The Miracle Worker (2000) review

(5/10)

I used to really like this movie when I was younger, but seeing it again I realize how cheap and ridiculous it can be. However, it still tells a touching story with some highlight performances.

PLOT:Helen Keller (Hallie Kate Eisenberg) was born deaf and blind into a family of an arrogant Captain (David Strathairn), an overprotective mother, and a spiteful son named James (Lucas Black). Lately Helen has grown restless and acts up frequently. Her parents have considered everything up to sending her to an asylum until an Annie Sullivan (Alison Elliot) comes to help. Annie used to be deaf and blind as well until she had surgery, and was one of her institute's best students. Annie attempts to teach Helen proper manners and how to speak in sign language, but she's so spoiled that she doesn't want to learn easy. Now Annie must teach her how to speak and understand while keeping her patience with her, the arrogant Captain, and the short time she is given. It's a good plot executed in a pretty mediocre manner.



ACTING:The performances in here were ok, but nothing above that. The best performance would have to be Alison Elliot as Annie Sullivan. I saw her emotion in each scene. She was particularly great, but she was the best in this movie. The other shiners would be Lucas Blake as James Keller and David Strathairn as Captain Keller. Even though the were also pretty good, they sucked overall as well. Lucas' voice eventually got on your nerves after a while. Ironically, the worst performance in the movie was the main character of Helen Keller, played by Hallie Kate Eisenberg. She couldn't act (even though she was a child) and kind of ruined the whole movie for all. It really got on your nerves.

SCORE:The score was mainly some cheesy inspirational stuff, but it didn't sound horrible.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie could've been great if done right, but it didn't live up to the same feat as the true story did. The movie was cheesy, ridiculous at times (due to the acting), and very stereotypical with its characters. However, the movie did have some positive aspects. Plotwise, it told the story pretty accurately. Also, there were a few scenes that drew in some great emotions. But the movie overall was pretty mediocre.

OVERALL,a MEDIOCRE movie with a mediocre plot, ok acting, cheesy score, cheesy and ridiculous parts, and stereotypical characters, but there was a good performance or two, it followed the story pretty well, and it added some good emotion into a few scenes.