The Miracle Worker

Just finally got a copy of this on VHS off eBay. Been trying for years. Missed it the first time around and have never seen it listed in the TV guide since. Great to see Miss Duke-Astin return to this role. What a great idea in casting! Understand Melissa Gilbert put the project together so showcase her talents and she does that quite well. Although I do find a little more humor in Miss Duke-Astin's performance (more from facial expressions)I find it very believable and proves what an actress she can be when she wants to be. The supporting cast is well chosen and performs well and this is the perfect companion piece to the original.

This NBC Hallmark Hall of Fame version was filmed in Southern California, which is obvious from the very sunny scenes both inside and out. The older movie version is much darker and moodier, which not only fits the subject matter, but which is more accurate, due to the fact they only had lamplight most of the time. The big trivia here is that Patty Duke now plays Annie Sullivan, whereas she was Helen Keller in the 1962 movie (and won an Oscar for it). Melissa Gilbert was 15 when she filmed this, but is about the same weight as and an inch taller than Patty Duke, which makes Melissa look too old for the role. Also, Melissa's very long hair gets in the way of her wild tantrums - it either should have been cut, or she should have worn a short wig. Both Gilbert & Duke were nominated for Emmys for their roles, but only Duke won the day. Original playwright William Gibson not only wrote this 1979 adaptation, but also the very first one, broadcast on "Playhouse 90" in 1957, starring Patty McCormack, Theresa Wright, Patricia Neal and Burl Ives. That pre-dated the 1959 Broadway version, which starred Duke and Anne Bancroft...

One may wonder why this redo was necessary, but in 1979 we were still a few years away from videocassette rentals and Turner Classic Movies. In order to see Arthur Penn's version of "The Miracle Worker", one had to wait until a local television station picked it up for airing. That being said, this color adaptation of William Gibson's play by the author doesn't draw viewers in like the original did. The performances aren't luminous, there's nothing for us to discover for ourselves--it's too straightforward, too "television". The location of the Kellers' Southern home seems wrong, the color photography is ugly (save for the opening scene, which has a nice look), and the movie drags its feet for the first 20mns or so. The family asides with Captain Keller, his wife and son, housekeeper and newborn baby were the weakest link in Arthur Penn's original, and the characters fare no better here. Duke Astin, as well, takes some time adjusting to her role; her Irish brogue is odd, her look is disheveled and, at times, she seems to be doing an impersonation of Anne Bancroft! "Little House on the Prairie" star Melissa Gilbert initiated the project, with herself cast as a very lanky Helen Keller; she's fine, and she helps makes the finale work, but there's no real reason to watch this version when the original is now readily available. Five Emmy nominations with three wins, in what must have been a slow year. ** from ****

This was a very good movie. Helen was played very well. This movie helps people not take things for granted. It is an incredible story of how anyone is capable of doing anything. Annie was also played very well. She taught Helen many things. The closing scene when Helen realizes that everything has a name is very moving. The love shown between Annie and Helen was really an awesome thing.

I first saw this movie during grade school when we were learning the history of Helen Keller. It was actually a very engaging movie of how Helen tries to cope with her blindness and how her teacher, Anne Sullivan, guides her along the way to live life as a blind person, and to also deal with her unruly attitude.

The part where Anne and Helen grapples around the dinner table sent the classroom to laughter. To see Anne have such patience in dealing with Helen's misbehavior and her condition is uplifting.

It's not a movie with some of the best acting, as some of the character interaction were just a little awkward. But overall, it's a pretty good TV movie about the courageousness of Helen Keller and the patience and understanding of Anne Sullivan.

Grade B