I thought this movie was clever, entertaining, humorous, sweet and well-acted! There are a few confusing, unrealistic, and odd moments, but I think it's well worth seeing! Hallmark Hall of Fame makes another winner! (With me, anyway.) =)
16 Reviews
Delightful movie with an amazing cast.
jmworacle-9902523 March 2020
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.
A Nice Family Film
paint319 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I really enjoyed the film. and I highly recommend it. It is a film the whole family can enjoy without being embarrassed. I think it is well written, well cast and well acted. I love stories set in small towns and this one is great. It isn't Mayberry, but there are the typical small town regulars. There is the small town rich guy who thinks he can get away with anything, There is the sweet lady in the diner who is "auntie" to everyone, Even the "poor" junk man who has his secrets can be found in a lot of small towns.
To those who criticize the fact that Sammy fakes his deafness for so long, well, that is the whole point of the story! There would be no story if he had been caught out! It is a piece of fiction, not "reality". I say don't worry about it and enjoy it for what it is. A nice, funny, story with a twist to the end!
To those who criticize the fact that Sammy fakes his deafness for so long, well, that is the whole point of the story! There would be no story if he had been caught out! It is a piece of fiction, not "reality". I say don't worry about it and enjoy it for what it is. A nice, funny, story with a twist to the end!
Another Fabulous Hallmark Movie!
stauesque19 August 2005
I saw this on TV one night and fell in love. Matthew Modine plays Sammy Ayers(the adult) who as a child is left alone on a bus after his mother is murdered. He arrives in a small Georgia town and sits quietly all day waiting for his mother arrive. The people in town then determine that he's deaf and mute. As an adult he does odd jobs for all the people in town, all the while listening to everything everyone tells him, including secrets! Jake Weber plays Tolliver Tynan, Tallasses(Sammys love interest)brother and the source of all Sammys trouble. Tom Skerritt stars as Norm, owner of the bus depot and a sort of father figure to Sammy. James Earl Jones also stars as Archibald Thacker, a rum runner who knows a thing or two about some of the secrets in the town. As one of the big secrets threatens the town Sammy struggles with what to do. A great story and wonderful acting make this a movie I would recommend to anyone.
Just a pleasant little Hallmark movie.
TxMike3 November 2004
Warning: Spoilers
This movie starts in the 1940s, then after the establishing scenes mostly takes place in the 1960s. It examines the situation, what would people do and say if they thought no one was listening? It creates interesting outcomes. A worthwhile movie.
SPOILERS are contained in all the rest of my comments. Matthew Modine plays grown up Sammy Ayers, who had been left alone as a child on a bus after his mother Helen (Bernadette Peters) stepped off at a rest stop to buy a soft drink. She was dragged off and killed, while the bus driver simply thought she abandoned her son. When Sammy arrived the next morning at the destination, and found his mother missing, he did not immediately talk, all the townspeople believed he was deaf and mute, and he played the part because it was convenient. He grew up that way, and was treated as inferior by some, became the town handiman, picked up chore slips each day from a box at the store.
James Earl Jones plays Archibald Thacker, a junk hauler along with his sons, but secretly running illegal moonshine, and getting rich in the process. The big 'secret' of this story is not revealed until the end, but Sammy was born out of wedlock and his father was the rich man of the town, and in his will left his inheritance to his eldest son, Sammy. The other son was dishonest, embezzled money from the local church. Sammy spoke the first time during the trial, as he had witnessed the plans and transgressions of the bad son. The 'daughter' was actually adopted and, since she and Sammy never did live as siblings, we see as the movie ends she and Sammy are on a bus together, heading somewhere to start new lives.
There is s small element of 'revenge' here. The bad son had always treated Sammy badly, and made fun of him. So, Sammy's testimony which led to the conviction took on a type of revenge. But it was not revenge in the sense that Sammy actually did something to get back. He simply obeyed the law and testified. As opposed to 'Dogville' in which revenge is specific and willful, and equally unlawful as were the acts which sparked her revenge.
