? The dinner? His self-assertion towards her, her rebuffing him? The search for her? Going to her mother? Meeting her again? The story of her anger? His changed attitude? Going out with her, the beach, sexual affair, responses to her, the dancing? Angers? Her going to the concert and going away? James's going to her mother, the search, hopes? His own achievement with the students and their performance? His being challenged in his attitudes, letting people be, the confrontation for the educator, for the human being?
10.Sarah and Marly Matlin's Oscar-winning performance? Verve and vitality? The first glimpse of her, at work, settled in as a domestic? Her talents? The story of her childhood, her sister, her mother and father, the boys, her sexual abuse? Friendship with James, clash with him? Change of attitude, the dinner, the dancing, her dancing by herself? Her self-assertion? The sexual liaison? Changing? Her attitude towards her mother? Her anger at speeches being made? Her owning her silence, choosing not to speak? The clash with James, going to her mother? The reconciliation with her mother, the blame concerning her father? Hairdressing, going to college? Her return, her jealousy, reconciliation? A future with James? Hearing disability and its effect on her, her personality, affirming herself, being herself?
11.The portrait of Sarah's mother, not seeing her daughter for many years, the effect of her father's attitude? As a baby, her mother's care, the growing daughter, the daughters and their going out with boys, Sarah being used? James's visit and her unwillingness to see her daughter? Sarah's return, the bond between the two, sign language communication, empathy? The mother helping James to find Sarah?
12.The director of the school, his style, vision, concern about money, attitudes towards the students, his staff? To Sarah, harshness, critique? His stereotyping James and mocking him, turning off the loud music, the playing of the sport? His being changed by James's success?
13.The range of students, behaviour in class, not wanting to lip-read, the various types, the silent, the speaking? Learning the vibes for the music? The sports matches and mouthing abuse? The miming and the concert? The reaction of the parents?
14.The staff, their concern, education?
15.Attitudes towards the hearing-impaired, the contrast with the hearing world, the non-hearing world? Criteria for normality? Affirmation for the handicapped?
