Children of a Lesser God

R

Released Oct 3, 1986

1 hr. 57 min.

Drama

TRAILER

for Children of a Lesser God: Trailer 1

List

81%

36 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Starting his new job as an instructor at a New England school for the deaf, James Leeds (William Hurt) meets Sarah Norman (Marlee Matlin), a young deaf woman who works at the school as a member of the custodial staff. A romance slowly develops between the pair in spite of Sarah's withdrawn emotional state due in part to her difficult relationship with her mother (Piper Laurie). Matlin, who is deaf in real life, won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this, her first film role.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Mar 13

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent Children of a Lesser God on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Children of a Lesser God transcends its transparently noble goals thanks to a pair of absorbing performances from William Hurt and Marlee Matlin.

Read Critics Reviews

Gertrude F

This movie is far from perfect, but the story is beautiful and left me speechless at the end, so that makes up for its various flaws. I agree with those who didn't like how hurt's character says everything out loud, BUT, it does kind of symbolise the divide between the two "worlds" that the characters live within. What annoys me the most is that the movie had so much potential to be better. They could have added silent scenes so that we get to experience Sarah's perspective too, not just James's. But I love this movie and It completely changed how I look at deafness. I was very touched. The music was great, too.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Okay. I found the hearing characters constantly translating everything the female lead signed incredibly annoying. It made it feel like she didn't have her own voice. Would have been better with subtitles.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/13/22

Full Review

robert c

The story is completely different from the stage version. Very disappointing.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Love is its own language, it shouldn't matter if you speak it or not William Hurt and a young Marlee Matlin and based on the stage play by Mark Medoff James Leeds starts teaching at a school for deaf children and he happens to meet Sarah Norman who works as a custodial A simple interaction then transforms into an act of love Sarah still has some emotion withdrawal and James is still learning her language Sarah's relationship with her mother is also very strained This movie definitely blazes a trail for representation A hearing person has their own way of communicating while a deaf person has theirs, they need to be on the same page, it can't be a one way street, some can't handle the barrier of non-hearing, learning the language isn't enough you have to commit to speaking rather than talking Marlee Matlin transcends in her performance and the film offers a new gloss on love with the barriers and extensions of language Hurt is really good too

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It was an interesting subject matter and handled well. The acting performances were amazing, but the main actor always is good. I also loved seeing so much sign language and it was amazing to me how he acted while learning sign. I loved the moody setting of the ocean and seemed like New England? could be wrong tho. The main message of love conquers all is a tear jerker at the end. Would've been nice to see how they then overcome some of their challenges, but alas the film only has so much time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

William L

A romantic version of The Miracle Worker with education subplots that would suggest the coming of films like Stand and Deliver and Dead Poets Society, Children of a Lesser God may have been legitimately innovative in its treatment of deaf characters but its love story feels pretty predictable, intermittently sappy, and drawn out. Much of this is offset by the performances of both Hurt and Matlin, who are energetic, involved, passionate, and play off one another very well, even with Hurt echoing Matlin's lines so that the audience can understand them (which may have been a necessity in the original stage play, but subtitles might have been more suitable in a film adaptation, allowing the pace of conversations to be better preserved). A big detractor for the film is the soundtrack, with strange, creaky instrumentals hanging over pivotal scenes that sound as if they were made by barn door hinges. External threats and secondary subplots are established but never followed up on, as James unorthodox teaching methods are initially called into question but never condemned, and the rebellious members of class are never given enough attention to matter, but instead just break up the monotony of the protagonists' relationship. Well-intentioned, but poorly aged. (3/5)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/05/21

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Randa Haines

Director

William Hurt

James Leeds

Marlee Matlin

Sarah Norman

Piper Laurie

Mrs. Norman

Philip Bosco

Dr. Curtis Franklin

Alison Gompf

Lydia

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Children of a Lesser God: Official Clip - I Don't Hurt From Other People

2:12

Children of a Lesser God: Official Clip - Never Come Inside My Silence

2:14

Children of a Lesser God: Official Clip - A Dark Place

2:11

Children of a Lesser God: Official Clip - Picking Up Hearing Girls

1:54

Children of a Lesser God: Official Clip - You Want to Dance?

2:13

Children of a Lesser God: Official Clip - Love in the Pool

2:15

Children of a Lesser God: Official Clip - Not in Silence...And Not In Sound

2:10

Children of a Lesser God: Official Clip - Forgive Me

2:00

View more videos

45%

46%

Heartburn

45%

73%

Losing Isaiah

93%

79%

The Accused

71%

58%

Pretty Baby

72%

50%

American Gigolo

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Children of a Lesser God: Trailer 1

1:25

View more videos

View more photos

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

Children of a Lesser God, though given a handsome openness in Director Haines' production, cannot transcend the banalities of the play. But Matlin does. She is, one might say, a miracle worker.

Mar 16, 2011

Full Review

Pat Graham

Chicago Reader

Hurt seems to be bucking for at least two Oscar nominations here: one for his performance, the other for best echo effects by an interpreter of signed speech.

Mar 16, 2011

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

A touching and universal love story.

Jul 22, 2008

Full Review

Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

Randa Haines’ 1986 Children of a Lesser God was the first Oscar Best Picture nominee directed by a woman. It’s an appropriate first; the movie’s about a woman finding her voice and self.

Apr 15, 2024

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...smarter than you might remember. Locating an issue in male control, and setting her heroine against that control, Children of a Lesser God has a message that's relevant to MeToo...

Rated: 4/5

Nov 7, 2021

Full Review

Nicole Ackman

FF2 Media

'Children of a Lesser God' blazed a trail for representation but doesn't hold up today

Rated: 2.5/5

Feb 2, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Starting his new job as an instructor at a New England school for the deaf, James Leeds (William Hurt) meets Sarah Norman (Marlee Matlin), a young deaf woman who works at the school as a member of the custodial staff. A romance slowly develops between the pair in spite of Sarah's withdrawn emotional state due in part to her difficult relationship with her mother (Piper Laurie). Matlin, who is deaf in real life, won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this, her first film role.

Director: Randa Haines
Screenwriter: Hesper Anderson, Mark Medoff
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 3, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.8M

Most Popular at Home Now