A Child Is Waiting

John Cassavetes was one of the pioneers of American independent cinema, directing important, emotionally-charged, impeccably-acted films on limited budgets outside of the mainstream studio system. That said, Cassavetes also worked within the system both as an actor and director (using the money to finance personal projects), serving as director on 1963's A Child Is Waiting, a sober drama with an impressive pedigree that included Stanley Kramer as producer and Abby Mann as screenwriter, along with stars Judy Garland and Burt Lancaster. Garland plays Jean Hansen, a new hire at an institution for mentally disabled children, who clashes with the institution's head, Dr, Matthew Clark (Lancaster), over the treatment of a particular child. The film could have slipped into obscurity as just another standard social issue melodrama, but the acting lifts the material, and Cassavetes's preference for improvised performances brings a realism that would have been lost in rote line readings. Clashes with Kramer led Cassavetes to disown the film, but A Child Is Waiting remains a fascinating entry in the auteur's filmography. Extras include an audio commentary by film historian Tom Charity. Recommended. (P. Morehart)