A Reel Retro Review: THE MIRACLE WORKER (1962)

With no new films to review for the foreseeable future, Reel Speak’s new feature, Reel Retro Reviews, will randomly review a classic film from the TCM broadcast schedule every Monday. Not just for the sake of filling time, but to hopefully introduce some classic, overlooked, and perhaps forgotten screen gems to those of us who may be unfamiliar or unawares of their existence.  

It can be argued that no one in American history had more to overcome than Helen Keller. Born blind and deaf, she lived in a world of silence and darkness for the first seven years of her life, until she was introduced to Anne Sullivan, a teacher of the blind who would help her to communicate with the world; important steps that would lead Keller to be the first blind-deaf person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, and become an icon for those born into that silent and dark world. In 1962, director Arthur Penn brought the story of Anne and Helen to the big screen. 

Anne Sullivan (Anne Bancroft), a teacher of the blind with a sight-impairment of her own, is hired by the Keller family (Victory Roy and Inga Swenson), to assist their seven-year-old daughter Helen (Patty Duke), who was born deaf and blind and lives a life as an incorrigible child. 

Based on the 1959 play of the same name, and the 1902 autobiography The Story of My Life, THE MIRACLE WORKER pulls no punches in showing just how difficult it can be to raise a child with sight and hearing impairments in the late 1800’s, let alone teach one to communicate. When Anne arrives at the Keller plantation, Helen behaves just a shade under a wild animal; constantly dirty, attacking her family, and grabbing food off other people’s plates with her bare hands. The obstacles Anne has to overcome are many, just starting with getting Helen to sit still for a minute. A highlight of the film is a nearly ten-minute battle between the two in a dining room in which Anne exhausts herself trying to teach Helen table manners. 

Helen in the early goings is portrayed as a monster, but eventually, thanks to Anne, we see her as a little girl going through something no little girl should ever have to go through. Director Arthur Penn does great work to put us into Helen’s shoes, and despite how uncontrollable she is, we begin hoping that she finds her way. It’s a triumph in storytelling to turn her into a sympathetic character. Shot in glorious black-and-white, Penn puts together some creepy and harrowing scenes. 

Performances are excellent, with Anne Bancroft leading the way. She goes through a lot of physical work, and a backstory is hinted at which makes her need to help Helen all the more important. Patty Duke as Helen is excellent, and just watching her can be exhausting. Overall the acting feels a little over-the-top, as everyone seems to be yelling at the top rows…but it does work and never seems ridiculous. 

Despite being a film of triumph, THE MIRACLE WORKER doesn’t get too sappy or give us too much optimism, as even by movie’s end Helen still has a very long way to go. But the film shows us those necessary early steps she had to take before she would become one of the defining advocates for the handicapped in all history. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

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Reel Facts: THE MIRACLE WORKER was nominated for five Oscars and won two; Best Actress for Bancroft and Best Supporting Actress for Duke. Bancroft also played Anne in the Broadway production and won a Tony Award. Duke would play Anne in a 1979 television version.