The Quiet (2005)

Dot (Belle), a young deaf and mute woman, is sent to live with her godparents (Falco and Donovan) and their daughter (Cuthbert). The new addition to the household realizes that everything is not copacetic in the home, and the family's dark come to light.

Director:

Jamie Babbit

Writers:

Abdi Nazemian, Micah Schraft

Stars:

Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla Belle, Edie Falco

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elisha Cuthbert	...	Nina Deer
Camilla Belle	...	Dot
Edie Falco	...	Olivia Deer
Martin Donovan	...	Paul Deer
Shawn Ashmore	...	Connor
Katy Mixon	...	Michelle Fell
David Gallagher	...	Brian
Shannon Woodward	...	Fiona
Maria Cash	...	Mrs. Feltswatter
Jo Baker	...	Myrna
Steve Uzzell	...	Mr. Piln
Ken Thomas	...	Officer Jim
Rudy Costa	...	Police Officer
Myrna Cabello	...	Waitress
Diane Quest	...	Newscaster #1

Storyline

Following the death of her father, a teenage Dot moves into the home of her godparents and their teenage daughter Nina. Dot arrives wrapped up in the silence of being deaf-mute. She finds a different kind of silence waiting for her in her new home, for this home is a place with a dark secret involving Nina and her father. At first, Dot and Nina seem to be polar opposites. However, they gradually realize how much they have in common. Bringing them together catalyzes a series of events in which both reveal their secrets and shed their double lives. A violent consummation almost destroys them. Yet they find hope for the future in the quiet after the storm.

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Plot Keywords:

secret | death | godparent | deaf | dysfunctional family | 

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Taglines:

Her family betrayed her trust. Now she's breaking her silence.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong and disturbing sexual content, a scene of violence, language, drug content and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language

Release Date:

25 August 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dot

Filming Locations:

Bowie High School - 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$900,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$27,546 (USA) (25 August 2006)

Gross:

$381,186 (USA) (15 September 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Andrea Sperling Productions, Burnt Orange Productions, Holly Wiersma Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 91 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jamie Babbit has stated in an interview that Thora Birch was originally chosen to play the role of Dot.

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Goofs

While Dot is strangling Paul, some blood drops fall on the front of Nina's neck. In next shots of the strangling, the blood drops switches from the front of Nina's neck to the side then it switches back again to the front.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dot: All I wanted was to be invisible.

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Connections

References E! True Hollywood Story (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Piano Sonata #14 Opus 27, No. 2 'Moonlight', Adagio"
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Camilla Belle

User Reviews

sheer brilliance

I saw this movie on opening night with a group of my girlfriends. We were divided on it. A few felt it took itself too seriously. Others, myself included, felt its consistent tone of bleak bewilderment was the source of its humor. Our diverging opinions made me feel that the movie is a true work of art. Most movies manipulate our emotions telling us to laugh, cry, or be scared. Here's a movie that demands so much of its viewer and elicits different reactions in each. For my money though, the whole thing is a satire and everyone is in on the joke. How else to explain the inclusion of the ingenious Katy Mixon as Barbarella in high school? Or Edie Falco's wild eye-rolling turn as a druggie? A friend just alerted me to this amazing You Tube page. Just type in "The Quieter" and you'll see what I mean. For those who appreciated the movie as much as I did, it's icing on the cake. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=Zekeness