Adaptation of Joseph P. Lash's book "Helen & Teacher" continues the struggles of a young adult Helen Keller, falling in love for the first time and being persuaded to appear in a public forum (ostensibly to spread her message of good will but also to help pay the household bills!). Living with her mother and a winded, ailing Anne Sullivan, Helen experiences the pangs of love and heartbreak over a well-meaning young man who is effectively scared off after a talk with teacher/caregiver Anne. Blythe Danner plays Anne Sullivan as a tough old bird with a lot of worldly wisdom, but who may have lost touch with her own femininity--and Helen's as well. We never see Anne tell Helen about her private chat with the handsome suitor, we only see Anne placating her. Also, Keller's reluctance to go public for money is suddenly thwarted, and soon she's on the vaudeville circuit: "Helen Keller Speaks!" The movie doesn't hang together as dramatic storytelling because the writer is always two steps ahead, pushing the narrative forward before we have a chance to be moved. Thankfully, Mare Winningham (a year before she joined the Brat Pack) does a wonderful job at conveying the sweetness and warmth in Helen's personality; her fear of upsetting her mother and her devotion to Sullivan are convincing, this despite the film's cheap, blurry sentiment and stodgy direction from Alan Gibson. "The Miracle Continues" is distinctly un-miraculous--even the extras in the audience at the end look as if they'd rather be some place else--and yet Winningham and Danner make it worth-watching. ** from ****
