She discovers that the steward of the institute, Dr. Matthew Clark (Burt Lancaster), has a loving and … Continue reading MOVIE REVIEW: A CHILD IS WAITING (1963) ... this is none the less a very affecting study of the plight of mentally retarded children. Read cast, crew, and production reviews of A Child Is Waiting, 1963, directed by John Cassavetes, with Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Gena Rowlands, Sadly that’s one of the types of film that I loathe. There are a few artifacts here and there, but generally the black and white, 1.66:1 image looks great. This film is emblematic of that kind of cinema. Actors: Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Gena Rowlands. Detailed plot synopsis reviews of A Child is Waiting; Ms. Jean Hansen is a fomer music teacher who'd recently took a position at the state instution for mentally disabled children. One of Lancaster’s own children is such a troubled child and he had a strong personal interest in the subject matter. Somewhat dated now, it still is a powerful look at mental illness among children, the best methods of reaching and teaching developmentally challenged individuals, and the role they should play in society. I saw that in the afternoon Laurel and Hardy were on, and in the evening, they were showing this film, the very fittingly titled A Child Is Waiting. Thankfully, it appears that a similar pristine print (or digital restoration) was used on Kino's Studio Classics Blu-ray. Video. “You know that he still waits for you?” Jean Hansen (Judy Garland) begins working at an institute for developmentally challenged children with little experience in much that has anything to do with it, but rather seeking to help. Waiting I … I was especially interested in the TV program: I was curious to see whether they were showing any old movies that day, and what it would be. MRQE Metric: See what the critics had to say and watch the trailer. Screen Reader Users: To optimize your experience with your screen reading software, please use our Flixster.com website, which has the same tickets as our Fandango.com and MovieTickets.com websites. Critic Reviews for A Child Is Waiting All Critics (13) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (12) | Rotten (1) Burt Lancaster delivers a firm, sincere, persuasive and unaffected performance. HOME; Film; Reviews; December 31, 1962 11:00PM PT A Child Is Waiting As in Judgment at Nuremberg, producer Stanley Kramer dips into productive source of … A CHILD IS WAITING (United Artists, 1963), directed by John Cassavetes, is a groundbreaking study about mentally retarded children (today called mentally challenged), as seen through the eyes of Jean Hansen (Judy Garland), a new music teacher. A Child is Waiting Movie Review Summary. A Child Is Waiting. It almost feels that the film is forcing itself to be edgy by discussing the topic of challenged children and how they’re treated for in a way that may help them become functioning individuals in the future. A socially conscious movie with a message that seems more in its producer Stanley Kramer’s wheelhouse than its director’s John Cassavetes, A Child Is Waiting is nevertheless an interesting look at educating the mentally disabled featuring top performances from its starry cast and an emotionally engaging story that holds one’s interest throughout. A Child Is Waiting Blu-ray Review. Movie reviews for A Child Is Waiting. Tell us where you are Looking for movie tickets? Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing A Child Is Waiting near you. I remember marveling at how clear and lovely the image quality was the first time I saw A Child Is Waiting on a Turner Classic Movies broadcast. Burt Lancaster is excellent playing the psychologist Dr. Matthew Clark, who is the director of Crawthorne State Mental Hospital (modeled the film’s school on the highly regarded Vineland Training School in New Jersey). Produced by Stanley Kramer, A Child Is Waiting is one of his trademark "social problem" pictures.