Children of a Lesser God (1986)

A new speech teacher at a school for the deaf falls in love with the janitor, a deaf woman speechless by choice.

Director:

Randa Haines

Writers:

Mark Medoff (stage play), Hesper Anderson (screenplay)

Stars:

William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	James
Marlee Matlin	...	Sarah
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

Storyline

James is a new speech teacher at a school for the deaf. He falls for Sarah, a pupil who decided to stay on at the school rather than venture into the big bad world. She shuns him at first, refusing to read his lips and only using signs. Will her feelings change over time?

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Plot Keywords:

school for the deaf | deafness | school | teacher | love | 

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Taglines:

Love has a language all of its own.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language

Release Date:

31 October 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Te amaré en silencio

Filming Locations:

Beaver Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$10,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,909,084, 5 October 1986, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$31,853,080

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the book "Hollywood Speaks: Deafness and the Film Entertainment Industry" (1999) by John S. Schuchman, the film was the first major motion picture since the 1926 silent film You'd Be Surprised (1926) to cast a deaf / hearing impaired actor in a major role.

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Goofs

Multiple cars had the license tag "3952" -- a blue Ford and a brown Pontiac.

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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...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show (2009)

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Soundtracks

Godfather Mazurka
by Carmine Coppola

User Reviews

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.