Children of a Lesser God (1986)

A beautiful and touching movie. James Leeds (William Hurt) is a new speech therapy teacher at a school for the deaf. There he teaches his students how to speak and read lips. In his first few days there he sees a beautiful woman who is the janitor at the school. He learns that the woman's name is Sarah Norman (Marlee Matlin in her Oscar winning role) and she is a former student at the school. She never learned to speak or read lips and she has no desire to ever learn these things. She stayed at the school because she is safe there and she is afraid of the "real" world. Soon, James and Sarah begin a love affair and move in together. However, their relationship is threatened by Sarah's stubbornness and James' desire to help her when she does not want his help.

I was afraid this movie would be to artsy-fartsy as they say but I was surprised. I was engrossed in the story from the very beginning. Matlin was brilliant as the troubled Sarah. The scene where she is signing to James what she did with the boys her sister was friends with was heartbreaking and probably won her that Oscar. Hurt was also wonderful as the teacher who wants to save Sarah when she may not need saving. If you like a good love story/tear jerker this one is for you.