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Children of a Lesser God

Children of a Lesser God

Drama · Romance · 1986

Starting his new job as an instructor at a New England school for the deaf, James Leeds meets Sarah Norman, a young deaf woman who works at the school as a member of the custodial staff. In spite of Sarah's withdrawn emotional state, a romance slowly develops between the pair.

Movie details

Children of a Lesser God

“She is the most mysterious, independent, beautiful, angry person he has ever met. He is the first man who has ever gotten close enough to love her.”

1986 Drama · Romance 1h 59m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

Starting his new job as an instructor at a New England school for the deaf, James Leeds meets Sarah Norman, a young deaf woman who works at the school as a member of the custodial staff. In spite of Sarah's withdrawn emotional state, a romance slowly develops between the pair.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Children of a Lesser God?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Randa Haines

Written by

Mark Medoff · Hesper Anderson

William Hurt

William Hurt

James Leeds

Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin

Sarah Norman

Piper Laurie

Piper Laurie

Mrs. Norman

Philip Bosco

Philip Bosco

Dr. Curtis Franklin

A

Allison Gompf

Lydia

J

John F. Cleary

Johnny

P

Philip Holmes

Glen

Court is in session

Put Children of a Lesser God on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.