"If there were only joy in the world, we could never learn to be brave and patient." Helen Keller
The Miracle Worker depicts the themes
of discipline, learning, growth, family respect and communication, and hope. Helen
Keller, a young southern blind and deaf girl becomes aware of language, love,
and obedience, which changes not only her future but the lives of everyone else
connected to her, especially her family. Annie Sullivan, her slum-bred,
half-blind teacher dedicates herself to releasing Helen from the prison of
silence and unknowing.
Read these two opinions of people who have enjoyed this film. Pay attention to the vocabulary used to describe the film and to show admiration. Then write a comment with your own opinion about the most interesting aspects of this film considered by many a master piece:
"Where do I begin? Shall I speak of Mrs Bancroft's performance,one of the finest you can watch on a screen? Shall I tell about Patty Duke's tour de force? Shall I praise the mind-boggling work of Arthur Penn, mastering the long fight around the table? This movie is a miracle in itself. Behind her dark spectacles, the teacher hides buried terrors, that's why she's bound to understand her unusual pupil. She knows that the solution to her problems lies in herself, that the family is a prison .The parents do not see (or do not want to see) that they erect a wall between their daughter and the world outside by poisoning her with protection.That's why Annie seems brutal, hard on Helen. She could not have broken the wall if she had been a "nice" teacher. Among all Penn's great movies ,"miracle worker" is the only one that has an optimistic end.Since,other directors have tackled the autism (children of a lesser God, Rain Man )but no one has surpassed this black and white gem.
"This movie made a strong impression on me when I saw it on Tv as a lad and I have revisited it a few more times but it had been a decade since I saw it last. My daughter had done a book report on Helen Keller recently and was very moved by her story. I mentioned the Miracle Worker, so we rented it and viewed it tonight and it still packs a wallop and the performances are first rate. Patty Duke won the best supporting Oscar that year and deserved it (even though she beat out Mary Badham who played Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird -- what a year for young actresses!!!) and Anne Bancroft is amazing as the tough, determined Anne Sullivan. A wonderful film."
Now, to end this activity, check your knowledge doing this quiz:
| 1. | What was the first word Helen was able to understand? |
| |
| 2. | Was Helen Keller born deaf and blind? |
| |
| 3. | Why does Helen rip off Anne Sullivan's button from her dress? |
| |
| A. | Helen wants to see what it is |
| C. | Helen wants eyes on her doll |
| D. | None of these answers are correct |
| 4. | Why did Helen's family give her candy? |
| |
| A. | To get Helen to be quiet |
| B. | To award her for positive actions |
| D. | Helen would not eat anything else |
| 5. | Why was Anne Sullivan hired? |
| |
| D. | she was just a close friend |
| 6. | Why does Helen ride in the carriage for hours before going to the back house? |
| |
| A. | Helen likes carriage rides |
| B. | The family had nothing better to do |
| C. | So Helen does not figure out where she is |
| 7. | Where does Helen first hide the key after she locks Anne in her room? |
| |
| 8. | Where do the Kellers live? |
| |
| 9. | Anne Sullivan was blind, but she got surgery numerous times to help with her sight. |
| |
| 10. | What is the first thing Anne teaches Helen? |
| |
Wow I'm the first! So let's talk about the film.
ResponderEliminarIt's an old film but I think the color and the time are not impediments to watch it. I watched it a few years ago but now it impress me again. I think every person can take somethin good of it, it talks about the importance of obedience and discipline, and it also talks about the different ways to educate a child.
I think it has been a different and a cool activitie.
David Polo González 4º ESO A
I saw this film a few yearsit I've liked again.I think that it is a old movie but interesting. This movie explain how was education and the importance of the discipline. i think that it is very good and very real. People who are sensitive will cry. We must see more filmes in class. It is a fun way to learn more english.
ResponderEliminarThis is my opinion, Merry Christmas to all.
Blanca de Miguel Aparicio 4°D
I really liked this film, I think is interesting and diferent than other films and you can learn a lot of it. I have already watched it but this time I enjoyed more because I understood better. It teaches that you have to respect disabled people and the importance of discipline. Some scenes are a bit violent but in general is a really good film. It was difficult to understand some vocabulary but the subtitles helped you.
ResponderEliminarLucía Rivero Sánchez 4º A
I have never seen such an old film but I think it´s very good although it´s forty years old. This film teaches you that you can do whatever you want if you never give up. It also teaches you that disabled people can learn the things that we learn but in a different way. All the people must watch it because it´s very interesting and amazing. In my opinion we could watch more films like The Miracle Worker.
