WHAT THE DEAF MAN HEARD

US, 1997, 100 minutes, Colour.
Matthew Modine, Tom Skerritt, Judith Ivey, Claire Bloom, James Earl Jones, Jerry O’ Connell, Jake Weber, Bernadette Peters, Anne Bobby, Stephen Spinella, Frankie Muniz.
Directed by John Kent Harrison.

What the Deaf Man Heard is an appealing film. It comes from the Hallmark Channel and its Hall of Fame series of telemovies. These films are for the widest possible audience, humane and emphasising values. Hallmark also tried to employ top Hollywood casts. This film is a case in point with a very strong cast.

The film is set, first in1945 and then in the mid-1960s in Georgia. It centres on a young boy whose mother disappears (he does not know until he is an adult that she was murdered) and seems abandoned on a bus. The reason for his destination is revealed at the end in what, at first, seems an extraordinary coincidence. To survive he pretends that he is both deaf and mute, and continues this into his adult life.

There are complications about life in the town, his being cared for by the director of the bus terminal and the cook at the local diner. They are played by Tom Skerritt and Judith Ivey. The boy is played by a very young Frankie Muniz who grows up into Matthew Modine. There are also other complications in terms of the church, affluent families, burning records by a pop British group of the mid-60s here called the Weevils – but whose images look remarkably like the Beatles. There are also legal complications with the son of the rich family embezzling money from the church.

The film is interesting, entertaining, well acted. It was directed by John Kent Harrison who made the popular telemovie about Pope John Paul II with Jon Voight in the title role.

1. A humane film? The Hallmark Channel? Values-oriented films? Strong casts?

2. The re-creation of Georgia in the 1940s and the 1960s? The town of Barrington, the café and the bus depot, homes, the affluent, the church? The open road? The musical score?

3. The title, the focus on Sammy – and the irony of what he heard over the years?

4. The prologue, Helen and her love for Sammy, getting ready to leave, going to the bus, his question about why she was Miss rather than Mrs, the music box? His going to sleep, at the bus stop, her getting out, having a drink, dancing, unable to get back to the bus, the brutality of her murder? The driver’s opinion of her – a low opinion?

5. Sam and his arrival at Barrington, the sequences with the Tynan children – and the later irony about his relationship to Mr Tynan? The coincidence of Mr Tynan’s death at that time?

6. Norm, a good man, talking with the driver, Sam and his being mute, Norm talking to himself, his affirmation of Sam, caring for him over the years? Lucille and her kindliness? The bond between Norm and Lucille – polite over thirty-two years? Tolliver Tynan and his setting off the cherry rocket to test whether Sammy was deaf? Setting the tone of the film?

7. Norm, the background story, his marriage and the death of his family, his friendship with Lucille, work at the bus depot? His outings on Saturdays – and the revelation of his searching over the years for Sammy’s mother, the discovery of her murder, providing a headstone? His being a father figure? Sammy growing up, Norm protecting him, Lucille urging him to let him go? Wariness about the bonfire of the Weevil records? The discovery that Sammy could hear and speak, his reaction, Lucille calming him? Helping with Mr Tynan’s will? The end, the farewell? As a strong and genial character? Lucille, her age, homely wisdom, continued support of Sammy – and considering her Aunt Lucille?

8. Sammy’s voice-over, his stances? The taking on of the silence, hearing people talk, speaking more openly thinking that he was not hearing them? His listening? His being exploited by people around the town, odd jobs? Tolliver Tynan and his spurning of him? Getting him to do jobs in the church, at his home? His attraction towards Tallasse? Her going away to college? Mrs Tynan and her spurning of him? The friendship with Archibald Thacker? His sons? His knowing what was going on with the moonshine and hiding it in the baptismal font? His respect for Norm, love for Lucille? His way of life?

9. The Tynans, the aristocratic mother, her not understanding her daughter, doting on her son, refusing to take her pills, the arguments at home? Criticising her daughter playing the piano? Tolliver, his age, arrogance, his deals with Percy, the church insurance money, the deals? His confidence? Meeting the man who drank with the map about the interchange? His willingness to commit fraud, the mistaken map, the mosquito swamp? Borrowing further money – and people rejecting him, his threats? His taking on the bonfire of the Weevils records as getting a higher profile? The fire in the church, no insurance, his being taken to court? His mocking Sammy in the court? His shock when Sammy spoke? His mother collapsing and dying?

10. Tallasse, her education, confiding to Sammy without her realising it that she was adopted, playing the piano, her tense relationship with her mother, her sharing things with Sammy at the end, his explanations? The final and her being in the bus?

11. Archibald Thacker, a successful black man in the south, his wealth, home, work, distilling the moonshine, hiding it in the font, his sons and their quoting Shakespeare? The lawyer fronting his firm? His dealing with Sammy, getting more money out of Tolliver?

12. The Reverend Perry Ray Pruitt, just out of the seminary, having to stay with the Tynans, his initial sermon and making a failure of it, urging people to the font? His awkwardness, his prayer, Sammy listening in, reading the article about the Weevils, the idea of the bonfire, it getting out of hand, Sammy and his building the fire with the Thacker boys? His poor TV interview, the fire in the church, his going in to rescue people, the hero? Baptising people? And playing ball with the firemen?

13. Sammy and his hearing all the defrauding deals between Tolliver and Percy? His being sworn in the court – and saying, “I do”?

14. The explanation of the provisions of the Tynan will, Sammy being the elder son, Tolliver going to jail – and the girl in the bus? Sammy and his providing for everyone? His future?