SPOILERS are contained in all the rest of my comments. Matthew Modine plays grown up Sammy Ayers, who had been left alone as a child on a bus after his mother Helen (Bernadette Peters) stepped off at a rest stop to buy a soft drink. She was dragged off and killed, while the bus driver simply thought she abandoned her son. When Sammy arrived the next morning at the destination, and found his mother missing, he did not immediately talk, all the townspeople believed he was deaf and mute, and he played the part because it was convenient. He grew up that way, and was treated as inferior by some, became the town handiman, picked up chore slips each day from a box at the store.
James Earl Jones plays Archibald Thacker, a junk hauler along with his sons, but secretly running illegal moonshine, and getting rich in the process. The big 'secret' of this story is not revealed until the end, but Sammy was born out of wedlock and his father was the rich man of the town, and in his will left his inheritance to his eldest son, Sammy. The other son was dishonest, embezzled money from the local church. Sammy spoke the first time during the trial, as he had witnessed the plans and transgressions of the bad son. The 'daughter' was actually adopted and, since she and Sammy never did live as siblings, we see as the movie ends she and Sammy are on a bus together, heading somewhere to start new lives.
There is s small element of 'revenge' here. The bad son had always treated Sammy badly, and made fun of him. So, Sammy's testimony which led to the conviction took on a type of revenge. But it was not revenge in the sense that Sammy actually did something to get back. He simply obeyed the law and testified. As opposed to 'Dogville' in which revenge is specific and willful, and equally unlawful as were the acts which sparked her revenge.
A simple feel-good folktale set amidst the golden fields of America
q_leo_rahman27 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Hallmark's Hall of Fame is noted for making television films since the 1950s, featuring high-profile celebrities and a wide variety of stories. This particular TV film is considered one of their best, and it's not too hard to see why. There is something unique about this tale, not just its story but in its very execution, something that would be hard to see nowadays.
Based on a novel by GD Gearino, this TV film tells the tale of a boy, Sammy Ayers, who arrives in a new town all by himself. People mistake him for being deaf and dumb, so he goes along with this assumption for about two decades. Such a premise would serve as a ground for tense drama and thrills at the revelation of dark and horrible secrets, but that's not where the story leads. Instead it portrays a slice of life within the small-town community, and Sammy serves as silent confidant throughout the years, earning reliability and confidence from the townspeople. He doesn't really get a chance to reveal his true ability until he gets involved in a scam that almost causes a lot of ruin to the town.
The premise of maintaining a facade of deafness for two decades is unusual, but not impossible. Superman has been hiding behind the glasses and clothes of Clark Kent for most of his life and that went down more or less successfully. And it also helps that the person in particular is a stranger and later resident at a small American town in the 1940s-60s, when things were quieter and friendlier and more uncomplicated. Superman's America, to go back to the previous analogy: the American county country, where people were decent and honest and content.
That's the main strength and appeal of this piece: it is a love letter to gentler easygoing times, when people were more or less fundamentally good. There isn't anything too horrible or bad to this story: the worst that happens is the loss of Sammy's mother and a church getting burnt down from a scam. The antagonist isn't antagonistic himself, he's just a spoiled rich boy denied his inheritance and trying to con people. That may put people off as unrealistic or underdeveloped, but in today's workaholic "rat race" era such an ambiance and setting would definitely be a welcome change or desire.
The performances themselves are solid and dependable. Matthew Modine stands out as the title character who stays hush, letting his face and gestures do the talking. The supporting cast do their roles justice and give dependable performances, but a clear scene-stealer would be the inimitable James Earl Jones as Archibald Thacker, the sly trader who gets wind of Sammy's secret but sees he hasn't said anything so keeps his mouth shut too.
Overall, it's a nice little story. It's not really anything deep or ponderous, but just a simple feel-good folktale set amidst the golden fields of America. And sometimes that's where we need to go for a good time and a solid rest.
