Children of a Lesser God

Critics Consensus

Children of a Lesser God transcends its transparently noble goals thanks to a pair of absorbing performances from William Hurt and Marlee Matlin.

81%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 32

79%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 8,534
User image

Tap to review this movie

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you get your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMC (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Cinemark (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Bought somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you get your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMC (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Cinemark (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Bought somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Children of a Lesser God Videos

View All Videos (1)

Where to watch

Children of a Lesser God Photos

View All Photos (3)

Movie Info

Children of a Lesser God is a love story about a speech teacher who falls for a beautiful yet distant deaf girl in a small New England school for the deaf, and the obstacles that they face due to their differences. William Hurt plays James Leeds, a renegade teacher with an unconventional approach to education and a resume that includes stints as a bartender and a disk jockey. Upon his arrival, he is warned by school administrator Dr. Franklin (Philip Bosco) not to get creative with his instruction. Naturally, Leeds already has his mind set on his teaching plan and proceeds to play loud rock music in class in order to teach the students to feel the vibrations of the music and get them to try to speak phonetically. But a new element enters his life when he meets the attractive custodian, Sarah (Marlee Matlin). An exceptionally intelligent yet extremely bitter young woman, Sarah is a graduate of the school who has decided to remain there, in the confines of her world of silence; it's safer for her to be with her own "people" than to face what she perceives as a cruel and uncaring world. She hardly seems interested in James and will only communicate with him through signing, although she can read lips and even speak a little. James learns from Sarah's mother (Piper Laurie) that Sarah was sexually molested as a teenager; this explains why she is so wary of his attempts to form a relationship with her and why she is so full of fear. Eventually, James does get through to Sarah and the two fall in love, although both have to learn new ways to communicate their feelings. Though it seldom resembles the Mark Medoff play on which it was based, this directing debut from Randa Haines won an Best Actress Oscar for Matlin, for her first screen performance.

Cast

Marlee Matlin
as Sarah Norman
William Hurt
as James Leeds
Piper Laurie
as Mrs. Norman
Philip Bosco
as Dr. Curtis Franklin
Allison Gompf
as Lydia
John F. Cleary
as Johnny
Philip Holmes
as Glen
Georgia Ann Cline
as Cheryl
William D. Byrd
as Danny
Frank Carter Jr.
as Tony
John Limnidis
as William
Bob Hiltermann
as Orin
E. Katherine Kerr
as Mary Lee Ochs
John Basinger
as Alan Jones
Alison Gompf
Linda Bove
as Marian Loesser
James Carrington
as Mr. Harrison
Leigh French
as Announcer
Jack Blessing
as Announcer
Nicholas Guest
as Announcer
Gigi Vorgan
as Announcer
Lynne Marie Stewart
as Announcer
Archie Hahn III
as Announcer
View All

Critic Reviews for Children of a Lesser God

All Critics (32) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (26) | Rotten (6)

  • Children of a Lesser God, though given a handsome openness in Director Haines' production, cannot transcend the banalities of the play. But Matlin does. She is, one might say, a miracle worker.

    Mar 16, 2011 | Full Review…

    Richard Schickel

    TIME Magazine
    Top Critic

  • Hurt seems to be bucking for at least two Oscar nominations here: one for his performance, the other for best echo effects by an interpreter of signed speech.

    Mar 16, 2011 | Full Review…

    Pat Graham

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • A touching and universal love story.

    Jul 22, 2008 | Full Review…

    Variety Staff

    Variety
    Top Critic

  • A genuinely touching love story and a clever gloss on the barriers and extensions of language.

    Feb 9, 2006

    Stephen Garrett

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • There's scarcely a single moment in it that seems to be spontaneous.

    May 20, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/5

    Vincent Canby

    New York Times
    Top Critic

  • This is romance the way Hollywood used to make it, with both conflict and tenderness, at times capturing the texture of the day-to-day, at times finding the lyrical moments when two lovers find that time stops.

    Jan 1, 2000 | Full Review…

    Paul Attanasio

    Washington Post
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (32)

Audience Reviews for Children of a Lesser God

  • Nov 09, 2014
    A sincere and touching drama with laudable performances by William Hurt and Marlee Matlin, whose wonderful chemistry together always convinces us of their characters' feelings for each other and of the real, authentic difficulties they meet in their relationship.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Feb 27, 2011
    The score is admittedly awful, I really don't think all the supporting characters get a fair say, and Piper Laurie's mother character is underdeveloped, but the central love story works. Most relationships are hard enough, but add the lack of one party to communicate verbally and a whole slew of issues surfaces. The film faces them head on, and while I'm sure its still softer than the play I don't think we are given any illusions about how hard these two people will have it.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Feb 27, 2011
    Slow and boring. The "love" seemed rushed and shallow for the depths of such drama! Performances for this movie have been overrated!
    Thomas J Super Reviewer
  • Aug 08, 2010
    A commentary on the state of the deaf community after so many years of innovation in teaching techniques, medicine, and biology, was missing from this romantic drama. Marlee Matlin was a great choice in casting, and her emotional portrayal of a deaf custodian was surely realistic and award show worthy, but many theater goers were probably filled with unanswered questions concerning what it is to be taken advantage of. The relationship between herself and Hurt's character is not only rooted in traditional truth but has a deeper chemistry that resonates. It was very enjoyable to watch Hurt teach children through relatibility, which is a tried and true formula, but he never gets Matlin out of her shell to a point where one can be satisifed. Slightly underwhelming.
    Spencer S Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Children of a Lesser God Quotes

View All Quotes

News & Features