The Hammer (2010)

A coming of age drama following the life of Matt Hamill, the first deaf wrestler to win a National Collegiate Wrestling Championship.

Director:

Oren Kaplan

Writers:

Eben Kostbar, Joseph McKelheer

Stars:

Russell Harvard, Raymond J. Barry, Shoshannah Stern

6 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Russell Harvard	...	Matt Hamill
Raymond J. Barry	...	Stanley Leroy McCoy
Shoshannah Stern	...	Kristi Jones
Michael Anthony Spady	...	Jay Jakubowski
Courtney Halverson	...	Michelle
Susan Gibney	...	Janet Hamill
Joseph McKelheer	...	Ron Gross
Eben Kostbar	...	Coach Cantrell
Rich Franklin	...	Coach Pruitt
Stephen Dodd	...	Coach Rich
Gavin Bellour	...	Pat Hamill
Theodore Conley	...	Young Matt Hamill
Lexi Marman	...	Kelly
Kara Luiz	...	Vivian
Cory Knauf	...	Dale

Storyline

THE HAMMER is a sports drama depicting the struggles and successes Matt Hamill faced on the way to becoming a champion. Raised among those with the ability to hear, Matt later finds himself no less an outsider amidst the Deaf Community. Through sheer determination, he uses his perceived disability as an asset, and becomes both the first deaf wrestler to win a National Collegiate Championship and an inspirational force to the hearing and deaf alike.

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Plot Keywords:

deaf | wrestling | sign language | lacrosse | montage | 

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Taglines:

He knew he could be a champion. They knew he could be much more.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual material

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 October 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hamill

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,442, 24 October 2011, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$75,729, 3 November 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Harvest, Fifth Year Productions, Sawhorse Productions

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

You can spot director, Oren Kaplan walking through the RIT hallway when Matt makes his way to his dorm room.

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Goofs

The grandfather told him that RIT would consider him for a scholarship in his second year if the first went well. RIT is a Division III school and cannot offer athletic scholarships.

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Quotes

Ron Gross: So. Here we are. Seems certainly fitting this is how it's coming to a close. Jason Sloan, two-time national champ, against Matt Hamill. Whoever wins tonight will forever be called a champion. For Sloan, well, he's looking to be called a three-time national champion. That's what's at stake for him. That's how bad he wants it. And the only thing standing in the way of everything this guy has ever worked for is a sophomore walk-on.

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Connections

Featured in MMA H.E.A.T.: R You Ready? (2011)

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Soundtracks

It's Big
Written by John Palermo
Performed by John Palermo
Courtesy of Pump Audio/Getty Images

User Reviews

Fun Rudy/Rocky type movie

This is a great indie movie. All the actors who play deaf roles, including the kids, are really deaf and do a great job. This movie is based on a true story of Matt Hamill. I was in a theater where some people actually stood up and clapped at the end of the movie and others were nearly in tears. You can't go wrong with this movie and kids like 10 and up will enjoy it. If you are a fan of wrestling or the UFC or interested in deafness, these are all good reasons to rent or buy the movie.

The two movie makers in this movie were Eben Kostbar and Joseph McKelheer. This is their first full length movie, which they wrote and produced. They can also be seen in this movie in a small role as the two coaches at Rochester Institute of Technology. Eben Kostbar even studied sign language and uses it in the movie and is fluent in real life. Look for more titles from them and their company, Film Harvest in the coming years.