Trapped in Silence (1986) (TV)

Director:

Michael Tuchner

Writers:

Torey Hayden (story)
Vickie Patik

Release Date:

11 May 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A pschologist tries hard to get through to kid who can talk - but won't.

Plot Keywords:

Therapy | Child Murder | Mute | Child Abuse | Silence

Cast

Jason Brill	...	Pizza Man
Frances Foster	...	Ovelia
John Mahoney	...	Doctor Winslow
Marlyn Mason
Marsha Mason	...	Jennifer Hubbell
John McCurry	...	Tyler Getz
Harsh Nayyar	...	Dr. Perkash
Stephen Pearlman	...	Dr. Rosenthal
Rebecca Schull	...	Marlys Mengies
Karen Shallo	...	Jean Gabrielson
Ron Silver	...	Doctor Jeff Tomlinson
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Kevin Richter
Amy Wright	...	Dana Wendolowski

Directed by
Michael Tuchner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Torey Hayden		story "Murphy's Boy"
Vickie Patik		(as Pat A. Victor)

Produced by
Dick Atkins	....	producer
David R. Kappes	....	coordinating producer

Film Editing by
Eric Albertson

Production Design by
William De Seta

Production Management
David R. Kappes	....	unit production manager

Camera and Electrical Department
Louise Barlow	....	still photographer

Music Department
Gary Anderson	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Kevin Franklin Gieb	....	production assistant
Ken Kopro	....	location consultant
Eve Silvester	....	location manager

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
• New Center (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

There's a lot worse things than being crazy.

Never before have I seen a film so resolutely pessimistic and relentlessly optimistic. That is not a strength. The story suggests darkness, coldness, pain. This is appropriate. The director and composer, however, insist on interjecting lightness at possibly the least believable intersections. It's not that Michael Tuchner's direction is necessarily bad - he allows Kiefer Sutherland to give one of the best performances of his career - but he can't or won't decide which kind of film he wants to make.

Sutherland is what makes this work. Sure, Ron Silver is good, Marsha Mason, too. But these are expected performances, by-the-book characterizations. Kiefer Sutherland is the only reason you'd really want to see this. The scenes that are completely given over to him, his illness, the inner workings of his mind - these are the moments when "Trapped in Silence" takes you in on a deeper level.

In the end, you can feel the limitations of the format. The TV movie feel gets tiresome once you realize it prevents a certain level of ferocity that might otherwise be present. Still, it's a good story, and it feels real enough. Definitely worth it for early Sutherland.