Silence of the Heart (1984)

Ken goes to kill himself at the same spot Skip did, but Skips parents show up, and talk him out of it.

Director:

Richard Michaels

Writer:

Phil Penningroth

Stars:

Mariette Hartley, Dana Hill, Howard Hesseman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mariette Hartley	...	Barbara Lewis
Dana Hill	...	Cindy Lewis
Howard Hesseman	...	Carl Lewis
Chad Lowe	...	Skip Lewis
Silvana Gallardo	...	Alice Roberti
Elizabeth Berridge	...	Penny
Alexandra Powers	...	Andrea
Charlie Sheen	...	Ken
Ray Girardin	...	Harris
Jim Boyle	...	Public Worker
Sherilyn Fenn	...	Monica
Melissa Hayden	...	Rachel
Rad Daly	...	Basketball Player
Steve Alterman	...	Williams
Casey Siemaszko	...	Jeff

Storyline

Skip Lewis is a 16 year old, who's been through some stuff. Like he has been having academic problems, and a girl whom he has been pursuing has told him that she has no interest in him. He tries to talk to his parents about this but can't, or thinks that they won't understand. So, he goes out and drives off a cliff. Now, his family's in denial saying that the whole thing was an accident. However, his best friend, Ken who was the last person he saw before, was told by Skip that he was considering killing himself and is feeling guilty that he didn't try to stop him.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | teen

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Il silenzio nel cuore

Filming Locations:

Monrovia High School - 845 W. Colorado Boulevard, Monrovia, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

David A. Simons Productions, Tisch/Avnet Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Jump (For My Love)"
Performed by The Pointer Sisters

User Reviews

Wrenching telefilm about teen suicide

Not many people watched the teen-suicide TV-movie "Surviving" in 1985, simply because they had already seen this one and felt the subject had been done appropriate justice (in fact, both films are excellent). This tentative effort is cautious but very sincere. It features down-to-earth suburban parents shocked over their son's self-inflicted death, hurt and confused in the aftermath while trying to deal with their mercurial daughter and the boy's troubled best friend (Charlie Sheen, doing solid work). It's heartfelt and well-acted, especially by Mariette Hartley as the mom (she's a crumbling tower of strength, and gives her lines such a realistic spin you may hear your own mother talking). Worth seeking out.