Arriving in a new town, a child pretends to be deaf-mute to protect himself - a ruse which works so well that for twenty years he is custodian to all the town's secrets.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Matthew Modine | ... | Sammy Ayers | |
| Claire Bloom | ... | Mrs. Tynan | |
| Judith Ivey | ... | Lucille | |
| James Earl Jones | ... | Archibald Thacker | |
| Jerry O'Connell | ... | Reverend Perry Ray Pruitt | |
| Bernadette Peters | ... | Helen Ayers | |
| Tom Skerritt | ... | Norm Jenkins | |
| Anne Bobby | ... | Tallasse Tynan | |
| Stephen Spinella | ... | Percy | |
| Jake Weber | ... | Tolliver Tynan | |
| Frankie Muniz | ... | Young Sammy | |
| Andy Stahl | ... | Finis | |
 |
Tyler Noyes | ... | Young Tolliver |
| Hallee Hirsh | ... | Young Tallasse | |
| Teagle F. Bougere | ... | Abraham Thacker | |
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
In 1945, a young boy arrives in a small Georgia town on a bus from which his mother was abducted and murdered. Alone he sits quietly and everyone becomes convinced that he is deaf and mute. Deciding that silence offers some power and protection, the boy decides to remain mute and just listens to all that is being said around him by people who think that he cannot hear. Written by John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>
Taglines:
For twenty years, he lived in silence. Now his heart needs to speak the truth.Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 November 1997 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Hallmark Hall of Fame: What the Deaf Man Heard (#47.1) See more »Filming Locations:
Wilmington, North Carolina, USACompany Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
StereoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Mrs. Tynan: Oh, he's good.
Tallasse Tynan: Don't you think cremation is a little harsh?
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The musical leitmotif heard throughout the film is "My Ship," composed by Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill. At the end of the film it is sung by Bernadette Peters, who plays Helen Ayers at the beginning of the film. See more »Goofs
Norm Jenkins finds Sammy's suitcase and learns his identity but doesn't tell anyone about the suitcase. Yet the entire town knew and used his full name, presumably starting soon after his first day in Barrington, and the police never searched for his mother after that first day even though his name was known. See more »Quotes
Reverend Perry Ray Pruitt: Burn 'em I say.Mrs. Tynan: Oh, he's good.
Tallasse Tynan: Don't you think cremation is a little harsh?
See more »
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There are some terrific performances in this film - Matthew Modine, Tom Skerritt, Judith Ivey, James Earl Jones - but the director and writer seem uncertain whether this is a sentimental drama or a satirical comedy. As it stands it is a peculiar mixture of both with the drama spoiling the comedy and the comedy spoiling the drama. And what a terrible waste of the magnificent talent of Claire Bloom!