Children of a Lesser God (1986)¸ directed by Randa Haines and written by Hesper Anderson based on the stage play by Mark Medoff, turned out to be a discreet but successful drama in the 1980s. Translating in five Academy Awards nominations and one Oscar for Marlee Matlin, the first and only deaf actor to receive such recognition. Nevertheless, with 35 years in our favour, this film is the victim of time and the drastic evolution of our minds.
I am grateful that I saw the film for the first time this year. If I had seen it at a younger age, I am sure that I would have interpreted the story in a completely different way. Seeing something romantic instead of abusive, and inspiring instead of manipulative.
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The film tackles the mystery of deaf janitor Sarah Norman (Oscar winner Matlin) through the eyes of James Leeds (William Hurt), the new speech teacher at a school for the deaf. He is good at establishing positive relationships with his students, and soon enough they are talking and correcting their pronunciation through music and pop trivia.
When Leeds sees Sarah having a passionate discussion in the kitchen, he is instantly attracted to her. His attempts of talking to her are futile when she makes it clear that she won’t read his lips and won’t use her voice either. Sarah has embraced complete quietness and she demands that Leeds accepts this. Nonetheless, he is adamant to make her talk.
While the story belongs to Sarah, James is the one that controls the narrative. We see everything through his eyes and the conflict is addressed through his ableist perspective. He becomes part of a deaf community and somehow, he expects everyone around him to accommodate to his needs and desires. The film constantly flirts with the idea of acknowledging this as a problem, but Haines doesn’t allow the story to be self-reflective. James doesn’t receive toughness when he deserves it, and instead he constantly gaslights Sarah.
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Children of a Lesser God offers a cunning perspective on love. The female character is forced to do things that she doesn’t want to do in the name of love and improvement. While Sarah goes through a deep and complex process of self-discovery – she realises that her resistance to use her voice to communicate with non-deaf people is a self-preserving attitude and a representation of fear –, James never evolves.
He has the spirit of a villain, but the film forces him to be the love interest and hero. With phrases such as “I can’t enjoy it because you can’t”, he sets a new burden on Sarah.
In this regard, the film suffers from an ableist perspective. While it includes multiple deaf characters, they aspire to adapt to the expectations of the non-deaf people around them. They are never fully in charge or comfortable in their deafness, and the only character that is – Sarah – is constantly pushed to change. Instead of presenting a message of acceptance, the film promotes ideas of forced adaptation and condemnation of those that dare question these social expectations.
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The movie succeeds in bringing to light the life of deaf people; however, it fails on the way it does it. Marlee Matlin gives a luminous and passionate performance. She shines through her hand gestures and resolute face, challenging the pressures in front of her. Her hands, face and eyes express everything that needs to be understood. It is a shame that the movie goes through the traditional route and forces the story to be romantic.
Somewhere, the film flirts with the idea of recognising and condemning the American values of success and distinguishment. “Not everyone wants to be a star,” blurts the school principal when James enquires about Sarah. James is desperate for Sarah to be someone “great”, not even wondering what she wants. While the film distinguishes James’s pressures, it doesn’t do anything about this. His saviour complex is never restrained. The story doesn’t have anything inspiring or daring to say about this unequal and abusive relationship.
Children of a Lesser God has a complicated legacy. While it should be championed for positioning at the centre of its story a deaf woman, it should also be seen as a manipulative love story, disguising emotional abuse as love, and celebrating ableism instead of acceptance. Ultimately, this film should only be appreciated as part of a long and painful path of recognition and respect of the deaf community.