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Bookmark this pageA Child Is Waiting (1963)
Director: John Cassavetes
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Disowned by Cassavetes after producer Stanley Kramer edited it against his wishes and made it more sentimental than intended, this is none the less a very affecting study of the plight of mentally retarded children. Shot in semi-documentary style and using (with the exception of Ritchey, the film's central 'case history') actual retarded children, the movie concerns a new teacher (Garland) whose excessive concern with Ritchey's predicament brings her into conflict with her boss (Lancaster). As ever, Cassavetes elicits magnificent performances from his cast, making especially fine use of Garland's tremulous emotionalism, although the occasional drifts into didacticism (the script was by Abby Mann, who wrote Judgment at Nuremberg and Ship of Fools) entail the sort of special pleading Cassavetes was keen to avoid. Flawed but fascinating.Author: GA
User reviews of this film
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- Joe said...
- Posted on Aug 26 2011 00:31 Very interesting. Garland is good, over the top sometimes. Lancaster is good, verging on mean, in his role, but then you see he is doing well by the kids. I would like to see Cassavette's version. Kramer is good though.
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Cast & crew
Director: John Cassavetes
Producer: Stanley Kramer
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Gena Rowlands, Steven Hill, Bruce Ritchey, Paul Stewart, Lawrence Tierney full cast
Duration: 102 mins
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