For countless movie fans, Marlee Matlin’s name will always be synonymous with her Oscar-winning portrayal of Sarah, a young, deaf woman, in Randa Haines’ acclaimed film adaptation of Mark Medoff’s Tony Award-winning play “Children of A Lesser God.”
Another deaf actress, Shoshannah Stern, makes her directing debut with the documentary “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” (Kino Lorber), tracing Matlin’s life before and after her Academy Award win.
The first 30 minutes of “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” focus on the nearly 40 years between “Children Of a Lesser God” and 2022’s Oscar-winning movie “CODA” in which Matlin starred, and for which deaf actor Troy Kotsur won the Best Actor Oscar. When this occurred, Matlin was no longer the only deaf actor to have won an Academy Award in the acting category, hence the “not alone anymore” of the title. In this portion of the movie, there are interviews with Matlin’s longtime interpreter Jack Jason, actor Lauren Ridloff (who played Sarah in a “Children of a Lesser God” revival), the aforementioned Kotsur, ASL performer John Maucere, and Matlin’s childhood friend Liz Tannebaum, among others.
While all of this is fascinating, what follows, including Matlin’s suburban Chicago childhood in Morton Grove, her relationship with her hearing family (including gay brother Marc, and older brother Eric and sister-in-law Gloria, all of whom are interviewed), is the real heart of the story. From her childhood home (about which Matlin still dreams) with the “Deaf Child” crossing sign posted at the curb, to the guilt and grief experienced by her parents, the unfortunate forcing of oralism on deaf children of Matlee’s generation, and her feelings of alienation (feeling “cut off, blocked off, dismissed, or ignored”), we get her powerful perspective and are able to understand the person she became.
Ultimately, it was Matlin’s determination to overcome the frustration that played a significant role in her life and career. One of the most touching segments involves Matlin’s connection with Henry Winkler. In a 1979 episode of the ABC sitcom “Happy Days,” in which Winkler played the beloved Fonzie, there is a scene in which his character uses sign language to communicate with his date, played by deaf actor Linda Bove. Matlin was so moved that she wrote to Winkler and invited him to her high school at which she was performing. Not only did Winkler attend, but he and his wife Stacey became lifelong friends of Matlin’s.
Moments like this bring some needed light to what was, unfortunately, a dark and troubled period in Matlin’s life. Ranging from her rebellious teenage years (involving drugs and boys) to her tumultuous and, sadly, physically abusive relationship with “Children of a Lesser God” co-star William Hurt, and her eventual quest for sobriety. The brutal honesty of the documentary will provide many viewers, including those in the LGBTQ community who know Matlin from “The L Word” and the gay movie “It’s My Party,” with a new and eye-opening perspective on a talented performer.
Rating: B+
