MargDuffield(LeeRemick)istheMainewifeofAl(JosephSommer)whosedaughterPeg(MarleeMatlin)isdeaf.Peg'shusbandiskilledinacaraccidentonthewaytovisittheMainehouse,andtheDuffield'stakeinPeg'ssixyearolddaughter,Lisa,whilePegrecovers.SinceLisaisaspeakingchild,MargthinksofherthewayshewantedPegtobe,andseeksguardiancustody.
Remick'sroleissecondarytoMatlin's,thoughsheispresentedasatragicfigure,particularlyasAlrefusestohelpherplantogainLisa.Peg'sdeafnessissaidtobefromachildhoodcaseofspinalmeningitis,andtheteleplaybyLouisaBurns-Bisogno,withstorybyLouisaandTomBisogno,reducesRemicktoatextbookmotherwhoisself-hatingfromguiltandthereforecannotloveherowndaughter.Inamemorablescene,PegangrilysignsherexittoMarg,sinceMarghasrefusedtolearnsignlanguage,thoughPeghaslearnedtospeakforhermother.
ThetreatmentusestheTenneseeWilliamsplay,TheGlassMenagerie,fortherapy,tohelpPegovercomehergriefandalsoMarg`loseherunicornhorn'andembraceherdaughter.WhilstPegchoosingtoactinthisplaymayseemanoddchoiceforsomeonegrieving,whatismorenoticableisthatMatlinisfartoomoreglamouroustobebelievableasLaura.TheBisogno'sincludeMichaelO'KeefeasDan,Peg'sdeceasedhusband'sbestfriendanddirectorofActorsTheatrefortheDeaf,toofferPeganewromanticinterest,andthankfullysherebukeshisprotestationsoflove.Althoughhisopinionmaybeinfluencedbyhis`crush',DantellsPegthatbeingdifferentisbetterthanbeingnormal,sincethenormalonesareas`commonasweeds'.ThisphilosophyreadsasratherNietzschean,onthelevelofartistsnotbeingrestrictedtothecommonmoralcode.
DirectorKarenArthureitherhasthosesigningalsospeakingorthosesigningbeingtranslatedfortheaudience,thoughinonescenethesoundoflappingwavesdrownsoutthedialoguebetweenDanandPeg.ShealsogivesMatlinsomegoodmoments,onebeingherscreamofhorrorwhenshehearsthenewsofthedeathofherhusband,andanotherwhenshechasesRemickdownaflightofsteps,hittingher.
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