Actress Tells Her Story – ryan

Editor’s Note: This Review Ran During the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Kino Lorber Release “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” in New York June 20 Before IT expands June 27.

The Questions Shouldn’t Surprise, Not AFTER ALL These years, but they will. Well, not the Questions so Much – People are naturally Curious, especally about what they don’t know or have never seen – but the ways in which they were asked, the ways in which they are. lobbed at a Young Marlee Matlin, hot on the heels of her first Major film Role in “Children of a Lesser God” and the Buzz (and Oscar Win!) That Followed. It was a consistent query in 1986, when the Deaf Star Burst on to the Skene: What Else Could A Deaf Actress posseir Be good for, Other than Deaf Role?

Matlin hasn’t forgotten those quues or interviews or articles, and filmmaker Shoshannah stern doesn’t skimp when it sharing say in her Documentary About the Acts and Activist, “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone ANYMORE.” It works as bot recent history – too recent – and a salesis. Well, what Else was matlin good for? Plenty, Including Now (Finally!) AS A FORPRIGHT AND COMPULING DOCUMETARY SUBJECT.

Despite the unkind assumptions so offen ascribed to her and her work, matlin isn’t eager to throw stones, and Despite Some Tough Revelations in Documentary, The Remains Mostly Celebratary and Light. It is reflecting on the ways in which some people tourned on her dural her rise to fame (and her oscar win, whic made her the first deaf performer to win Actress), matlin doesn’t get mean. InsTead, She Turst Any Fear and Anxiety Back on Herself and Her Reaction. There is a reasson why the deaf star has endured all of the years-take that, the single single and oscar pundit who sniffed at her as a “sympathy pic” or point-blank what sort of future is for a disbursement Actress-But it is Clearly Hard Work. and Tough lessons.

Stern’s Documentary opens at the 2022 Oscars, as a Dazzling Matlin Readies for the Annual Event. Those Familiar with Matlin’s Career Will Likely Undersand Immediately How’s Opening – at Hollywood’s Biggest Night, Where Sian Heder’s Film “Coda,” Starring Matlin and A Host of Other Deaf Performers, Will Ultimately Triumph – is in Conversation with Film. But stern, Despite some initially traditional Documentary trappings, is weaving something a bit more canny here. We will return to the 2022 oscars late, with significantly more context. We will Also will the Same for the 1987 Oscars, and Much More.

Before all that, howver, stern (herself a deaf actress in addition to her filmmake) and matlin Clearly have accessibility of Mind for the film. We’re Greeneted with Not Only On-Screen Captions (Later, Pairing Perfectly with Stories Matlin’s Fight to Make Closed Captions the Standard for TV), but Copious Scenes of Both Deaf and Hearing Talking Heads (Signing Heads?) USING AMERICAL SIGNG. For stern, it’i an easy choice – her subjects should have been used to the language of their choice, and she’s happy to make it accesible for all – and one more stirring we see it in action, Such as with multiple sins in whic facing sternlin sternlin sternlin Other, Signing Away With Gusto and Emotion.

In Addition to Matlin and Herself, Stern has Assembled A Strong Array of participants to contextualize matlin. Henry Winkler and Aaron Sorkin Are There, Plus Her Brother, Her Eldest Daughter, Other Deaf Performers (Coda “Co-Star Troy Kotur, of Course), and Her Childhood Best Friend. Her long-time translator Jack jason proves to be a vital voice, just as good at communicating matlin’s th nso n and his.

But matters is the Moving and Exciting Star on Offer, and while she’s always been outspoken about her life and career – SEE: Closed Caption crusade, her involved President now! Movement, Her Accusations Against Partner and “Children” Co-Star William Hurt, and Her Own Autobiography-There’s something quite Moving About Matlin Tall Her Story, on Her Own Terms.

While that means there are Certain Things She’s swimming in sharing (discussions about HOW HER HANDLED HERE, BOTH THEN AND NOW, COULD EASLY ANOTHER FILM), that part and parcel of letting their own story. For “Not Alone Anymore,” The Message Isn’t Just the Medium: ITH’S Access to that medium, the fact that they have mesages are able to be shared, for some to see, some to hear, and all to benefry.

Grade: B+

“Marlee Matlin: Not Alone ANYMORE” Premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Kino Lorber Opens the Film in New York on June 20, followed by an Expansion June 27.

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