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.
The Miracle Worker (1962)
Tomatometer
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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
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Reviews for The Miracle Worker
Where the picture really excels, outside of its inherent story values, is in the realm of photographic technique.
It's a stunningly impressive piece of work, typically (for Penn) deriving much of its power from the performances.
Beautiful black-and-white cinematography, startling performances, and harrowing physicality… the cathartic final scene is nothing short of transcendent.
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.
Portrays a literal war for a girl's soul, making that war so ugly that it's impossibly beautiful.
Potentially soft material is handled with just the right severity; marvelously acted.
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.
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.
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.
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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