Children of a Lesser God (1986)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Randa Haines

Writers:

Mark Medoff (play)
Mark Medoff (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

3 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

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 | Sign Language | Deafness | Handicapped Actor

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 10 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 III	...	Announcer (voice)
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		play &
Mark Medoff		screenplay
Hesper Anderson		(writer)
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
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 coordinator

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
Else Blangsted	....	supervising music editor
Chris Boardman	....	orchestrator
Michael Convertino	....	additional orchestrator
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
• Warner Hollywood Studios  rerecorded at

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | American Sign Language

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Beaver Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of "Children of a Lesser God" by Mark Medoff opened at the Longacre Theater in New York on March 30, 1980, ran for 887 performances and won the 1980 Tony Award (New York City) for the Best Play. The author Mark Medoff also wrote the screenplay on which the movie version was based.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

James Leeds: [talking to Sarah while she is in the university swimming pool after hours] You are the most mysterious, beautiful, angry person I have ever met. I am falling in l...
[Sarah quickly backs away from the pool ledge, clearly uneasy]
James Leeds: Sarah... Sarah! I am falling... into the pool with you!
[falls forward into pool]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Children of a Laughing God (1999)

Soundtrack:

Isn't It Romantic

Phenomenal Acting

Hurt is excellent, Laurie and Bosco are outstanding, but Matlin gives one of the most amazing cinematic performances of all time. She is scintillating. The play is even more forceful with her gritty performance that it was with Phyllis Frielich on broadway. The direction makes up what it lacks in imagination with conviction and sincerity. I recommend it highly.