It begins like any other documentary. Interviewees take their seats before oversized lights and camera crews, director Shoshannah Stern setting the stage for the questions soon to be asked of each, main subject Marlee Matlin making herself comfortable on a couch alongside Stern, the latter of whom will maintain a constant presence throughout the film as she interacts with each participant. Yet, as the film begins, a noticeable shift occurs as it becomes apparent there exist just as many speaking vocally as those who employ American Sign Language; this, unsurprisingly, befits the narrative of “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” and the lively, eloquent centerpiece that is Matlin. For a film about someone who has been deaf since she was 18 months old, the story presented couldn’t be any more articulately clear.
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In 1987, Matlin broke new ground at that year’s Academy Awards when she was named Best Actress for her performance in 1986’s “Children of a Lesser God,” becoming both the youngest actress at 21 to receive the award in and the first deaf performer to win an Oscar. Starring alongside William Hurt, with whom she had an offscreen relationship in parallel to that which their onscreen characters shared, the film spends time focusing on this moment in her life and subsequent struggle, to a degree, as she attempted to keep her career momentum going despite the pigeonhole unintentionally created by her win. Soon branching into the realm of advocacy as she petitions for a more widespread use of closed captioning after a wish to fully experience “The Wizard of Oz,” it’s around this point that her reflection on childhood unfolds as she recalls the frustration she felt by the apparent inability of most Matlin family members to learn signing and the loneliness felt by Marlee as a result.
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The dynamic between Matlin and Hurt remains well-known; abuse stemming from Hurt still resonates as Matlin looks back, bewildered by the continued success Hurt enjoyed as the decades passed and the tension felt when she walked up onstage to accept her Oscar from none other than Hurt himself. Her return to the following year’s ceremony would serve as a point of controversy, as Matlin would use her speaking voice to say the names of the Best Actor nominees and kick off a wave of backlash from members of the deaf community who saw this act as a form of betrayal. Her struggles around this time would lead to a stint in the Betty Ford Clinic.
Still, following the completion of treatment and sobriety she’s maintained to this day, a montage capturing her career’s progression leading to her return to the Oscars in 2022 for her role in “CODA” cements her status as a genuine voice for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and, as she herself hoped, an undeniable talent as an artist. In that moment, as she celebrated the success of “CODA,” which included a win for deaf co-star Troy Kotsur, longtime interpreter Jack Jason finds himself unable to hold back tears as Matlin joyfully muses on how, for seemingly the first time, she no longer feels alone.
It’s a unique profile of Matlin, and by incorporating a wealth of her similarly deaf friends, the film sits in stark contrast to its contemporaries; when any interviewee uses sign language, and the sound drops to near zero, it’s hard not to feel all the more engaged. Hearing from old friends such as Henry Winkler, who even provided the venue for Matlin’s wedding, makes for a fine anecdote or two, but the film should, and does, reach captivating heights anytime Matlin or the likes of Lauren Ridloff, who herself took on Matlin’s role in a 2018 Broadway revival of ‘Lesser God,’ expressively move the narrative forward, each as charming as the next. For a film ostensibly about one actress’s struggles as she sets about proving that her talents transcend her limitations, it speaks louder than words ever could. [A-]
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