ResponderEliminarAndrea Campos González 4B
This movie is very old, but it teaches us the importance of having good discipline, and disabled people can do the same things that normal people, with more difficulty, but they can. The teacher got to teach Helen to say the words in the sign language.
ResponderEliminarI liked this movie and I would like to see a similar movie. Some vocabulary of this film was difficult but I I more or less understood it.
I saw this film when I was in 1º of ESO. The Miracle Worker is an old film,but I liked because I think that is different, interesting and conmoving. This film teach you the importance of discipline, educationn and respect disabled people. For me, it's a good film, and with the subtitles, you learn a lot of vocabulary!!!!!
ResponderEliminarIrene Miguélez Morán, 4ºB
I think this film is very good, despite the fact that it's old. It was the second time I've watched the film but when I watched it for the first time I didn't understand very good the story because my English level was lower.
ResponderEliminarI really enjoyed the film and it shows you lots of values, like how to treat a disabled person and the respect you must have. It also teaches you that a handicapped person can be as intelligent as a not disabled one.
Cristina Salcedo Ciborro 4ºA
I saw this movie two years ago in high school too. Upon seeing it again, I understood the film much better. I think it teachs us that we are all the same, althought we have a disability or a kind of problem we should go on living and trying to improve each day. And we also need to appreciate what we have.The movie has some violent scene, but overall not much. I would also say that the performance of the teacher seems to me correct. I don't know what to do in that situation. It's difficult to understand the dialogs but you learn a lot of vocabulary.
ResponderEliminarPaula Mostazo Gonzalo 4º D
I really like this film, this is a different film, and you can learn a lot of it.
ResponderEliminarThis film teaches you that you can do every thing if you never lose hope.
This film also teach you that disabled people can do the same things you do.
Each person can have a diferent opinion of this film and understand it in a different way..
Alba Sánchez López 4ºA
This is the first time I saw this film, it's an old film but it teaches us many things like disabled people can do the same things we do or the importance of discipline.
ResponderEliminarI have never seen such a film like this and in my opinion it's a very good film because it also shows us the epoch and how disabled people were considered.
This film is very old, is in black and white but it is interesting because the film speaks about the discipline.
ResponderEliminarThe vocabulary of the film is normal, there is words more difficult than others.
I saw this film fey years ago but I undestand more now because I have more level of English.
In the film the teacher taught a lot of things about discipline, spell words... To Helen.
Alejandro Pérez Parejo 4°A
this film has more years , but I think that is the first film in black and white that like me .the film is about a girl that is blind and deaf and her teacher teach her important things like discipline , obedient , talking , etc, and therefore for me this film is very instructive and teach us that we never must lose hope why look that a disabilty person doesn´t has any future , why this person can learn with help to do same o better things that a normal person .
ResponderEliminarsaúl moreno 4º A
In my opinion it's a very interesting flim, this film teach you about disabilities, and I learn so much with this film. Also this film is very old and it's in black and white, so sometimes you are bored.
ResponderEliminarI think that this film is wonderful. It is very old so a lot of young people don't know about it but if they watch the film... They like it! The film teaches us to love that we have and if we want something, we try it and never give up. In the film a teacher helps a girl who has disabilities: deaf, blind and non-vocal. At first It's very difficult because the girl is disobedient and the parents don't like the way of the teacher tries to teach her but finally, she guess it. People who are sensitive will cry beacuse It's really beautiful.
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion the film was interesting because it shows us how disabled childen were trated in those ages. Although the film is in black and white it is easily understood. I like the way the teacher treat the girl because she doesn't let her do whatever she wants. The methods that the teacher uses are hard but interesting.
ResponderEliminarBlanca Tovar Calvo 4 ESo A
I saw this movie a few years ago in high school. Honestly when we said we were going to see this movie I did not call the earnest attention ;-), but I have to confess that I liked. A part of learning more english vocabulary you realize many things, for example to respect people with an impairment and not degrade it. Patty Duke is amazing it does to perfection and the teacher who teaches the signs, words etc too overboard as an actress. The truth is that I liked a lot.
ResponderEliminarJara Montes Herreros 4ºA
In my opinion this film is a verygood film because it's about a very difficult theme. it was very interesting for me because, I saw the importance of discipline in some situations... also i have to say, that there are parts in the film that are a bit difficult to understand, but in general i liked it so much because the actors are so good too. Javier Martín Roncero 4º A
ResponderEliminarI saw this film in the high school about two years ago, but I have forgoten the story. I think it's a good film, it is interesting too because when you see this film you realise about the life of disabled people and how they live and see the life. You know that you must respect this people and this film reminds you it.
