Children of a Lesser God
Short description
James Leeds arrives at a school for the deaf in New England to begin his work as an instructor. He develops a romantic interest in Sarah Norman, a deaf woman associated with the school who is emotionally withdrawn and resistant to outside help. The story follows their evolving relationship as Leeds attempts to connect with Sarah, who struggles with her identity and communication.
Directed by Randa Haines, this was the first of four films she directed, followed by The Doctor, Dance with Me, and The Ron Clark Story. The movie stars William Hurt as James Leeds and Marlee Matlin as Sarah Norman, supported by Piper Laurie, Philip Bosco, Allison Gompf, and John F. Cleary. Produced by Paramount, the film earned 32 million USD at the worldwide box office.
The production received an Oscar for Marlee Matlin, who was a debut actress at the time. The film holds a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb based on 20,000 votes and 6.9/10 on TMDB from 353 votes. These audience scores are similar to the rating from film critics, which stands at 7.1/10 based on 37 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- Director Randa Haines and actress Marlee Matlin had a dispute over whether the actress should smoke on screen. Matlin flatly refused, while Haines had ordered her to get used to smoking two months before filming began. The actress only began "getting used to it" a week before the start of filming.
- The casting for the role of Sarah Norman, ultimately played by Marlee Matlin, lasted six months and took place in the USA, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
- The first film directed by a woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Similar movies
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