Based on a novel by GD Gearino, this TV film tells the tale of a boy, Sammy Ayers, who arrives in a new town all by himself. People mistake him for being deaf and dumb, so he goes along with this assumption for about two decades. Such a premise would serve as a ground for tense drama and thrills at the revelation of dark and horrible secrets, but that's not where the story leads. Instead it portrays a slice of life within the small-town community, and Sammy serves as silent confidant throughout the years, earning reliability and confidence from the townspeople. He doesn't really get a chance to reveal his true ability until he gets involved in a scam that almost causes a lot of ruin to the town.
The premise of maintaining a facade of deafness for two decades is unusual, but not impossible. Superman has been hiding behind the glasses and clothes of Clark Kent for most of his life and that went down more or less successfully. And it also helps that the person in particular is a stranger and later resident at a small American town in the 1940s-60s, when things were quieter and friendlier and more uncomplicated. Superman's America, to go back to the previous analogy: the American county country, where people were decent and honest and content.
That's the main strength and appeal of this piece: it is a love letter to gentler easygoing times, when people were more or less fundamentally good. There isn't anything too horrible or bad to this story: the worst that happens is the loss of Sammy's mother and a church getting burnt down from a scam. The antagonist isn't antagonistic himself, he's just a spoiled rich boy denied his inheritance and trying to con people. That may put people off as unrealistic or underdeveloped, but in today's workaholic "rat race" era such an ambiance and setting would definitely be a welcome change or desire.
The performances themselves are solid and dependable. Matthew Modine stands out as the title character who stays hush, letting his face and gestures do the talking. The supporting cast do their roles justice and give dependable performances, but a clear scene-stealer would be the inimitable James Earl Jones as Archibald Thacker, the sly trader who gets wind of Sammy's secret but sees he hasn't said anything so keeps his mouth shut too.
Overall, it's a nice little story. It's not really anything deep or ponderous, but just a simple feel-good folktale set amidst the golden fields of America. And sometimes that's where we need to go for a good time and a solid rest.
I taped 'What the Deaf Man Heard' one night when it was on late.
kiyakid22 February 2000
I taped ' What the Deaf Man Heard' on night when it was on late, a few days later, I watched it and found it to be an EXTREMELY good movie, which I have yet to date, taped over. It is a really good watch, and Matthew Modine is a really good actor, I recommend it to anyone.
Fascinating story with a surprise ending
henryevans-18 October 2006
I thought the mix of humour, satire and sentiment was just right. It is also a commentary (subtly) on how hearing impaired people are treated by society. Seeing the crooked and self serving get some just desserts was rewarding, and the final twist, engineered by a loving father figure for the one he effectively adopted, was both surprising and heart-warming. The acting was good (if not Oscar-winning) and the plot line written with sufficient complexity as to keep you wondering what would happen and how the pieces of the story linked together. The time setting of the story was a bit hard to guess at first but markers soon appeared to help the viewer. The clever change of name of a well known pop group raised a smile and perhaps the reactions of some to that group were a bit over the top, but not out of keeping entirely with the hysteria of the time.
Messy mixture of styles spoils fine acting.
David-2408 July 1999
There are some terrific performances in this film - Matthew Modine, Tom Skerritt, Judith Ivey, James Earl Jones - but the director and writer seem uncertain whether this is a sentimental drama or a satirical comedy. As it stands it is a peculiar mixture of both with the drama spoiling the comedy and the comedy spoiling the drama. And what a terrible waste of the magnificent talent of Claire Bloom!
Possible spoiler
bkn6006-14 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I have to disagree with the comment posted by Lexicon which appears on the main IMDb page.
I found this film to be hilarious and well acted. Given most of the trash that's available for viewing, I had no problem with watching this one with the kids. Of course, there's no real sex, real violence, blood, gore...it's all implied. Even when someone is murdered, there's no filming OF the murder and no bloody body. It IS a Hallmark movie, after all. If you're looking for such, look elsewhere.
