PalCinema Review: Marlee Matlin: not alone anymore

An excellent new documentary highlights the actress's struggles and triumphs within the film and television industry.

July 9, 2025

FILM: MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE

DIRECTED BY: SHOSHANNAH STERN

STARRING: MARLEE MATLIN, TROY KOTSUR, HENRY WINKLER

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

By Dan Pal

If there are two things people might know about Marlee Matlin they are likely these facts: She became the first deaf actress to win an Oscar for Children of a Lesser God and 35 years later co-starred in the Oscar-winning Best Picture, CODA. The new documentary about Matlin offers an in-depth, highly personal, and honest portrait of the actress while offering great new insights into her entire life, career, and former relationship with actor William Hurt. It also articulates just how difficult a deaf actor’s life can be while also shining a light on Matlin’s strength and courage to make things happen for her. It’s a very interesting and eye-opening film.

Director Shoshanna Stern, who uses sign language when speaking to Matlin in the film, bookends the narrative with the CODA win as it symbolize how long it took to honor another deaf-themed story but also how hard it has been for actors like Matlin to work within the Hollywood system. Fortunately, Matlin never comes off as a victim, except perhaps for the abuse she received from Hurt during their relationship in the 1980s. However, through extensive interviews with Matlin, Stern is able to capture the actress’s fighting spirit as well as her optimism.

The structure of the film is also commendable. Rather than stick to a strict chronology of the events in Matlin’s life, she guides us from what we know best about her to that which we likely know least. I was always aware that Matlin was from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. In fact, she lived in the same town as my Aunt Therese, Morton Grove Illinois, and attended the high school one of my good friends did, Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. Yet, how she made it to Hollywood – without opportunities to perform on her high school stage due to her impairment – is quite fascinating. What’s also addressed is her family upbringing, how she survived after a period of drug abuse, her Oscar win, and the breakup with Hurt. She lived for two years in Henry Winkler’s home after that time and then began a long career making guest appearances on TV series such as Seinfeld, The Practice, and The West Wing.

There’s so much more covered in the film too. Matlin was criticized by the deaf community for speaking, instead of signing, at the Oscars the year after she won. (She spoke the names of the Best Actor nominees.) She says this made her petrified of her own community. Yet she carried on. She successfully fought for closed captioning on television sets and made it clear that hearing impaired individuals do have an inner speaking voice. Matlin didn’t just sit by and wait for Hollywood to create another part for an Oscar-winning deaf actress, she fought its system. It’s interesting to hear her struggles and triumphs which makes those Oscar wins all the more significant.

Also interviewed in the film is Troy Kotsur, who became the second deaf actor to win an Oscar when he won for Best Supporting Actor for CODA. His stories further highlight the difficulties such actors face within the film and television industry.

By the end of the documentary, we’ve learned more not only about Matlin, but also the deaf community and the film industry in general. This is a very moving film that is definitely worth seeing.

Marlee Matlin: not alone anymore, opens Friday in theatres.