Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008)

Family drama about a deaf and hearing couple who struggle to decide whether or not to give their deaf son a cochlear implant.

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers:

Stephen Sachs (play), Stephen Sachs (teleplay)

Stars:

Jeff Daniels, Marlee Matlin, Ed Waterstreet

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Daniels	...	Dan Miller
Marlee Matlin	...	Laura Miller
Ed Waterstreet	...	Max
Phyllis Frelich	...	Sally
Sonya Walger	...	Joanna Tate
David Oyelowo	...	Leonard Grisham
Noah Valencia	...	Adam Miller
Rosemary Forsyth	...	Louise Miller
Bradford English	...	Henry Miller
Lily Knight	...	Judge
Jack Laufer	...	Dr. Carl Harvey
Chris Gartin	...	Dr. Weisman
Deanne Bray	...	Dr. Walters
Colleen Flynn	...	Priscilla Scott
Steve Cell	...	Jerry Scott

Storyline

Hearing, devoted family father Dan Miller is delighted when a pioneering medical team's cochlear implant project offers his deaf son a chance to hear. Dan's deaf-mute wife Laura however leads an 'deaf pride' movement, which isn't satisfied with handicapped facilities but in earnest promotes a 'deaf culture'. Dan and Laura Miller need to come to terms with each others charged viewpoints to answer the question "What is the best decision for our son" The decision is further complicated by medical risks regarding the implant.

---

Plot Keywords:

deaf | scolding | fight | therapy | embarrassment | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final project of director Joseph Sargent.

---

Connections

Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

User Reviews

Wonderful movie for those who don't know or hear of issues that arise in the deaf community.

Not usually a fan of Hallmark movies, I decided to watch this one anyways and I fell in love from the get go. I felt that this movie was brilliantly written to include all point of views and it handled touchy matters perfectly.

A overall movie shows the struggle of a deaf mother and a hearing father struggling to decide if a cochlear implant is right for their child and while the mother is against it, the father is for it. They try and see each other's views but have a hard time doing so.

Afraid that this movie would offend some viewers who had some personal experiences similar to the movie, I felt relieved to see how they wrote these matters into the story. While it may make some people ponder and feel uncomfortable, it actually puts it all out on the table and forces the viewer to see all views. It hit the target perfectly. Having an implant myself and still using ASL as my first and primary language, I actually felt comfortable rooting for both sides and hoping they would come to a perfect solution.

I will have to say kudos to this well made movie and not to mention that the cast were brilliant as well. A very well done movie. I had to give it a ten star. Very good intro to those who have no idea about issues that can arise in the deaf community. Great job.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: Sweet Nothing in My Ear (#57.3)

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1