The story of Anne Sullivan's struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.
Director:
Arthur Penn
From metacritic.com
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Title: The Miracle Worker (1962)
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| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Anne Bancroft | ... | Annie Sullivan | |
| Victor Jory | ... | Captain Arthur Keller | |
| Inga Swenson | ... | Kate Keller | |
| Andrew Prine | ... | James Keller | |
| Kathleen Comegys | ... | Aunt Ev | |
| Patty Duke | ... | Helen Keller | |
Young Helen Keller, blind, deaf, and mute since infancy, is in danger of being sent to an institution. Her inability to communicate has left her frustrated and violent. In desperation, her parents seek help from the Perkins Institute, which sends them a "half-blind Yankee schoolgirl" named Annie Sullivan to tutor their daughter. Through persistence and love, and sheer stubbornness, Annie breaks through Helen's walls of silence and darkness and teaches her to communicate. Written by Christina Dunigan <minstrel@wf.net>
I haven't seen acting like this in a long time! Patty Duke's portrayal of young Helen Keller shocked me with its intensity, rightness, and sensitivity. Anne Bancroft also played a tough role and did so brilliantly.
The other supporting roles were, of course, a bit stilted in the traditional Southern way, but added to the drama nonetheless. I still gave this movie a "10" despite having issues with the way director Penn handled the flashback scenes...a bit cheesy and not quite in keeping with the underlying plot in all cases. That said, the dinner scene with Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft is 100%+ riveting in a way seldom seen and the movie deserves its accolades just for that scene alone.