A Child Is Waiting

This is a very odd film: because of its subject matter; because of the way it’s handled; and because we perceive mental disability so differently today. Back in 1963, the stigma of having a child with learning difficulties must have been intense. These were the days before political correctness and assisted living, when abandoning a child to an institution was the ‘right’ thing to do. John Cassavetes' take on this is set in an idyllic Californian colonial house, run by a heroic psychologist (Lancaster) and his new helper, a rough looking Judy G oozing high-strung neuroses in her penultimate film. For all the lily-gilding sentiment, however, it’s an undeniably daring film: disability is rarely touched on in the movies, and although the film is outdated, within the context of the period it’s extremely sympathetic. With its fabulous cast of improvising extras plucked from real institutions, A Child is Waiting is fascinating as a social document...and unmissable for Judy fans. [Cara McGuigan]