Editor’s Note: This review went under 2025 Sundance Film Festival. KINO LORBER release ”Marlee Matlin: Not alone anymore ”in New York June 20 before it expands June 27.
The questions should not surprise, not after all these years, but they do. Well, not the questions so much – people are of course curious, especially about what they do not know or have never seen – but the ways in whom they were placed, how they were lobbed on one Young Marlee MatlinHot on the heels of her first big film rolle in “Children of a minor God” and the buzz (and the Oscar win!) That followed. It was a consistent question in 1986, when the deaf star burst at the stage: What else can a deaf actress possibly be good forOther than deaf roles?
Matlin has not forgotten these questions or interviews or articles and filmmakers Shoshannah aft Do not skimp when it will divide them into her documentary about the actress and activist, “Marlee Matlin: not alone anymore.” It works as both the latest story – too recently – and a dissertation. Well, what was Matlin good for? Lots, including now (finally!) As a sincere and convincing documentary subject.
Despite the unfriendly assumptions that are so often attributed to her and her work, Matlin is not keen to throw stones, and despite some tough revelations in Stern’s documentary, the tone remains mostly celebration and easy. Even when reflecting on how some people turned to her during her rise to fame (and her Oscar win, which made her the first deaf artist who won the best actress), Matlin will not be meant. Instead, she turns all the fear and anxiety back on herself and her reactions. There is a reason why the deaf star has endured all these years-take it, every single journalist and Oscar-pound that sniffed at her as a “sympathy pic” or a punctual asked what kind of future there was for a disabled actress-but it has clearly taken hard work, broken hearts and tough lessons.
Stern’s documentary opens at Oscars 2022, as a dazzling Matlin reads for the annual event. Those who are familiar with Matlin’s career are likely to understand immediately how that opening – on Hollywood’s biggest night, where Sian Honors film “Coda”, with Matlin and a host of other deaf artists, will ultimately prevail – Is in conversation with Stern’s film title. But Stern, despite some initially traditional documentary prisoners, weaves something a little more cany here. We will return to Oscars 2022 later, with much more context. We will also do the same for Oscars in 1987 and much more.
Before all this, however, Stern (herself a deaf actress in addition to her filmmaking) and Matlin clearly have accessibility stops for the film. We are greeted with not only captions on the screen (later pairs with stories about Matlin’s struggle to make closed captions the standard for television), but abundant scenes of both deaf and hear talking heads (signing heads?) With American sign language to tell stories. For Stern, it is a simple choice – her subjects should feel comfortable using the language they choose, and she is happy to make it accessible to everyone – and an even more touching when we see it in action, for example with several scenes where Stern and Matlin sit in front of each other and sign with Gusto and emotions.
In addition to Matlin and herself, Stern has gathered a strong number of participants to contextualize Matlin. Henry Winkler and Aaron Sorkin are there, plus her brothers, her oldest daughter, other deaf artists (including “Coda” co -star Troy Kotsur, of course), and even her best friend. Her long -standing translator Jack Jason turns out to be an important voice, just as good at communicating Matlin’s thoughts as her own.
But Matlin is the most moving and exciting star offered, and although she has always been pronounced about her life and career – see: Closed captions, her commitment to the deaf president now! Movement, her accusations against former partners and “children” co-star William Hurt and her own autobiography there is something quite moving about looking at Matlin telling their own story, on their own terms.
Although it means that there are some things that she is not interested in sharing (discussions about how her hearing family handled her, both then and now, could easily inspire another movie), it is part of letting someone tell their own story. For “not alone”, the message is not only the medium: it is access to that medium, the fact that these messages can be shared, for some to see, some to hear and everything to take advantage of.
Rating: B+
“Marlee Matlin: Not Alone longer” premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Kino Lorber opens the film in New York on June 20, followed by an extension June 27.
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