Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

evanston_dad This lean film adapted by William Gibson from his own stage play gets right down to business. This is not a biopic about Helen Keller or Annie Sullivan. We learn some background details about both that give their characters some context, but no more time than necessary is spent on them. Instead, this film is almost exclusively about Sullivan's time with Keller's family spent teaching Keller to communicate and her eventual breakthrough. It's an incredibly physical film -- since Keller couldn't hear, see, or speak, touch was the only sense through which she could communicate, and her family allowed her to slam, smack, and pound her way through life until she got what she wanted. Sullivan at first meets her at her own level, throwing her down into chairs, smacking her back when smacked herself, tackling her to the ground. Anne Bancroft, as Sullivan, and Patty Duke, as Keller, are sensational in these scenes and director Arthur Penn captures them with an insistent intensity. The whole film has an unsettling quality even when nothing unsettling is happening on screen, mainly due to Penn's decision to give the film the look and sound of a horror movie, with creepy, film-noir cinematography and eerie sound design.Bancroft and Duke both won Oscars for their performances, while the film brought nominations to Penn as Best Director, Gibson for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Ruth Morley for her black and white costumes.Grade: A

grantss A moving story, covering the childhood years of blind-deaf Helen Keller and how her tutor Annie Sullivan helped her.Does require a fair bit of perseverance, however. The first half is quite painful to watch, as Keller does random, almost malicious things, without any sign that her behaviour will change. This also involves a few "fight" scenes between her and Sullivan, scenes that seem to go on far too long and are far too frequent.Add in an incredibly irritating, overacted performance by Victor Jory as the stupid-yet-very opinionated father - his idea of acting seems to be shouting very loudly, all the time - and the movie is set to be a massive test of patience.Gets better, however, and the ending is quite emotional.

SnoopyStyle It's late 19th century Tuscumbia, Alabama. Helen Keller (Patty Duke) is blind and deaf after a bout of scarlet fever as a baby. Her parents are unable to help the frustrated Helen who is getting more violent. The family is on the verge of sending her to an asylum but they call on the Perkins School for the Blind to help. Former student Anne Sullivan (Anne Bancroft) is sent. She had nine operations on her eyes. It's a struggle to connect as Anne tries to break into Helen's world. Mother Keller (Inga Swenson) spoils Helen. Captain Keller (Victor Jory) wants peace. Older brother James (Andrew Prine) seems to be callous but really has simply given up trying.I remember seeing the play as a kid. It's just great. Both actresses are terrific. The dinning room struggle is one of the most compelling action scenes. It's so simple and yet so powerful. The violence is something more jarring than the play. The performances and the material combine to make something that is an instant classic.

Chrysanthepop Arthur Penn's exhilarating 'The Miracle Worker' is a fascinating story based on the account between Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller. One couldn't even begin to imagine what Helen Keller's dark and soundless world must have been like and what a challenge it must have been for Annie Sullivan to guide her and bring some light into her silent world. 'The Miracle Worker' very effectively tells the story giving us some of the most memorable cinematic sequences such as the dining scene where Annie teaches Helen some manners. Another sequence that deserves mention for its fine simple execution is the recurring nightmare of Annie. There's some fine camera-work involved.The highlights of 'The Miracle Worker' are the sequences between Annie and Helen. Needless to say, the movie is carried by the two phenomenal lead actresses: Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke. This is reportedly Duke's first movie and what an incredible debut, that too for such a young actress! Bancroft is sublime and transcendent. This will (or perhaps already has) go down as one of the greatest performances by a lead actress. The supporting cast perform well even though they are clearly overshadowed by the leads.The only minor quibble I have is the background score. Such loud background music was a common thing in movies of the 60s. However, in this case, it can easily be overlooked due to the powerful story and performances.On a final note, 'The Miracle Worker' is an enlightening, uplifting and important film that deserves to be viewed. There have been several remakes and interpretative movies over the years following but nothing has topped Penn's movie.