Children of a Lesser God is a 1986 film that tells the story of a speech teacher at a school for deaf students who falls in love with a deaf woman who also works there. It stars William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, and Philip Bosco.
The movie, directed by Randa Haines, was adapted by Mark Medoff, Hesper Anderson and James Carrington (uncredited) from Medoff's Tony Award-winning play, which ran on Broadway from 1980-1982.
In her debut role as Sarah Norman, Matlin won the 1986 Academy Award for Best Actress. Almost completely deaf in real life since the early age of 18 months, she is the youngest actress to have received an Oscar for Best Actress (she was 21 at the time). She has since gone on to become an established film and television star and remains active in charities for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing around the world. The film also garnered further Academy Award nominations for Best Actor (William Hurt), Best Supporting Actress (Piper Laurie), Best Picture, and Best Writing for an Adapted Screenplay.
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? Written by Colin Tinto
