Les secrets du silence

I thought this was a great made-for-tv movie. Although they probably could have cut down on the running time by about 30 minutes, the movie was still good. Matthew Modine, Tom Skerrit, James Earl Jones, and Judith Ivey all delivered great performances. I give it 4 stars. It's good family entertainment.

I recently watched What the Deaf Man Heard (1997) on Tubi. The story follows a young boy who arrives in a small Georgia town on the same bus his mother disappeared from. He hopes to find clues about her past so he can be reunited with her or his family one day. When he arrives, the townspeople mistakenly believe he is deaf and mute, and he doesn't correct them. He lives in the town for twenty years under this guise, listening and trying to uncover clues about his mother's disappearance and find direction in life.

Directed by John Kent Harrison (You Know My Name), the film stars Matthew Modine (Platoon), Claire Bloom (Clash of the Titans), James Earl Jones (Star Wars), Jerry O'Connell (Stand by Me), and Tom Skerritt (Alien).

This movie was a pleasant surprise and far exceeded my expectations. It's a true Hallmark classic, filled with charming characters, authentic situations, and a compelling storyline. The cast is stellar from top to bottom, with everyone delivering strong performances. The concept itself is unique, and there are standout moments, like the land sale scene and the courtroom closing, which really impressed me. It's the kind of story that keeps you invested, wanting to see what happens next, and the conclusion is satisfying. There's very little to dislike here.

In conclusion, What the Deaf Man Heard is an underrated and unique drama that's definitely worth watching. I would score this a 8/10 and strongly recommend it.

Before Hallmark developed their own channel I remember seeing this on a Sunday night on CBS. The cast this variety of great performers such as Bernadette Peters, Tom Skerritt, Judith Ivey, Matthew Modine, Jake Weber, Jerry O'Connell, and the scene stealer James Earl Jones. Sammy Ayers has the town convinced he's a deaf mute and after twenty years of pulling off the charade things come to a head. How could someone pull off such a con is amazing and takes a lot of self discipline plus a lot of luck. Even in that day and age Sammy would have been turned over to social services. The show stealer is Barrington's, GA own answer to Fred Sanford Archibald Thacker played by James Earl Jones as the local junk merchant. With most of the townsfolk not realizing he has been laughing all the way to the bank until he buys it due to his side job. Growing up Sammy has been antagonized by one Tolliver Tynan the spolied entitled son of the town's leading citizen. Because Tolliver's father was smart financially after his death people assumed the apple didn't fall from the tree. Boy were they wrong. MR. Tynam's placed the estate in a trust which was wise. Tolliver starts to use church funds to invest in his sure fire investment schemes only to fall short. What the clueless one failed to grasp is that most people could see right through him. Finally things catch up and he has to pay the piper. From there it gets worse for him.

All you have to do is sit back and observe what is going on in the town and you can identify with Sammy and get in on the plots going on around him. His faking it is a great deal more believable than much of what is on the tube these days. Quit trying to make more of it than was meant.

The real bonus here is the stellar cast! Not a bad one in the bunch!! Judith ivey always seems like your best friend. Peters was hilarious in The Jerk. JEJ was amazing in strangelove, star wars, lion king, and so many others. This film is listed as a comedy, but it sure starts out pretty dark! When a small boy is separated from his mother on a bus trip, he grows up in the town at the end of the route. But he decides to pretend to be deaf and mute, as it has helped him recently. Will he ever feel comfortable enough to talk freely? He has learned many secrets, large and small, by acting deaf and mute all these years. This was ten years after modine made full metal jacket. Good stuff! But it aint no comedy! Directed by john harrison. Has won a TON of film fest awards.