ResponderEliminarIn despite of the fact that it's a good film, I don't like it; I don't like films about disabled people because I think they are very sad.
MªPaz Gil Lubián 4ºB
I my opinion that is a good film, that teach you about the problems that have the peoples who have a discapacity. i don't like so much this kind of film because this make my feel bad. looking the problems that have this people. But is a great idea to make a film to show all the world that disable persons can learn all that is a problem for them if they want.
ResponderEliminarLaura Parra Becerra 4ºA
In this film, you can see how were treated disabled people before. People thought that this kind of persons were special and they couldn't live a normal life. The main character is a teacher who doesn't believe it. She tries to teach children with disabilities. In my opinion it is a very good film and I've really liked it although it is very old.
ResponderEliminarMaría García Sánchez 4°ESO B.
I watched that film a few years ago and I really liked it and It impresed me but I think that now shocked me more than the first time. I liked the film, though it's old, because it shows the problem of living with a disability as big as live blind and deaf, and the importance of education, respect, manners and obedience.
ResponderEliminarMoreover I found bad behavior of parents because a disabled person can learn like a normal person and be even smarter.
Laura Cabezas Campos 4º D
In my opinion this is a very good film, because it depicts about how people thought about disabled people and how the society treated them. I think is a "revolucionary" film because nobody did a film like this before, it shows the disabled people´s world, a different world because they were excluded of the society and it is a great film because it shows that people can learn.
ResponderEliminarJavier Salas Navareño 4ºA
The Miracle Worker is a really good film, and old too, it is a black and white film. I have never seen this film before but now I have learnt that the discipline is too important in our life. Disability people have the same oportunities and respect. Disability people` life mustn`t be easy and if you watch this film you can understand the different problems that disability people have. I am lucky to be a non-disability
ResponderEliminarperson. You have to get what you want, you can´t leave your dreams and objetives.
This film is an example of overcoming.
I would like to watch more films in English class.
Marta Hernández Durán 4ºB.
I think it's a very old film, but is a example of superation and overcoming the film theach me about the importance of learning new things despite it is imposible.
ResponderEliminardisabled person fighting constanly agaisnt the Word, for example the protagonist of the film, she only has her noise and the sense of touch, I thing she is very brave. I learned too that the live of a disabled person is so complicated that a live of a "normal" person who haven't got any type of disability. I really enjoyed the film.
SANDRA MENDOZA FERRER 4º D
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion "The Miracle Worker" is a good film but I don't like it enough. There are some aspects which I'm completely agree, for example: Helen can learn although she is blind and deaf. But, on the other hand, it was very repetitive.
ResponderEliminarMy favourite character is Mrs. Sullivan who never gives up. However, Helen's father is the worst character for me. He is so stubburn and narrow-minded and he doesn't undertand until the end that his daughter can learn. In spite of being an old film, it's done very well and has got a moving story about hope and struggle for the purposes.
Elena Martín Álvarez, 4º ESO B
I think that The main thing about this movie is that it teaches you values such as discipline although the movie is very old. At the first time of the film you can see that Hellen is a disobesient girl but gently she learns to behave and maintain composture. Helen is like a blind, deaf and mute girl and learns sing language by teaching her teacher. What the movie really teaches you that even though you have a disability can appear a normal person.
ResponderEliminar"The Miracle Worker" it's a film with a teaching. I saw this film few years ago but didn't remember. It's a very old film but it´s very good and inspiring. it's amazing as Mrs. Sullivan gets that Hellen be obedient and have discipline. Clearly it's a film with a message. This film teaches the problems that have the people with a discapacity and all people can get their objetives.
ResponderEliminarEste comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarI have never seen this film , but I think that it's a wonderful film because teaches you that people with disability can do the same like us and you learn that if you want something you have to work hard , like this girl , Helen, she did't know anything , and she was very disobedient but finally , she learnt that with effort she can get what she want . I thiink it´s a good film that people should watch.
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion The Miracle Worker is a wonderful film, it's an old film in black and white but it's incredible. In this film we can see some humans with disabilities and how can we learnt to improve this disabilities. This film show us the patience that there is to have with disabilities children and that although they don't seems that they go to learn, they can improve their disabilities with effort. In this case we can see the patience that Anne Sullivan have with Helen and finally Helen learn to speak and spell some words.
ResponderEliminarI think that people should watch this film, because it can teach to attend disability people.
