Movie

A Child Is Waiting

1963 · 102 min

A sincere, quietly heartbreaking look at institutional care and parental abandonment, anchored by raw performances and a compassionate, unsentimental gaze.

Directed by: John Cassavetes
Genres: Drama
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Gena Rowlands

Tagline: Burt Lancaster & Judy Garland take an untouched theme - and make it touching and unforgettable!
Overview: Dr. Matthew Clark is the head of a state institution for intellectually disabled children. Jean Hansen, a former music teacher anxious to give her life some meaning, joins the staff of the hospital. Jean, who tries to shelter the children with her love, suspiciously regards Dr. Clark's stern training methods. She becomes emotionally involved with 12-year-old Reuben Widdicombe, who has been abandoned by his divorced parents.

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Directed by: John Cassavetes
Genres: Drama
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Gena Rowlands

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: melancholicstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 3 of 3
warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: parenthood
isolation
identity
healing
family
Places: school
hospital
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: None
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence none
Sex none

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	1
Horror	0
Humour	1
Realism	8
Romance	0
Tension	3
Darkness	4
Complexity	5
Emotional weight	8

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Where to watch in the UK

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Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: drama
Directed by: John Cassavetes
Written by: Abby Mann
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Gena Rowlands, Steven Hill, Paul Stewart, Gloria McGehee, Lawrence Tierney, Bruce Ritchey
Music: Ernest Gold
Cinematography: Joseph LaShelle
Runtime: 102 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English

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A Child Is Waiting

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