Review of A Child Is Waiting

This movie personally hits home with me. I am personally attached to people with mental disorders. I had a cousin who was born with a brain injury. I watched my siblings and cousins grow with the usual maturation process except for my damaged cousin as she did develop as a woman yet her brain remained unvaried. I also watched her parents, my second cousins deal with her condition. They loved her and treated her as if she was normal., (whatever normal is?). Moreover her parents were huge members of The organization AHRC (Association for the Help of Retarded Children) to raise money for programs and therapy. I always wondered how parents dealt with their mentally disabled children? I was first exposed to this shocking film when I was about ten years old. Witnessing a boy adjust to life in an institution by his lonesome. As I stated I witnessed this world of the mentally challenged and being an impressionable 10 years old I wondered what it would be like to be discarded by your own parents. Knowing from my own personal feelings my first few days at sleep away camp I cried myself to sleep yet Rueben doesn't seem to show that emotion. In fact he appears down right defiant as he does his best to get his music teachers love and attention. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Our movie starts with an upscale couple, the Widdicombes, Ted and Sophie played by Steven Hill and Gena Rowlands. Their new born child Rueben who seems dormant lying in his crib uninterested. This is questioned by his mother. Rueben's father retorts to his concerned spouse, claiming that another boy didn't speak for years and grew up a success. A few years have passed and on surface Rueben looks like a normal boy his age. The Widdecombe's have a second child, a girl, who is normal yet there's something off about Rueben. Mr. Widdecombe takes Rueben for IQ tests to various doctors who claim he is under the normal curve in intelligence. The parents realize that their son is mentally damaged. Mr. Widdecomb coldly plans to discard his son at an institution. Mr. Widdecomb drives at top speed to a mental institution and coerces Rueben out of his car. Our scene shifts to new players in our tearful story. Dr. Matthew Clark (Burt Lancaster) who runs the facility. The headmaster / Doctor has strict methods in his teaching approach to the disabled and refuses to coddled them along rendering them dysfunctional in adulthood. Lancaster yet strict is restrained throughout and never uses harsh language or acts of violence like you would see in an Oliver Twist institution. Enter our other star, the chunky yet vulnerable Jean Hansen played by Judy Garland who is hired as the music teacher in the film. Being rejected by his folks Rueben consistently acts despondent to the displeasure of Dr. Clark but Miss Hanson intercedes and that causes a rift between the two. They both argue over the teaching methods of the children particularly Rueben. Rueben being discarded by his parents, (who never come on visiting day) was painful site to witness. Miss Hansen takes it upon herself to be a surrogate Mom to Rueben. This becomes quite evident among st the consternation on the other students. The pressures of the job get to Miss Hansen who had no prior experience in working with mentally handicapped. As I watched this film I saw the hopelessness and felt sorry for Rueben. I empathized with his frustration throughout the film. I wondered why his parents were so ashamed due to a birth defect which they had no control over. As for the acting I found it refreshing seeing Judy Garland in a serious role and pulling it off with tears and compassion. Burt looked more like a GQ magazine cover model than a headmaster of an institution. His acting was professional yet I felt he was miscast due to his appearance. A thought provoking film that makes you cringe at the sight of the dark side of human existence where these loving children were dealt a bad card by Mother Nature. Today I have a Niece and Nephew who are mentally challenged and discarded by their Father. I take the Father's place and show them love, respect and mostly time together making life more palatable for them. You love your children unconditionally. Furthermore kudos to Stanley Kramer for producing another controversial inspiring film.