MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE - Mark Reviews Movies

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, Kino Lorber

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Review by Mark Dujsik | June 19, 2025

More than just a biography, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore offers a view of how beneficial, not to mention easy, it can be to make media more accessible. The documentary's director, first-time filmmaker Shoshannah Stern, includes subtitles and closed captions throughout the entirety of the film. This isn't simply for the benefit of those with a hearing impairment or, in the case of its extensive use, those who do not know American Sign Language (ASL). At times, it brings a deeper level of understanding for what life can be for deaf people.

The reason for this, of course, is that the documentary's subject is Marlee Matlin, perhaps the most famous actor who is deaf. Over the course of her nearly 40-year career, Matlin started as a somewhat accidental advocate for the Deaf community, before taking that role to heart.

The very reason televisions have closed captioning capabilities can be attributed to the actress, who campaigned for the change by way of media appearances and to government officials. Watching this film and its extensive use of on-screen text, it's gratifying to see that effort come full circle, especially since Stern uses that element to ensure that Matlin can tell her story the way she wants to and that more people will be able to comprehend it, as well as why that personal level of storytelling is important.

For the most part, Matlin does tell her own story, with Stern, who is also deaf and an actor, interviewing the actress in a setting and with an attitude that feel informal and comfortable. In that session, the two sit on a large, cozy couch, putting their feet up and reclining as if this is just an ordinary conversation between two friends. Adding to that connection and the specifics of this story, Stern and Matlin speak exclusively in ASL with no on-site translator. Initially, Stern seems to think voice-over translation will be added in post-production, but she clearly reconsidered that idea. It's the right one, because Matlin's words and expression remain her own this way.

The entire concept of this interview comes as a genuine surprise to Matlin, whose public appearances—and even private life, at times—have necessitated the use of a translator. One can almost see the weight of that typical requirement being lifted when the director reveals their conversation will flow as freely as possible, without the usual interruption of translation. Witnessing that moment is vital to understanding the film's ancillary but vital goal of bringing the notion of accessibility to the forefront.

As for the film's main goal, it is, of course, to tell Matlin's story, and the documentary does so with an admirable sense of intimacy, while also bringing the subject's larger societal impact into focus. Stern mostly eschews a traditional biographical approach. The structure of it remains, explaining Matlin's childhood as the only deaf person in a home full of hearing individuals and her discovery of the freedom of expression—absent from that home—that acting could bring her. The dynamics of her family are detailed here, as her parents, who felt guilt that their daughter lost her hearing when she was 18 months old, attempted to have her use her physical voice and no one seemed to consider the idea of learning ASL.

This leads to one of the most enlightening scenes of the film, in which Matlin meets with her siblings and in-laws in the present day. They speak vocally to each other but don't direct their mouths toward Matlin, who can read lips, except by accident.

Here's one moment in which the use of subtitles is incredibly significant. The on-screen text reflects Matlin's experience at that gathering, with subtitles noting the particular din of noises that the actress sees and the broken or jumbled assemblage of words or phrases that she can briefly or barely witness being spoken. It's not as if anyone in the room is intentionally trying to exclude her (One of Matlin's brothers eventually realizes what's happening and attempts to correct for it), but such is the reality hearing people taking their communication for granted.

The rest of the narrative of Matlin's life and career is just as specific. The film notes how the actress rose to prominence with her multi-award-winning performance in Children of a Lesser God, her movie debut, but that's merely trivia. The more important details are how some used that movie to unwittingly continue false assumptions about deaf people (After reading a note from a still from the movie about her character living "in a world of silence," Matlin notes that it very much not quiet inside her own head), others belittled her awards as the result of sympathy or pity voting, and no one seemed to know what to do with the actress in terms of casting after her initial success and accomplishments (Aaron Sorkin explains how simple and dramatically rewarding it can be to write for a deaf character, which many writers find a struggle or unnecessary, apparently).

Matlin's acting career, then, became a constant challenge, as it has been for Stern and other deaf actors, including Troy Kotsur and Lauren Ridloff, who are interviewed here, too. Her personal life has been a struggle at times, as well, and Matlin speaks openly about feeling lesser-than, addiction, and abuse—most notably in her relationship with actor William Hurt, her co-star in her on-screen acting debut. So many of the film's choices reflect the idea of how important perspective is, and that's especially potent when Stern replays Matlin's acceptance of her statue at the Academy Awards. At first, it seems like a moment of joyous shock, until the actress explains the significance of Hurt being the one to hand her the award. The whole tone of that scene changes.

Ultimately, the film is hopeful, because Matlin herself is after so many decades of work, advocacy, and seeing some changes across society for the Deaf community. What stands out about Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore is how insightful it is about the actress, her own experiences, and how they, as well as the filmmaking, reflect ideas, challenges, and opportunities that are bigger than one person.

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