DramaRomance

Children of a Lesser God

- Love has a language all of its own.

Starting his new job as an instructor at a New England school for the deaf, James Leeds meets Sarah Norman, a young deaf woman who works at the school as a member of the custodial staff. In spite of Sarah's withdrawn emotional state, a romance slowly develops between the pair.

Release Date : 1986-09-13

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : James Leeds

Original Name : William Hurt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sarah Norman

Original Name : Marlee Matlin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mrs. Norman

Original Name : Piper Laurie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Curtis Franklin

Original Name : Philip Bosco

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lydia

Original Name : Allison Gompf

Gender : Male

Character Name : Johnny

Original Name : John F. Cleary

Gender : Male

Character Name : Glen

Original Name : Philip Holmes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cheryl

Original Name : Georgia Ann Cline

Gender : Male

Character Name : Danny

Original Name : William D. Byrd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tony

Original Name : Frank Carter Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : William

Original Name : John Limnidis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Orin

Original Name : Bob Hiltermann

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mary Lee Ochs

Original Name : E. Katherine Kerr

Gender : Female

Character Name : Alan Jones

Original Name : John Basinger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tom Schuyler

Original Name : Barry Magnani

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marian Loesser

Original Name : Linda Bove

Gender : Female

Character Name : Martha Franklin

Original Name : Ann Hanson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Harrison

Original Name : James Carrington

Gender : Male

Character Name : Glen's Father

Original Name : Max M. Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Glen's Mother

Original Name : María Cellario

Gender : Female

Character Name : Glen's Brother

Original Name : Jon-Paul Dougherty

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sarah's Friend

Original Name : Linda Swim

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sarah's Friend

Original Name : Lois Clowater

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waiter

Original Name : Allan R. Francis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cafeteria Cook

Original Name : Richard Kendall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ricky

Original Name : Christopher Shay

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman in Beauty Shop

Original Name : Laraine Isa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman at Party

Original Name : Nanci Kendall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mother

Original Name : Marie Brazil

Gender : Male

Character Name : Child

Original Name : Charlene Legere

Gender : Male

Character Name : Announcer

Original Name : Leigh French

Gender : Female

Character Name : Announcer

Original Name : Archie Hahn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Announcer

Original Name : Jack Blessing

Gender : Male

Character Name : Announcer

Original Name : Nicholas Guest

Gender : Male

Character Name : Announcer

Original Name : Gigi Vorgan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Announcer

Original Name : Lynne Marie Stewart

Gender : Female

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

***A school for the deaf on a Maine island with William Hurt and Marlee Matlin*** A teacher (William Hurt) moves to coastal Maine to work at a school for the deaf on an island where he becomes interested in a striking, but disturbed janitor (Marlee Matlin), who was once a student there. "Children of a Lesser God" (1986) is part celestial and mundane; beautiful and profane. Thankfully there’s more beauty. The Northeast coastal locations are wonderful and Hurt makes for a worthy protagonist while expertly pulling off a difficult role. Marlee Matlin is an exquisite revelation without which the movie would’ve failed. Everything builds to a stunning dramatic scene in the second half, which is expertly executed. Unfortunately, the couple hooks-up a little prematurely. More time should’ve been spent with the journey to consummation. Nonetheless, there are great moments here. The film runs 1 hour, 59 minutes and was shot in New Brunswick, Canada (Rothesay, Saint John & Beaver Harbour). GRADE: B

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-04-11

Acclaimed teacher "James" (William Hurt) arrives at a school for the deaf where his very "hands on" techniques rather shake the established order of superintendent "Franklin" (Philip Bosco). His pupils make good progress, though, as his methods start to encourage them to speak more and act with much more confidence amidst each other and amongst the talking community at large. Soon they playing a bit of second fiddle to the enigmatic "Sarah" (Marlee Matlin). She's now the school caretaker and has a reputation as a bit stand-offish and temperamental, but it turns out that she, too, is deaf and that she has also been in this establishment for over twenty years. Most people around the place just put up with her, but he determines to try to get to the bottom of her obvious frustrations and see if he can't help her deal with them. Initially a job of work for the man, this soon becomes something more visceral and intimate for both - and that tests the mettle of just about everyone. It's probably a testament to Matlee's strong and characterful performance here that I just didn't take to "Sarah" at all. I found the character - whatever her background, an angry and somewhat obnoxious creature who offered little for me to feel sympathetic towards. Not in a woe-is-me type of sympathy, just in a general sense of there ever being a likeable person under all the baggage. Their frequent rows and tantrums come across as increasingly contrived and by the end I thought the writing was on the wall for the pair as far as the plot was concerned and I didn't really care whether she spoke or didn't. I do think that shows her skill as an actress, and to an extent William Hurt's as a foil, but somehow this film resonated far more for what it meant politically and sensually at the time as a pice of profound innovation than it did dramatically on screen..