''Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues'' is a 1984 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made fo ...

biographical film and a semi-sequel to the 1979 television version of ''

The Miracle Worker ''The Miracle Worker'' refers to a broadcast, a play and various other adaptations of Helen Keller's 1903 autobiography ''The Story of My Life''. The first of these works was a 1957 ''Playhouse 90'' broadcast written by William Gibson and sta ...

''. It is a drama based on the life of the blind and deaf Helen Keller and premiered in syndication on April 23, 1984, as part of

Operation Prime Time Operation Prime Time (OPT) was a consortium of United States, American independent station (North America), independent television stations to develop prime time programming for independent stations. OPT and its spin-off syndication company, Tel ...

syndicated programming.

Summary

The book film covers the period of Helen Keller's life from her college years at Radcliffe through her writing of '' The Story of My Life'' assisted by John Macy, who falls in love with and marries Keller's teacher and companion, Anne Sullivan. Helen wants to live a full life but is hampered by her actual disabilities and by people's attitudes and beliefs about the disabled at that time. Sullivan is hampered by psychological problems from her own past, as well as by her symbiotic, almost codependent bond with Helen, which affects Macy to the extent that he eventually self-destructs into alcoholism. Keller and Sullivan raise money by going on the road with a lecture tour where they describe her education.

Cast

* Blythe Danner as Anne Sullivan *

Mare Winningham A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...

as Helen Keller *

Perry King Perry Firestone King (born April 30, 1948) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television and in films. King received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the television film ''The Hasty Heart'' (1983), which is a rema ...

as John Macy *

Vera Miles Vera June Miles ( née Ralston, born August 23, 1929) is an American retired actress who worked closely with Alfred Hitchcock, most notably as Lila Crane in the classic 1960 film '' Psycho'', reprising the role in the 1983 sequel '' Psycho II ...

as Kate Keller *

Jack Warden Jack Warden (born John Warden Lebzelter Jr.; September 18, 1920July 19, 2006) was an American character actor of film and television. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Shampoo'' (1975) and '' Heaven Can Wait' ...

as Mark Twain *

Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...

as Professor Charles Copeland *

Alexander Knox Alexander Knox (16 January 1907 – 25 April 1995) was a Canadian actor on stage, screen, and occasionally television. He was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his performance as Woodrow Wilson in the film '' Wilson'' (1944). ...

as Mr. Gilman

External links

* 1984 television films 1984 films 1980s biographical films American biographical films Films directed by Alan Gibson 20th Century Fox Television films Operation Prime Time 1980s English-language films 1980s American films {{bio-film-stub