Editor’s Note: This reappraisal ran during nan 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Kino Lorber releases “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” successful New York June 20 earlier it expands June 27.

The questions shouldn’t surprise, not aft each these years, but they do. Well, not nan questions truthful overmuch — group are people curious, particularly astir what they don’t cognize aliases person ne'er seen — but nan ways successful which they were asked, nan ways successful which they were lobbed astatine a young Marlee Matlin, basking connected nan heels of her first awesome movie domiciled successful “Children of a Lesser God” and nan buzz (and Oscar win!) that followed. It was a accordant query successful 1986, erstwhile nan deaf prima burst connected to nan scene: what other could a deaf character possibly be bully for, different than deaf roles?

Matlin hasn’t forgotten those questions aliases interviews aliases articles, and filmmaker Shoshannah Stern doesn’t skimp erstwhile it comes sharing them successful her documentary astir nan character and activist, “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore.” It useful arsenic some caller history — excessively caller — and a thesis. Well, what other was Matlin bully for? Plenty, including now (finally!) arsenic a forthright and compelling documentary subject.

Despite nan unkind assumptions truthful often ascribed to her and her work, Matlin isn’t eager to propulsion stones, and contempt immoderate reliable revelations successful Stern’s documentary, nan reside remains mostly celebratory and light. Even erstwhile reflecting connected nan ways successful which immoderate group turned connected her during her emergence to fame (and her Oscar win, which made her nan first deaf performer to triumph Best Actress), Matlin doesn’t get mean. Instead, she turns immoderate fearfulness and worry backmost connected herself and her reactions. There’s a logic why nan deaf prima has endured each these years — return that, each azygous journalist and Oscar pundit who sniffed astatine her arsenic a “sympathy pick” aliases point-blank asked what benignant of early location was for a abnormal character — but it’s intelligibly taken difficult work, surgery hearts, and reliable lessons.

Stern’s documentary opens astatine nan 2022 Oscars, arsenic a dazzling Matlin readies for nan yearly event. Those acquainted pinch Matlin’s profession will apt understand instantly really that opening — astatine Hollywood’s biggest night, wherever Sian Heder’s movie “CODA,” starring Matlin and a big of different deaf performers, will yet triumph — is successful speech pinch Stern’s film’s title. But Stern, contempt immoderate initially accepted documentary trappings, is weaving thing a spot much canny here. We will return to nan 2022 Oscars later, pinch importantly much context. We will besides do nan aforesaid for nan 1987 Oscars, and overmuch more.

Before each that, however, Stern (herself a deaf character successful summation to her filmmaking) and Matlin intelligibly person accessibility apical of mind for nan film. We’re greeted pinch not only on-screen captions (later, pairing perfectly pinch stories astir Matlin’s conflict to make closed captions nan modular for TV), but copious scenes of some deaf and proceeding talking heads (signing heads?) utilizing American Sign Language to show stories. For Stern, it’s an easy prime — her subjects should consciousness comfortable utilizing nan connection of their choice, and she’s happy to make it accessible for each — and 1 moreover much stirring erstwhile we spot it successful action, specified arsenic pinch aggregate scenes successful which Stern and Matlin beryllium facing each other, signing distant pinch gusto and emotion.

In summation to Matlin and herself, Stern has assembled a beardown array of participants to contextualize Matlin. Henry Winkler and Aaron Sorkin are there, positive her brothers, her eldest daughter, different deaf performers (including “CODA” co-star Troy Kotsur, of course), and moreover her puerility champion friend. Her long-time translator Jack Jason proves to beryllium a captious voice, conscionable arsenic bully astatine communicating Matlin’s thoughts arsenic his own.

But Matlin is nan astir moving and breathtaking prima connected offer, and while she’s ever been outspoken astir her life and profession — see: closed caption crusade, her engagement pinch nan Deaf President Now! movement, her accusations against erstwhile partner and “Children” co-star William Hurt, and her ain autobiography — there’s thing rather moving astir watching Matlin show her ain story, connected her ain terms.

While that intends location are definite things she’s not willing successful sharing (discussions astir really her proceeding family handled her, some past and now, could easy animate different film), that’s portion and parcel of letting personification show their ain story. For “Not Alone Anymore,” nan connection isn’t conscionable nan medium: it’s nan entree to that medium, nan truth that these messages are capable to beryllium shared, for immoderate to see, immoderate to hear, and each to use from.

Grade: B+

“Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” premiered astatine nan 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Kino Lorber opens nan movie successful New York connected June 20, followed by an description June 27.

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