Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: If you have ever bought a tape or CD of "classical movie soundtracks" you are more than likely to have the Bach piece from this movie on it. The music is lovely, but I think that the popularity film is only riding on the soundtrack. I would never have heard of it otherwise! Recently I got the chance to see this movie and I was eager to as I thought it must be something special. I was wrong. It started out well, and the acting was good, but by about half way it felt as though there was just nowhere to go with the story. I was getting sick of the cat-and-mouse thing between the teacher and the deaf girl. I wasn't satisfied with the ending the film had either, although I was relieved when it did come to a close. Altogether not a very interesting movie, but on other merits such as those discussed by other reviewers, such as the signing, it may have some value. For the movie-goer looking for entertainment, it offers a little but not a lot.
Rating: 
Summary: Love on screen between silence and sounds.
Review: Sounds familiar I'm sure, man meets woman and they fall in love, fall out, and fall in again. So,when hearing man falls in love with deaf woman, and they fall out, and so on, there is good reason to think you have been there, heard it all before. Well, listen up, you may be surprised by the quiet assured tale that is the Childen of a Lesser God. A film that gives us an idea of what we thought we knew: Love needs more than words to keep it lit.This is a film about a deaf and a hearing world trying to find a compromise in communication and echoes of all our stories of love and grief. William Hurt as a Speech Therapist, arrives with a maverick reputation and a certainty in his expectations of the speaking deaf. He can interpret the signs, yet can't undertand his lover's abused heart.
Marlee Matlin has agony across her face that has little to do with cleaning the toilet of a School for the Deaf, or her own deafness. Fortunately, the expressive face also shows the vulnerable tenderness that lies beneath and makes you believe in her struggle to be heard. The script avoids shouting about how the experience of loving someone who has hurt her, affects a woman who is deaf. She falls in love as a woman, and is affected as a woman. In the company of a strong supporting cast, the characters learn something about their special needs when in love or alone. They stutter into love with a simple but limiting,vocabulary of passion and desire. Like all our own tales of love and grief, the early promise proves illusory when the enduring relationship requires more understanding of the other than we believe ourselves capable.
Rating:
Summary: Love is unconditional
Review: The greatest challenge to man is the understanding that Love is of one type and it's unconditional. That's what this movie is about.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping Tale of Closed Worlds Joined
Review: This is just an excellent, moving film of an oral track special ed instructor played magnificently by William Hurt falling in love with a Deaf sign only woman superbly acted by Marlee Matlin. The plot develops as the energetic, determined instructor James pursues Sarah to first allow the teaching of speech, but turns it into language of love. Two new worlds open for both as well, united at the end in a space void of silence and sound. Passionate, enlightening, thought provoking. Keeps your interest throughout.
Rating:
Summary: This is my casablanca
Review: This is one of my all time favorites, It's sweet/bittersweet/sweet it just works. I don't know why it seems on the surface just a run of the mill movie but it's so much more the writing is excellent the cast is great Piper Laurie is great as Sarah's mom, the performances are so good. I fall in love with the stunning Marlee Matlin's Sarah everytime I see it. (What guy wouldn't?) Marlee's face is so expressive there's no need for words. William Hurt has never been better. It is a modern day classic love story. (not a chick flick) The music is incredible. The ending just blows you away emotionally the music and waves have you on the edge until the credits roll and you finally hear the high strings, wow, you'll either be moved or you don't have a pulse. I love this movie!
Rating:
Summary: Breath-taking, heart-wrenching, plot-driven, deeply moving
Review: This is one thought-provoking movie. It makes you think, and feel, and experience the things all good movies should. I highly recommend it...Matlin gives an awe-inspiring performance, 100% deserving of the Oscar she won for it. See this movie!
Rating:
Summary: This movie is wonderful!
Review: This movie is really about love...understand how it is like to be a deaf. You would learn a lot about deaf culture...
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful!
Review: This story was beautiful, and very dramatic. I can't say very much more. It's very revealing on human acceptence, and ability, and I liked it. You learn alot about people,
Rating:
Summary: Simply put: as pure and as complete as a film can be!
Review: Upon the first viewing of this remarkable film, I was absolutely breathless. This is the most intelligent, complex and emotionaly moving film ever made about love. William Hurt proved that nobody could've played the role better than him and Matlin is nothing short of astonishing. It's a shame that Randa Haines hasn't been able to match any of her subsequent output to this gem. Everything, from the cinematography to the locations, is just right. It's a crime that this film is never mentioned in any of the "Best of..." lists, because it is a quiet masterpiece! I also bought the CD of Michael Convertino's music score, which is one of most moving and original scores ever written and I highly recommend it to any music lover.
Rating: 
Summary: A film about hearing oppression of Deafness.
Review: William Hurt plays a speech therapist, James Leeds, a gifted teacher. His success does not stop him from being an egotist, or from disrespecting other cultures. Marlee Matlin plays a Deaf woman, Sarah Norman, who's oppressive family experience has made her so angry that even though she is intelligent, independant, sassy, sensual woman, she prefers to mop floors in her old school. Sarah is contrasted with the other Deaf people who are working on their speech. Although he signs James is highly dogmatic about the primary necessity of speech. His pupils come across as disabled in comparison, their speech flawed compared to Sarah's eloquent and expressive signing. Their vocabulary is basic; in one scene their attempt at singing delights the hearing audience, which sees them as becoming more "normal". James falls in love with Sarah's strong and commanding personality, but paradoxically continues to treat her in a patronising way, aiming to "improve" her by working on her speech. It becomes a battle of wills between them as Sarah seeks to have autonomy over her medium of communication. Even so, the dynamic of the relationship spurs Sarah on past the horizons of her menial job.
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