Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore: an engrossing study of deaf activism in Hollywood

This assured directorial debut from Shoshannah Stern – perhaps best-known for co-creating and starring in the groundbreaking TV dramedy This Close (2018) – offers an intimate look at the life and career of Marlee Matlin, the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award.  

Having found fame in 1986 for her standout performance in Children of a Lesser God (1986), Matlin has more recently been recognised for her supporting role in 2021’s CODA, which, fittingly enough, led to her friend and co-star Troy Kotsur becoming the second Deaf Oscar-winner in history. Stern’s documentary uses these films as structural bookends in a way that emphasises Matlin’s movie star credentials but also finds time to spotlight her extensive work for the small screen, including memorable roles in The West Wing (1999-2006), The L Word (2004-2009) and Seinfeld (1993-1998). 

Alongside her acting achievements, Matlin is widely recognised for her involvement with disability activism and advocacy. By engaging with the more overtly political aspects of Matlin’s career – including her successful efforts to influence US legislation – Stern’s film moves beyond a potentially hagiographic tale of Hollywood ascendency, offering thought-provoking insights into the history of disability inclusion (and exclusion) in America.  

Reiterating the disadvantages for Deaf people in mainstream education, the lazy assumptions that can curtail opportunities for Deaf individuals, and the communicative barriers posed by some families’ unwillingness to learn ASL, Not Alone Anymore presents a plea for greater awareness and understanding of Deaf culture. One of its most effective sequences focuses on the ‘Deaf President Now!’ movement at Gallaudet University – which was itself the subject of a major documentary earlier this year – highlighting Matlin’s vocal support for the movement and revealing the wider sociocultural context within which her career was forged. 

Another innovative aspect of Stern’s film is its approach to captioning and ASL integration, which is reinforced by the fact that, unlike many films focusing on Deaf culture – including CODA and Children of a Lesser God – it was made by a Deaf director. Matlin has long played a pivotal role in advocating for improved media accessibility, and Stern takes up this mantle, using colour-coded subtitles to clearly delineate between different interviewees (Matlin’s are always in purple) and regular split-screens to ensure signing remains visible alongside archival footage. 

These creative decisions underpin the film’s commitment to accessibility and amplify its central thesis, which is restated by Matlin during its closing scenes: rather than positioning her achievements as history-making firsts, we should instead be looking to a future in which such representational milestones are no longer noteworthy; a world in which Matlin is Not Alone Anymore. 

 ► Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore is in UK cinemas now.