Moira Kelly,
who already played one of the most famous women of the 20th
century when she was Dorothy Day in "Entertaining Angels,"
takes on another in "Monday After the Miracle," in which she
plays Helen Keller.The
two-hour CBS film, to be seen Nov. 15 at 9 p.m. on WRGB,
channel 6, explores what happened to Keller and her teacher,
Annie Sullivan, after the famous encounter recounted in
William Gibson's play (and movie), "The Miracle Worker."
For those unfamiliar with
Keller, "The Miracle Worker" tells the true story of a blind
and deaf child who is taught to speak and understand by a
dedicated teacher. The story ends on a high note when
Sullivan breaks through Keller's silent and dark world, and
the child becomes aware of her surroundings.
Part two
"Monday After the Miracle,"
based on another Gibson play, probes what happened next,
when the high of the breakthrough evolved into the two
women's day-to-life struggle to earn a living, grow up and
create separate lives despite their being linked forever by
their hands -- the medium through which they communicated.
The movie begins with Keller
as a college student at Radcliffe and Sullivan, whom she
calls "Teacher," devoting herself to her pupil's growth. But
real-life questions challenge them: can they live together?
how can they earn enough money to support themselves at a
time when few opportunities exist for women without
handicaps? what does the future hold for them?
Answers begin to be provided
by John Macy, who sees Keller's potential as a writer and
escorts her into the world of magazines and books. But those
answers come at a high price: the complication of his
presence.
Men in their lives
In the movie, as in real
life, Macy (played by Bill Campbell) creates one of the most
complex triangles in history. Attracted to both women, he
chooses Sullivan (Roma Downey) as his wife but soon rates a
distant second in her attention because her devotion to
Keller is all-consuming.
Meanwhile, a man enters
Keller's life, much to the dismay of her mother, who says
that few people can provide her daughter with the constant
care she needs. What begins in affection, the mother
explains, inevitably becomes duty and then resentment.
Based on a recent hour-long
interview on C-SPAN with the author of a new biography of
Keller, "Monday After the Miracle" hews closely to the facts
of her life, including her flirtation with socialism, her
entry into vaudeville to earn a living and the heartbreaking
but unexplained loss of the man who wanted to marry her.
Touching
Filmed in muted tones to
capture the turn of the century and nicely decorated with
period clothing and furniture, "Monday After the Miracle" is
delivered quietly by the actors, which gives the entire film
the gentle touch of the hand-to-hand communication technique
used to "talk" to Keller. It was a wise device to have Kelly
(star of CBS's "To Have & To Hold") speak out loud with the
voice of a deaf person but in a normal tone when expressing
her thoughts.
By the way, Downey looks
remarkably like Anne Bancroft, who won a best actress Oscar
for playing Sullivan in "The Miracle Worker." (There is a
brief scene in "Monday After the Miracle," recalling that
movie and Patty Duke, who won the best supporting actress
Oscar as Keller.) Most famous for her role in "Touched by an
Angel," Downey establishes a literally tactile relationship
with Keller that could be described as "touched by a
teacher."
Before or after viewing "Monday
After the Miracle," I recommend that you rent "The Miracle
Worker" to provide you with a more complete picture of the
Sullivan-Keller relationship.