But if you're looking for a moving story of a helpless child making the best of a horrible situation, and you like to laugh, then this is 90 minutes well spent.
The only complaint I had with the movie, which was pointed out by one of my boys, was that they didn't spend enough time on Sammy (the "deaf" boy's) childhood character. Having been deaf for the first four years of his life, I'm sure the boy knows what he's talking about.
I found this film to be hilarious and well acted. Given most of the trash that's available for viewing, I had no problem with watching this one with the kids. Of course, there's no real sex, real violence, blood, gore...it's all implied. Even when someone is murdered, there's no filming OF the murder and no bloody body. It IS a Hallmark movie, after all. If you're looking for such, look elsewhere.
But if you're looking for a moving story of a helpless child making the best of a horrible situation, and you like to laugh, then this is 90 minutes well spent.
The only complaint I had with the movie, which was pointed out by one of my boys, was that they didn't spend enough time on Sammy (the "deaf" boy's) childhood character. Having been deaf for the first four years of his life, I'm sure the boy knows what he's talking about.
Is it really worth ninety minutes of your life?
Lexicon18 December 1999
This film had several flaws. Firstly, it progressed too slowly. The main character had very little to do in this film, which I suppose couldn't be helped given the plot. Almost the entire film was spent retelling the lives of other people. Secondly, the characters and plot were unrealistic. Are we really to believe that someone would be able to convince others of his deafness for so many years without being found out? And the supporting characters were too melodramatic. They over acted at every turn.
Relax!
junction10661 March 2003
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.
pretty good
Spiffy-Tiffy30 December 1999
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.
One of the best well written comedy/drama's ever!!
jannmoyers29 March 2008
Truly catches you even while it is starting, with the music. Everyone that was cast was perfect in their respective roles. It catches the flow of how things really were at the period of time it was representing. It introduces both heart wrenching feelings, and sense of humor at once, which is like a piece of art in itself. It has the same sort of feel as Fried Green Tomatoes, or Driving Miss Daisy. So if those are movies you really enjoy, sit back this one will please you completely. Bernadette peters sings like an angel at the end credits, it is really beautiful, so of course it is to short!! Really is a 5 star or 10 out of 10 movie!!
Watch what you say, you never know who may be listening!
LuckyDragon21 January 2001
For me, Hallmark Hall of Fames are like the Super Bowl, the main event is nice to watch, but the commercials are the real reason to tune in. What can I say, I like cheez. However, "What the Deaf Man Heard" is a rare exception. This is a movie that captured my attention. I laughed, I cried, it was better than CATS. I don't believe it's on video, but CBS plays it again every so often. Check it out.
Totally Bad
deathscenemusic18 January 2002
It's really beyond me what people see in this movie! I enjoy all sorts of movies but this one is like a shell with absolutely NO SUBSTANCE! It was SLOW, UNREALISTIC, and the entire movie seemed to revolve around the moment when he spoke which wasn't very dramatic at all as the characters were NOT even near to convincing.
TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE THE PRODUCER HAS MADE A MOVIE BASED ON THE FACT THAT A STORY LIKE THIS ONE HAS SOME SUBTLETY TO IT AND THEREFORE IT WILL BE AND BE PERCEIVED TO BE MUCH MORE THAN IT IS. IT'S WORKED, PEOPLE HAVE VOTED IT INTO THE 7'S BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT THIS MOVIE IS VERY VERY BLAND...
TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE THE PRODUCER HAS MADE A MOVIE BASED ON THE FACT THAT A STORY LIKE THIS ONE HAS SOME SUBTLETY TO IT AND THEREFORE IT WILL BE AND BE PERCEIVED TO BE MUCH MORE THAN IT IS. IT'S WORKED, PEOPLE HAVE VOTED IT INTO THE 7'S BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT THIS MOVIE IS VERY VERY BLAND...
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