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Children of a Lesser God

1986 · directed by Randa Haines · 119 min
22,688 feet · Prominence
1,691st of 24,106 films scored
Not coveredNo Rewatchables episode on file.

How this film scores

Draw54

Lifetime worldwide gross $32m, re-releases included; about $96m in 2026 money.

Rank3,020 of 11,051In 198637 of 141

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise89

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics81 baseAwards85 signal → +8 lift

Oscars1 won Actress4 nominated Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay
Golden Globes1 won Lead acting2 nominated Best Picture, Actor
BAFTAs1 nominated Screenplay
How Praise works

Critics set the score; a tiered award record, Picture and Directing carrying the most weight, claims half the headroom above it. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy33

Judged directly: Matlin's historic Oscar, film forgotten.

Verdict33 of 100IMDb7.2 from 19kWikipedia11k views a monthAge40 years

Scored beside it · 2,234 of 4,039 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 54 praise 89 legacy 33averages 59, placing it at22,688 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

Whose apex this is

▲ Marlee Matlin

In these careers — elevation for this film

Marlee Matlin19,903 ftWilliam Hurt19,903 ftPiper Laurie18,240 ft