I watched this on Disney+, and it was pretty enjoyable and entertaining. It definitely had a TV movie feel to it, and it turns out that Disney originally made it as a TV movie and then decided to release it in the theaters. As a 1981 production, it definitely feels a bit dated, but if you can get past that, it's definitely worth watching.
The performances were solid, particularly from Jenny Agutter as Amy. You really felt her warmth and sensitivity, her absolute dedication to the children she teaches, and her hidden pain over her rough past, including the loss of her son. Her relationship between the kids in the school seemed touching and real, although I felt like the relationship between her and the perpetually-smiling Henry, who seemed to have a crush on her, was a bit cringy. Barrry Newman, as Dr. Ben Corcoran, gave an adequate performance, though the romance between the two of them felt a little flat. They also kind of brushed the whole issue of her still being married under the rug. Apparently, the kids in this movie were actual deaf kids from a deaf school, which, I think, gave the movie a feeling of authenticity.
I like the fact that Disney took on some serious themes in this movie that they might not have touched before. Themes like the way we treat the disabled and death in an age where medicine was still fairly powerless to deal with life-threatening infections. The movie was also fairly progressive, in that it allowed a woman to escape a stifling marriage, forge a meaningful life and career for herself and stand up to a controlling husband. Yes, they did throw in a new romance, which a modern movie might eschew, in favor of the woman being fine on her own without having to have a man in her life. But it was clear that her relationship with Dr. Corcoran was not the reason she decided not to go back to her husband.
In the final analysis, this was a feel-good movie with characters that we liked and cared about, and a story that was compelling. Yes, it was dated and seemed a bit amateurish compared to more modern productions. But it was still enjoyable to watch.
The performances were solid, particularly from Jenny Agutter as Amy. You really felt her warmth and sensitivity, her absolute dedication to the children she teaches, and her hidden pain over her rough past, including the loss of her son. Her relationship between the kids in the school seemed touching and real, although I felt like the relationship between her and the perpetually-smiling Henry, who seemed to have a crush on her, was a bit cringy. Barrry Newman, as Dr. Ben Corcoran, gave an adequate performance, though the romance between the two of them felt a little flat. They also kind of brushed the whole issue of her still being married under the rug. Apparently, the kids in this movie were actual deaf kids from a deaf school, which, I think, gave the movie a feeling of authenticity.
I like the fact that Disney took on some serious themes in this movie that they might not have touched before. Themes like the way we treat the disabled and death in an age where medicine was still fairly powerless to deal with life-threatening infections. The movie was also fairly progressive, in that it allowed a woman to escape a stifling marriage, forge a meaningful life and career for herself and stand up to a controlling husband. Yes, they did throw in a new romance, which a modern movie might eschew, in favor of the woman being fine on her own without having to have a man in her life. But it was clear that her relationship with Dr. Corcoran was not the reason she decided not to go back to her husband.
In the final analysis, this was a feel-good movie with characters that we liked and cared about, and a story that was compelling. Yes, it was dated and seemed a bit amateurish compared to more modern productions. But it was still enjoyable to watch.