Children of a Lesser God (1986)

Director:

Randa Haines

Writers:

Mark Medoff (stage play)
Hesper Anderson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Love has a language all of its own.

Plot:

James is a new speech teacher at a school for the deaf. He falls for Sarah, a pupil who decided to stay...

Plot Keywords:

School | Teacher | School For The Deaf | Handicapped Actor | Quickie

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

William Hurt	...	James Leeds
Marlee Matlin	...	Sarah Norman
Piper Laurie	...	Mrs. Norman
Philip Bosco	...	Dr. Curtis Franklin
Allison Gompf	...	Lydia
John F. Cleary	...	Johnny
Philip Holmes	...	Glen
Georgia Ann Cline	...	Cheryl
William D. Byrd	...	Danny
Frank Carter Jr.	...	Tony
John Limnidis	...	William
Bob Hiltermann	...	Orin
E. Katherine Kerr	...	Mary Lee Ochs
John Basinger	...	Alan Jones
Barry Magnani	...	Tom Schuyler
Linda Bove	...	Marian Loesser
Ann Hanson	...	Martha Franklin
James Carrington	...	Mr. Harrison
Max Brown	...	Glen's Father
María Cellario	...	Glen's Mother
Jon-Paul Dougherty	...	Glen's Brother
Linda Swim	...	Sarah's Friend
Lois Clowater	...	Sarah's Friend
Allan R. Francis	...	Waiter
Richard Kendall	...	Cafeteria Cook
Christopher Shay	...	Ricky
Laraine Isa	...	Woman in Beauty Shop
Nanci Kendall	...	Woman at Party
Marie Brazil	...	Mother
Charlene Legere	...	Child
Leigh French	...	Announcer (voice)
Archie Hahn	...	Announcer (voice) (as Archie Hahn III)
Jack Blessing	...	Announcer (voice)
Nicholas Guest	...	Announcer (voice)
Gigi Vorgan	...	Announcer (voice)
Lynne Marie Stewart	...	Announcer (voice)

Directed by
Randa Haines

Writing credits
Mark Medoff		(stage play)
Hesper Anderson		(screenplay) and
Mark Medoff		(screenplay)
James Carrington		uncredited

Produced by
Candace Koethe	....	associate producer
Patrick J. Palmer	....	producer (as Patrick Palmer)
Burt Sugarman	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Convertino

Cinematography by
John Seale		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lisa Fruchtman

Casting by
Gretchen Rennell

Production Design by
Gene Callahan

Art Direction by
Barbra Matis

Set Decoration by
Rose Marie McSherry

Costume Design by
Renée April		(as Renee April)

Makeup Department
Ann Brodie	....	makeup designer
Paul LeBlanc	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Stéphane Reichel	....	unit production manager (as Stephane Reichel)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Kaufman	....	first assistant director
Patrick J. Palmer	....	second unit director (as Patrick Palmer)
Kim H. Winther	....	second assistant director (as Kim Winther)

Art Department
Guenter Bartlik	....	head scenic artist
Daniel R. Bradette	....	assistant property master
J. Tracy Budd	....	property master
Tom Doherty	....	first assistant art director (as Thomas Doherty)
Kathy Ebbinghaus	....	art department trainee
Mark S. Freeborn	....	assistant set decorator (as Mark Freeborn)
Barry Gardner	....	stand-by painter
Weits Jekel	....	construction supervisor
Gilles Léonard	....	set dresser (as Gilles Leonard)
Michael O'Connor	....	set dresser
Richard Reseigne	....	construction design coordinator

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
George Berndt	....	adr editor
Ruth Bird	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Brown	....	sound consultant
Dody Dorn	....	sound editor (as Dody J. Dorn)
Dennis Drummond	....	sound editor
Patrick Drummond	....	sound editor
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Walter A. Gest	....	sound re-recordist
Robert Grieve	....	supervising sound editor (as Robert A. Grieve)
Richard Lightstone	....	production sound mixer
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephanie Lowry	....	assistant sound editor (as Stephanie Ng)
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Thompson	....	boom operator (as James L. Thompson)
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Linda Whittlesey	....	foley editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ron Thiessen	....	special effects assistant
Neil Trifunovich	....	special effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
David Crone	....	Steadicam services
Robert Daprato	....	dolly grip
Steve Ferrier	....	assistant head electrician
Paul Gravel	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Paul Gravel	....	focus puller
Dave Grinstead	....	grip
Manfred Guthe	....	director of photography: second unit (as Fred Guthe)
Kevin Jewison	....	first assistant camera
Joseph Peters	....	electrician
Bill Pryde	....	second assistant camera
Ron Renzetti	....	grip
Paul Roscorla	....	electrician
Takashi Seida	....	still photographer
Randy Tambling	....	key grip
Rae Thurston	....	head electrician
Pauline Heaton	....	cinematographer: underwater unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Ruth Lambert	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fabienne April	....	costumer
Mario Davignon	....	assistant costumer
Arthur Rowsell	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Mary Bauer	....	associate editor
Ron Lambert	....	color timer
Tony Merzetti	....	apprentice editor
Jenny Weyman-Cockle	....	first assistant editor: Canada
Bob Sarles	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Gary Barlough	....	synthesizer programming
Else Blangsted	....	supervising music editor
Chris Boardman	....	orchestrator
Michael Convertino	....	additional orchestrator
M.B. Gordy	....	musician: Percussion
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
Shirley Walker	....	additional orchestrator
Shirley Walker	....	conductor
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer
Craig Harris	....	music designer: Sarah's underwater silence (uncredited)
Craig Harris	....	musician: synthesizers, score sequencing and studio production (uncredited)

