A Child Is Waiting
1963 · Movie · PG · 102 min · ★ 6.8 · 88% critics
At a state institution for children with intellectual disabilities, an idealistic new staff member clashes with a strict administrator over how the children should be guided. Her growing attachment to one abandoned boy turns a compassionate mission into a painful test of care, boundaries, and responsibility.
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Details
- Years
- 1963
- Release date
- 1963-02-13
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 88/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.8/10 (62 votes)
About
You may like this if you want a serious, compassionate drama about caregiving, conflict, and hard choices, especially if Shadows or Opening Night appealed to you; Not for you if you avoid emotionally heavy, dated material.
Pros: deeply moving drama; thoughtful social theme; strong performances | Cons: dated attitudes; heavy sentiment; slow pacing
Themes
- children's home
- down syndrome
- school
- teaching
Cast & crew
Burt Lancaster
as Matthew Clark
Judy Garland
as Jean Hansen
Gena Rowlands
as Sophie Widdicombe Benham
Steven Hill
as Ted Widdicombe
Paul Stewart
as Goodman
Gloria McGehee
as Mattie
Lawrence Tierney
as Douglas Benham
Bruce Ritchey
as Reuben Widdicombe
John Marley
as Holland
Bill Mumy
as Child
Directed by John Cassavetes