RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Miracle Worker
The Miracle Worker

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Miracle Worker (1962)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
100 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
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

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 18 (sorted by date)
Text View
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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
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
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
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

No review available.

comment Comment
07/11/05
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

No review available.

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

No review available.

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

No review available.

comment Comment
11/19/04
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
11/12/04
Emanuel Levy
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
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
Scott Renshaw
Apollo Guide

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

comment Comment
08/16/03
Nick Davis
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
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
07/27/02
Rob Vaux
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
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
Don Druker
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 18 (sorted by date)
Text View
all

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...

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
55% 55% Orphan
43% 43% The Proposal
26% 26% Land of the Lost

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
98% 98% Up
88% 88% Ballast
67% 67% The Merry Gentleman

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

60+ New Moon pics

60+ New Moon pics

You want Twilight images? We got 'em!

Transylmania

Transylmania

Cheeky trailer for the vampire comedy!

2012

2012

Major havoc in these new clips!

Salt trailer

Salt trailer

Angelina Jolie! Espionage! Check it out!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Rachel McAdams Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Mania.com
52
  • Danny Elfman Leaves The Wolfman Source: Cinemusic.net
13
  • Oldboy Remake Rumored Dead Source: Latino Review
8
  • Francis Lawrence Directing a Futuristic Sgt. Rock Source: Hollywood Reporter
1
  • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
87
  • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
20
  • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
8
  • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
0
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
99
  • J.J. Abrams Producing Micronauts Movie? Source: Wall Street Journal
11
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: George Clooney's Best Movies
92
  • Critics Consensus: A Christmas Carol Dazzles But Disappoints
43
  • Ho-ho-horror! 10 Scary Christmas Movies
36
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
33
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
32
  • RT on DVD: Up, the Ultimate Watchmen Cut, and More
28
  • Friday Harvest: Prince of Persia, The Road, and more!
26
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
14
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
14
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
15
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
40
  • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
139
  • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
4
  • Neill Blomkamp talks District 9 - RT Interview
51
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Miracle Worker at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Miracle Worker at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
Worst Movie Biopics
Worst Movie Biopics External Link

Moviefone brings us 9 failed attempts at biographical films.

Top Cameron Crowe Moments
Top Cameron Crowe Moments External Link

TIME reminisces on the 10 most iconic moments from the films of Cameron Crowe.

November Films
November Films External Link

BuzzSugar wants to know which movies coming out this month you're most looking forward to.

The New Cult Canon
The New Cult Canon External Link

The AV Club takes a look back at Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.