It received five Academy Award nominations , including Matlin 's win for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role . Only 21 years old at the time , Matlin was the youngest actress to receive the award in this particular category and remains the only deaf Academy Award recipient in any category . '' Children of a Lesser God '' was also the first ever female-helmed film to be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Picture category
Academy Award
59th Academy Awards
Children of a Lesser God (film)