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A Child Is Waiting

Play trailer Poster for A Child Is Waiting 1963 1h 42m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Music teacher Jean Hansen (Judy Garland) works with children at a state mental hospital. Although often at odds with the autocratic director, Dr. Matthew Clark (Burt Lancaster), about teaching methods, she quickly bonds with her students, particularly 12-year-old Reuben (Bruce Ritchey), whose parents, Sophie (Gena Rowlands) and Ted (Steven Hill), left the boy at the institution following their divorce. As the students practice for a Thanksgiving pageant, Jean questions the parents' decision.

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A Child Is Waiting

Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety 11/07/2007
Burt Lancaster delivers a firm, sincere, persuasive and unaffected performance. Go to Full Review Geoff Andrew Time Out 06/24/2006
Flawed but fascinating. Go to Full Review Bosley Crowther New York Times 05/10/2005
4/5
One should learn a great deal from this picture -- all of which should be helpful and give hope. Go to Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 10/20/2020
3/5
A worthwhile, emotionally generous film, fans of Kramer perhaps appreciate this more than the usual Cassavetes crew, but it's uncustomarily blunt for a social issue drama from the early 1960s. Go to Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine 11/26/2019
Abby Mann's screenplay avoids both sensationalism and bathos while showing how these unfortunates can be helped and encouraged. Go to Full Review Isabel Quigly The Spectator 07/20/2018
A Child is Waiting takes the tough line that love, however devoted, isn't enough, may indeed be harmful if it's not allied with respect for the handicapped child as a person, a person with duties and responsibilities to others and a person's social place. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Chase B @RT52631272 Jan 21 A great movie with excellent performances from Garland and Lancaster See more Alec B @Alec97 03/13/2025 Its mostly interesting for the many tensions in front of (the contrasting ideas of Garland and Lancaster) and behind (Cassavetes vs. Kramer) the camera. One wonders what Cassavetes' complete vision would have been but there's still a lot of effective material here. See more N L @RT67044741 09/20/2024 I just don't like this movie. Hated it and everyone's performance. And who cares about this dumb story. See more Rod O @RT80272348 03/11/2024 Mostly overlooked film. A wonderful story giving two different perspectives at the time on dealing with children who have developmental disabilities. See more Steve D @RT35616104 07/20/2023 Not essential viewing but it does its job. See more 06/29/2021 I think that Judy Garland should have gotten Oscar. See more Read all reviews
A Child Is Waiting

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Cast & Crew

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John Cassavetes

Director

Burt Lancaster

Dr. Matthew Clark

Judy Garland

Jean Hansen

Gena Rowlands

Sophie Widdicombe

Steven Hill

Ted Widdicombe

Bruce Ritchey

Reuben Widdicombe

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A Child Is Waiting

A Child Is Waiting (1963) A Child Is Waiting (1963) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Music teacher Jean Hansen (Judy Garland) works with children at a state mental hospital. Although often at odds with the autocratic director, Dr. Matthew Clark (Burt Lancaster), about teaching methods, she quickly bonds with her students, particularly 12-year-old Reuben (Bruce Ritchey), whose parents, Sophie (Gena Rowlands) and Ted (Steven Hill), left the boy at the institution following their divorce. As the students practice for a Thanksgiving pageant, Jean questions the parents' decision.
Director
John Cassavetes
Producer
Stanley Kramer
Screenwriter
Abby Mann
Production Co
Stanley Kramer Company
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Nov 24, 2015
Runtime
1h 42m
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