Marlee Matlin Not Alone Anymore 10/25 Blu-ray (Rental)
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In 1987, aged just 21, Marlee Matlin defied expectations by becoming the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award, for her breakthrough performance in Children of a Lesser God. Thrust into the spotlight, she used the moment to push back against an industry unprepared for her talent, becoming a trailblazer as a performer as well as an author and activist. Her career went on to acclaimed work including The West Wing and the Oscar-winning CODA, while she campaigned constantly for inclusion and accessibility in Hollywood and beyond. Matlin speaks openly about her personal and professional struggles — sudden fame, the difficulty of working in a largely hearing industry, a painful high-profile relationship, getting sober, and years of being passed over — alongside her successes. Director Shoshannah Stern reshapes documentary form, placing ASL at the film's centre, dropping conventional voiceover and using open captions for an authentic, visually immersive result. Split-screen interviews with Deaf and hearing contributors build a moving portrait of Matlin's landmark career and her ongoing fight for representation in an entertainment world that initially had no room for her.