Hamill

Hamill is such a great movie! Breaking the barriers between the Deaf Community to the hearing. I loved the subtitles throughout the entire movie. Giving a new perspective into both sides worlds.

The writing, editing, music and cast were all excellent! I wish I could see the movie again and bring all my friends and family this time. A must see inspirational heart warming movie. Russ Hamilton performance was outstanding! I'm not a big wrestling fan, but this movie goes way beyond the wrestling storyline. It shows a mans determination to succeed and live his dream.

Shot in my home town of Rochester NY; this movie helps to also educate people about the NTID programs available to the hearing impaired students at the Rochester Institute of Technology. RIT - National Technical Institute for the Deaf - NTID is the world's largest technical college for deaf students.

This movie is great for audiences of all ages!

I just saw that movie yesterday with my sister and niece on Wednesday night the 2nd of November in Westminster,CO. I must say it was touching and inspiring true story! We liked it. It's nice to show hearing people that deaf people can do anything they want to be succeed in whatever they do because most of hearing people think deaf people can't. Therefore, Matt Hamill is a perfect example of role to demonstrate hearing people that he have made it through UFC career from wrestling throughout his high school and that we are all the same human but but there is only one thing is that we can't hear. At that point, we are not considered a disability. This movie is aspiring to great knowledge for everyone. Well done!

I know many people on here are writing rave reviews. Talking about how beautifully this film was made. And, I will agree, there were certainly some shining moments, especially with the sound editing.

The thing I had the most difficulty with, was the accuracy. I went looking to see the true story of Matt, and the things he went through. But there were so many things that were wrong (fact wise) that it's hard to know what was real and what was fiction.

I went to school with Matt, graduated in 1993. I personally know many of the people that were in the film. None of them were remotely close to their real life counterparts. Mike Rich, for one, was not even on the same page. Pat Hamill, Janet, and even Stan (his grandfather) were not given anything close to their real personalities either. And the town of Loveland, they made it laughable. There aren't (and weren't) miles and miles of corn. It isn't some one horse hick town as we would be lead to believe. I'm not saying every detail needs to be kept. But at least one would be nice. Do a little research, or at least try to make it look like you did.

Another complaint I have, is for the first half of the film, even though they clearly say he is deaf, they treat him as if he's mentally handicapped. Matt, from what I know of him, was never stupid. People weren't embarrassed by him. I always saw him as respected and well liked.

My final thought is this, the movie's message is great, and I guess that's what's the most important with a film like this. But it had potential to be so much better, and I think Matt deserves a better representation of his life, than what this film has given him.

Hamill is a simple story, well told.

Matt Hamill was born a deaf child in a hearing community. With a powerful mentor in the form of his loving grandfather, played with grit and heart by the wonderful Raymond J. Barry, and a supportive family, he grew up different, fighting (often literally) for acceptance and inclusion, throughout his school career. Matt never truly belonged until he became an adopted member of the Deaf community at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where the film shows him growing as an athlete and a person, leading to an epic and emotional finale.

Audiences will settle in quickly to the traditional biopic formula, but in this case, the formula does not restrict the filmmakers, but rather frees them to use innovative techniques in service to the story. The practice of subtitling the entire film is inclusive, and in and of itself brings the audience together in a shared experience. Multiple layers of commentary are laced throughout the tightly constructed screenplay, bringing issues such as bullying, alienation and angst, and the need for acceptance and inclusion, into the story.

Hamill is, in many ways, the first film of it's type, and has been long awaited in the Deaf community. It's a powerful and moving true story, and we can all see ourselves reflected in it.

This is a movie the deaf have been awaiting for decades but it will be seen by everyone as a very special movie for decades to come. Fantastic panoramic scenes of Americana, a custom made score that brings emotion and incredible depth to a simple well written story, a twist on the use of subtitles that doesn't interfere with the viewing at all, and a subject matter that transcends sport, this movie brings people together and inspires like no other. The fact that the deaf and hearing worlds can equally enjoy this movie makes viewing it in a crowded theater a social experience like no other. "Hamill" will forever be looked at as an example of the power of simplicity and heart.