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Movies / On DVD / The Miracle Worker
The Miracle Worker

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The Miracle Worker (1962)

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Reviews Counted: 17

Fresh: 17

Rotten:0

Average Rating: 7.8/10

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: The true story of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, THE MIRACLE WORKER is a gripping and inspiring story of the battle to overcome impossible obstacles and the struggle to communicate. As a young... The true story of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, THE MIRACLE WORKER is a gripping and inspiring story of the battle to overcome impossible obstacles and the struggle to communicate. As a young girl, Helen Keller (a brilliant Patty Duke) is stricken with scarlet fever. The illness leaves her blind, mute, and deaf. Sealed off from the world, Helen cannot communicate with anyone, nor anyone with her. Often frustrated and desperate, Helen flies into uncontrollable rages and tantrums that terrify her hopeless family. The gifted teacher Annie Sullivan (Anne Bancroft) comes to help the little girl understand the world from which she is isolated, freeing Helen Keller from her internal prison forever. Under Arthur Penn's controlled direction, Bancroft and Duke deliver unforgettable, flawless performances. The screenplay for THE MIRACLE WORKER was written by William Gibson, who also wrote the book. [More]

Starring: Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke, Victor Jory, Inga Swenson

Starring: Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke, Victor Jory, Inga Swenson, Andrew Prine, Beah Richards

Director: Arthur Penn

Director: Arthur Penn
Screenwriter: William Gibson
Producer: Fred Coe
Composer: Laurence Rosenthal

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Mar 17, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • NTSC
  • Keep Case
  • Single Side - Single Layer
  • Widescreen - 1.66

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital Mono - Spanish
  • Dolby Digital Stereo - English, French

Additional Release Material:

  • Trailers
 
 
 
 

Reviews for The Miracle Worker

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1 - 18 (sorted by date)
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The centerpiece is a one-room, nine-minute war of attrition, as a tutor (Anne Bancroft) imposes table manners on her feral charge (Patty Duke). It's a heaving, shin-cracking donnybrook, done with complete commitment.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
11/12/08
Nick Pinkerton
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Where the picture really excels, outside of its inherent story values, is in the realm of photographic technique.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
10/18/08
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's a stunningly impressive piece of work, typically (for Penn) deriving much of its power from the performances.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Time Out

Beautiful black-and-white cinematography, startling performances, and harrowing physicality… the cathartic final scene is nothing short of transcendent.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
10/17/05
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

No review available.

comment Comment
07/11/05
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

No review available.

comment Comment
07/01/05
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

No review available.

comment Comment
05/09/05
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
11/19/04
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
11/12/04
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Notable not just for its earnestness and two outstanding performances (both won Oscars) -- it's also got one of the longest catfights in cinema history.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
08/14/04
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Portrays a literal war for a girl's soul, making that war so ugly that it's impossibly beautiful.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
03/16/04
Scott Renshaw
Apollo Guide

Potentially soft material is handled with just the right severity; marvelously acted.

comment Comment
08/16/03
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks

The eight-minute sequence featuring a physical fight between Bancroft and Duke as the teacher attempts to teach the pupil some manners stands as one of the most electrifying and honest ever committed to film.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/30/03
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Much aided by its magnificent central performances, Penn's adaptation works like a dream as a film...Despite the subject matter, Penn manages to resist the temptation to manipulate our emotions.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/24/03
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
07/27/02
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
05/11/02
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Anne Bancroft is superb as Annie Sullivan, the teacher who finally reached into Helen Keller's darkness, and Patty Duke is chillingly real as the young Helen.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Don Druker
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 18 (sorted by date)
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Latest News for The Miracle Worker

June 07, 2005: In Other News...Anne Bancroft, Britney Jr. and Michelle Rodriguez
Oft-acclaimed actress Anne Bancroft, known best for her role as the original MILF, succumbed to cancer Monday in New York. More...

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