Transportation Department
David Beaudrow	....	driver captain
Craig S. Kohne	....	driver captain
Nick Sweetman	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Alan R. Barwiolek	....	sign language instructor: Mr. Hurt
Bryan Blanford	....	production assistant
Marie Brazil	....	location assistant: Ms. Haines
Stanley Brossette	....	unit publicist (as Stanley R. Brossette)
Jan A. Campbell	....	assistant production accountant
Eve Cantor	....	assistant production coordinator
James Carrington	....	special actor's consultant
Robin Chaykin	....	production associate
Brian Cole	....	craft service
Joyce L. Cole	....	sign language interpreter: Ms. Matlin
Christopher Cook	....	producer's coordinator
Marnie Craig	....	caterer
Susanna David	....	script supervisor
John Fredericks	....	production assistant
Terry Gould	....	production assistant
Stephen Jacobs	....	sign language interpreter
Michael Jewison	....	location manager
Margaret Johnson	....	first aid
Richard Kendall	....	technical advisor
Mary Beth Miller	....	sign language instructor: Mr. Hurt
Margaret Amy Moar	....	stand-in: Marlee Matlin
Leanne Moore	....	production accountant
Bonnie Palef	....	producer's coordinator (as Bonnie Palef-Woolf)
Toni Phillips	....	production assistant
Michel Pradier	....	production assistant
Valley Via Reseigne	....	production coordinator
Nikki Sahagen	....	associate choreographer
Patti Shore	....	sign language interpreter: Ms. Matlin
Dan Siretta	....	choreographer
Krista Steeves	....	production assistant
Joanne Tickle	....	production secretary
Pat Vaughan	....	stand-in: William Hurt
Carole Wattles	....	accounting clerk
Lou Fant	....	sign language coach (uncredited)
Paul F. McCarthy	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1987) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1987) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1990) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Award Winning Collection)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Argentina) (re-release)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  titles and opticals
• Colossal Pictures  title design
• MGM Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Reeltime Creative  trailer music
• Warner Hollywood Studios  rerecorded at
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | American Sign Language

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Peru:14 | Australia:M | Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Beaver Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Marlee Matlin won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role as Sarah Norman in this film. At 21 (actually 21 years and 218 days), she is the youngest ever winner of a Best Actress Oscar. Matlin is also one of only four actresses to win the Best Actress Oscar for a debut film performance, the others being Shirley Booth for Come Back, Little Sheba (1952), Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins (1964) and Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl (1968).

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The DVD back lists a main character as "John" Leeds, when the name should be "JAMES" Leeds.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Curtis Franklin:This is the most amazing résumé I've ever seen.
James Leeds:I've been with some really good schools. The best.
Dr. Curtis Franklin:All of them. All of the best. One right after another. You've also been with the Lucky Erin Bar and Grill.
James Leeds:Pittsburgh. Bartender.
Dr. Curtis Franklin:And a disc jockey.
James Leeds:Yeah, that was in Oklahoma. I used to broadcast in sign language.
Dr. Curtis Franklin:You've covered all the map, Mr. Leeds.
James Leeds:I've got a lot of energy.
Dr. Curtis Franklin:I'm sure you do have a lot of energy and a lot of new ideas. I did too when...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary (2009)

Soundtrack:

I've Been Loving You Too Long

A film about hearing oppression of Deafness

William Hurt plays a speech therapist, James Leeds, a gifted teacher. His success in his field has not prevented him from being an egotist, anddisrespecting other cultures.

Marlee Matlin plays a Deaf woman, Sarah Lee, who's damaging family experience has caused her to become so angry that even though she is an intelligent, sassy, sensual, independent woman, she prefers to mop floors in her old school.

Sarah is contrasted with the other Deaf people who are working on their speech. Although he signs, James is highly dogmatic about the primary necessity of speech. The other Deaf people come across as disabled in comparison, their speech flawed compared to Sarah's eloquent and expressive signing. Their vocabulary is basic; in one scene their attempt at signing delights the hearing audience as they imagine the Deaf kids getting closer to being "normal".

James falls in love with Sarah's strong and commanding personality, but paradoxically still treats her in a patronising way, aiming to "improve" her by working on her speech. It becomes a battle of wills between them as Sarah seeks to have autonomy over her preferred medium of communication.

Even so, the dynamic of the relationship spurs Sarah on beyond the narrow horizons of her menial job.