The Miracle Worker

The fact that Helen Keller would be played by that annoying girl in those ubiquitous Pepsi commercials did not give me much hope for this television remake of the classic tale. I'm happy to report that I found myself very pleasantly surprised. Hallie Kate Eisenberg did, in fact, create a Helen with both subtlety and nuance. As well, Alison Elliot's portrayal of Annie Sullivan showed both grace and intelligent restraint. This relatively gentle production never recreates the dense and claustrophobic tragedy of the 1962 movie (starring Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft) and thus the 'awakening' lacks the same glorious contrast. However, it does remain true to the spirit of the story and Helen's amazing triumph will no doubt continue to inspire a whole new generation.

I have enjoyed both of the earlier versions of The Miracle Worker so much so that I wanted to see this one. While the performance by Alison Elliott as Anne Sullivan was very well done, she was handicapped by the watered down dialogue and tension between her character and that of Helen. For someone who has never seen either the 1962 version with Anne Bancroft as Anne and Patty Duke as Helen or the 1979 version with Patty Duke as Anne and Melissa Gilbert as Helen (which is my favorite - probably because I saw it first), this version may be enjoyable, but I found it to be deflatingly understated. If you have seen either of the earlier renditions, do not expect the dramatic scenes to be as emotional or the dialogue to be as effective in this latest remake.

When i was about seven years old, I read a fascinating book, unusual for me considering I wasn't really much for reading books (and still aren't). I read this one several times, mostly for the story but also for two very secret codes that no one else knew. I learned them to the extent that throughout my schooling, I could use either one of them quite proficiently. One of the codes was Braille, the other was the Manual Alphabet. The name of the book was "the story of Helen Keller". It also gave me a lifetime of wanting to learn the entire American Sign Language. It would take fifteen years after first reading the book, but I would eventually learn some of this amazing language.

Now we jump to a time two years ago. My boss at the time, a truck driver and breeder of Great Danes, knowing I was very much an animal lover, asked if I'd be interested in taking a deaf female great dane he'd rescued from another breeder. The four month old puppy, a beautiful version of the coloring known as Harlequin, needed patience and extensive training. After several weeks working with her virtually every free moment, I was going to do something I'd never once considered: I was going to give up on another living creature. I wasn't getting through. Nothing was working. I was getting truly frustrated because she didn't seem to be catching on. I was seriously considering sending her back to my boss, who would find her another home. Maybe I and Evony weren't supposed to connect... I told my mom of this plan, and she, the one who taught me my love of animals, asked me to give the puppy just a little while longer.

It was while I was sitting in the living room shortly after that, checking the schedule of the satellite TV that I noticed the title "the miracle worker". Very familiar to the story of Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller (favorite book, remember), I switched it over to the movie. I watched it, taping it at the same time, then sat there a long time afterward. One idea of the movie stayed with me: If Annie Sullivan gave up, she was Helen Keller's last chance. Helen would be sent to an insane asylum (a common practise at the time for severely/multiple handicapped people). If, throughout the conflict, she had let go of that little hand, Helen Keller would have been just another sightless, soundless face in an asylum, instead of a leader and inspiration to all. Annie was the only one who saw intelligence behind those sightless eyes. She just had to get through to it. I looked at Evony, the puppy I had considered naming Helen or Keller, in honor of Helen Keller, and knew I couldn't give up and let go of that little hand...

Evony is now a two and a half year old, happy, healthy (36 inches at the shoulder, 150 pounds!) dog. Without any knowledge of signals used by dog trainers, I taught her American Sign Language. Her vocabulary is now sixteen signed commands. She adores anyone she meets, favorite is the kids who are fascinated by this giant white dog. When they ask if they can pet her, I request that they approach from the front so she can see them, because she can't hear. Then their fascination grows: a deaf dog. Adults are amazed that this huge dog, the personification of affection, understands American Sign Language. My answer is the same: "She's very intelligent. Just took some patience..." Do I see myself as a male Annie Sullivan, teaching a canine Helen Keller to lead the world? No. Her mission is to teach everyone to get along, and that they should all stop and pet large white dogs whenever possible. She does prove, however, what is possible when you're inspired. What a mistake I may have made, if not for this movie airing when it did.

This story is just screaming to be a fine movie. What is better subject matter for a presentation by signs, than a story of presentation by signs. And there has been a moderately successful film made in 1962, at least it had the weight of trembling actors.

This version has been Disneyfied in predicable ways: dumbed, cleaned and sweetened accordingly. But oddly enough for a film about blindness, it is blazingly bright and colorful. I think this is a simple accident of what Disney knows about how TeeVee bleaches colors.

And it has two actors who have done well in fine films. Nominally, they are supposed to have a huge metaphysical tussle, here more of a staring contest. David Strathairn's presence in 'Limbo' is really something you need to see. Any one of tens of thousands could have done what he does here.

Alison Elliott just blew me away in 'Wings of a Dove.' This woman has enough power to suggest what is suspected of the 'real' Anne, that much of the intelligence of her student was imposed. This would have been fertile stuff for an intelligent film. Oh well, at least she does something.

That can't be said for the Helen here who is little more than the dolls in this story. Would have made more sense if that Anne redactor layer was mined.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

I came across this remake of the 1962 classic with Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke on WE television and was very, very impressed, both with Hallie Eisenberg, who played Helen, and with Allison Elliott, who played Annie Sullivan. I had, of course, seen the original black and white, but was pleasantly surprised with this remake of the original film. Hallie is an amazing young actress. It was beautifully filmed as well, and I always enjoy seeing David Strathairn, who played Helen's father. What an amazing story of the relationship between Helen Keller and the woman who taught her how to relate to the world around her, even those this child was locked in darkness without sight, sound or speech. A beautiful, moving remake with wonderful acting.