Jaime Corchado Alegre 4Bº
This film shows you how used to live and how were teatred disabled people so that I think that is a very good didactic film that I would recommend. I like it a lot because it made me think about living with disabilities is very hard and this people always have been rejected by society and it is very sad because they deserve a oportunity of living like people who hasn't disabilities.
ResponderEliminarVanessa Iglesias García 4A
In my opinion "The Miracle Worker" is a good film but I don't like it enough. There are some aspects which I'm completely agree. This film shows the importance of the discipline and education, If the film were in colour I think that it were better but when a film is important and interesting I don´t mind if it is in color or in black and white.
ResponderEliminarGerman Matas Fuente 4ºA
I think I have already seen this film but I don't remember very well. In my opinion although "The Miracle Worker" is a film in black and white, I think it is a very nice and interesting film. This film have a lot of moving scenes and you can learn with each of this scenes. I think it is a good film because teaches you that disabled people can do the same things that you do normally, because although they have any problems you can't reject them. And I remember that some disabled people became great people and important to society. I just have to say that I love this movie and will recommend it to many people.
ResponderEliminarBlanca Pizarro Fargallo 4º E.S.O-B
What can I say about this film?
ResponderEliminarI didn't like it, because it's a extrage film wich tells the history of a blind and deaf girl who need help from a teacher to teach her the things of the life and the names of the things.
I didn't enjoy this film very much because in my opinion is boring and I don't like the role of Helen parent's. I think they are very hard and they have to change the way and belive that Helen can be like a normal girl and know the same things.
Maybe it' a good film, but I don't recommed to young and teenage people beacuse they'll plobably bored.
Icíar Albarrán Salas 4ºC
In my opinion it’s a very didactic film, which teaches us that disabled people can be treated as us and normal. They don’t have to separate from the society like some people think. It’s really cruel and people some time ago did it, hopefully there were a few who though that had to change. The film is in black and white, so it shows us that it is old. It isn’t an impediment to watch it, as many people thing. But I didn’t enjoy it too much. I prefer other kind of films like comedy. Probably it’s a good film for other age or rather for other people with other tastes.
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion is a very educational film that teaches you how people live with a disability but I honestly did not like me because I had a hard to see how the girl suffered and conveys well the sense of lack of freedom because of the great protection they give their father, this makes the girl never knows in herself. Moreover it seems very good interpretation of the actors especially the girls and educator.
ResponderEliminarMarta Fernández García 4ºC
In my opinion this film is very strange and I don't like it very much, but we can see some aspects which explain us the life of the blind people in the past.
ResponderEliminarThe story tell us about a family that didn't belive that her blind daughter is worth for nothing, but a teacher who doesn't believe it helped her.
Sara Mostazo Iglesias 4º ESO "B"
In mi opinion `` The miracle worker ´´ not is a bad film , but I didn´t like it because for me is disagreeable because Is in White and black and is very melancholy when yo see a disabled person suffer , is very cruel . On the other hand this film shows the importance of the discipline and education .
ResponderEliminarLuis Molina Martín . 4 ESO B
I have never seen such a old film but I think it is very interesting and different comparing with another films. It talks about the importance of discipline and also teach you that you should respect more in disabled people. I think that some scenes they spoke too fast and it was very difficult to understand. But I learn a lot with this good film.
ResponderEliminarYameng Wang 4°B
In general, I liked the film, but I would change some things, like the color.
ResponderEliminarThe film impressed me a lot, because, in spite of being such an old film, it shows that disabled people can do things like normal people, and that they should't be treated like if they were animals, because they aren't.
I think that the fact that someone is disabled doesn't matter at all. They don't want to be treated different, they want to fit in the society and feel like another normal person. And I think this is a good film because it shows that. A the end of the film, Helen is excited to know the names of different stuff, like the floor, the pit or the names of the members of her family. But I also have to say that the film is a bit weird, especially at the beginning.
I think The Miracle Worker is a wonderful film, it's an old film in black and white but it's incredible. Disability people have the same opportunities and respect like us, they are normal people, they aren't animals and they must be treated like us. This movie shows why the disabled are no different and that they are able to learn like all of us. It's a very good film, sensible people can cry a little bit but I recommend it.
ResponderEliminarI think the film it's a very good one. I've loved it. It was the first time I've seen it but I think the film shows how disabled people were treated and it's really good that things like that had advanced nowadays. I think everyone should be treated in the same way, having or not problems, diseases, disabilities or whatever. And of course, the teacher does an excellent work, maybe she's very hard sometimes, but it worked. I obviously recommend it despite of the color and the time it was filmed it's a brilliant film.
ResponderEliminar