Stream It Or Skip It?

Marlee Matlin, who made history in 1987 when she became the first deaf actor to win an Oscar for her performance in Children of a Lesser God, not to mention the youngest to win Best Actress, is telling her story in this new installment of PBS’ American Masters. The documentary premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and is making its PBS debut tonight at 9 p.m. ET, and streaming for free the next 28 days.

Opening Shot: The film opens with helicopters overhead, and quickly sets the scene in 2022 Los Angeles, where Matlin is about to step out of the car and onto the Oscars red carpet. 2021’s CODA, which Matlin starred in, was up for three Oscars—including Best Picture—and ultimately won all three.

The Gist: With the help of her family, friends, and collaborators (including the documentary’s director and fellow deaf actress Shoshannah Stern, CODA director Sian Heder, The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin, Henry Winkler, CODA star and deaf actor Troy Kotsur, and deaf actress Lauren Ridloff), Matlin takes viewers on her journey from growing up in Illinois to being cast in Children of a Lesser God, which launched her career.

Stern, who made her directorial debut with this documentary, also plays a significant role on screen, using ASL to guide interviews and asking thought-provoking questions of the film’s interview subjects, while stylistically immersing viewers further into the making of the film.

While Children of a Lesser God sparked its own sense of deaf representation on screen, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore opens up the discussion of why there have not been more stories spotlighting deaf actors in recent years—particularly, more respectful and illuminating stories. Despite saying that “it was awesome to see deaf authenticity finally” and the film marked “a big step” toward progress, Kotsur admitted that “the story felt like it was about sympathy” and that “it was patronizing.”

A brief moment from a conversation between Stern and Sorkin about the play—1986’s Children of a Lesser God was an on-screen adaptation of the 1980 stage production—also piqued our interest, as Stern, who teased that playing Sarah was “a rite of passage” for deaf actresses, pointed out that the play is “the only one that people know” with this level of representation.

The documentary also promotes the idea that deaf actors should not be confined to solely deaf roles, as Matlin’s longtime ASL translator Jack Jason so poignantly highlights.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of? While Children of a Lesser God sets the tone for the advocacy that Matlin took on, her work on CODA is mentioned at the start of Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore and closes out the doc, allowing the film to come full circle.

Our Take: Matlin does not shy away from addressing the tough topics. While the documentary focuses on her career and the opportunities for Deaf advocacy that she admitted she was “thrust into” via her Children of a Lesser God success, she also sheds light on the disconnect she often experienced with those around her, the guilt she felt that her parents held onto after she became deaf at just 18 months old, the abuse she suffered at the hands of her Children of a Lesser God co-star and ex-boyfriend William Hurt, and her struggles with addiction.

Outside of her on-screen work, it was really interesting to see her working to create more opportunities for other deaf actors. Getting a look at her family life was also touching, as we see her signing with her baby granddaughter.

Not only does Matlin’s openness establish authenticity, but also the doc’s employment of ASL and closed captions. Watching an interview in which two deaf individuals are signing two each other, with closed captions guiding viewers as to what they are saying—as opposed to having a hearing translator stepping in—feels immersive and genuine to a viewer unaccustomed to the use of ASL. The editing and format create a unique experience that speaks to the power of communication and the importance of accessibility for those with obstacles to communicating.

Performance Worth Watching: A performance that comes to mind, courtesy of Matlin herself, is a clip from her Season 5 guest appearance on Seinfeld, one of her first TV gigs that instilled in her that she could do live television. Matlin got the job after seeing Larry David at the gym one morning, and series writer Carol Leifer wrote her into an episode titled “The Lip Reader.”

Memorable Dialogue: While a quote from Matlin’s speech to the press following CODA‘s Oscar win inspired the title of the film, a conversation between Matlin and Stern surrounding the concept of language deprivation was particularly striking. On the subject of her relationship with Hurt, Matlin explained that she “never knew that ‘domestic violence’ was a term that was used to describe what you were going through in an abusive relationship.” After Matlin noted that she “didn’t have those resources,” Stern added that she also lacked “the language itself” for the situation.

MATLIN: “Hearing people are lucky that they can overhear and have access to information anywhere they go, wherever they are, whoever they’re with. Deaf people only have their eyes to rely on for information.”

STERN: “That’s language deprivation.”

MATLIN: “It’s language deprivation. Big time.”

STERN: “You’ll always be playing catch-up for your life. That is the biggest barrier.”

MATLIN: “We’re not fed the words and the language the same way hearing people are. So we have to work extra hard.”

Sex and Skin: None other than some brief clips from intimate scenes in Children of a Lesser God.

Our Call: STREAM IT! Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore‘s primary use of ASL creates an astute awareness of the barriers experienced by the Deaf community on a daily basis. Not to mention, Matlin’s story is one more than worthy of a feature-length documentary.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.