To tell you the truth, I had not planned to watch the film. On Thurs Morning after the Xmas Holiday, Just as a fluke the channel I ended up was HBO channel, ”Sweet Nothing in my Ear" the film just began(I did See bits of it before, but could not see it to The End). As it progressed, I was compelled & drawn into the story of hearing & deafness & family & differences & likeness. Unless the words nothing, ear & silent have somehow slipped past ur perception, that topic is deafness. I was impressed & appreciative of the way it was handled, with voices being heard for those signing instead of "speaking" as they sign- true to life.
The story was freshly told in a way that allowed me to see all sides of the issue of hearing versus deafness. I also frankly was rapt to confront my own prejudices & bias, & for many other reasons, too- it’s worth viewing.
Stephen Sachs has created a relationship-shattering struggle between a hearing father, Dan Miller(Jeff Daniels), his non-hearing wife, Laura Miller(Marlee Matlin), over whether their only child; deaf cute, curly-haired 8-year-old son moppet Adam Miller(Noah Valencia), should have an operation that could restore partial hearing.
It examines the struggle between the worlds of the hearing & the deaf & the "conflict between medical technology & cultural values*." At the same time allowing us to see the side of the hearing father who mostly was engrossed in the deaf world & how it excluded him at times.
When, during an emergency room visit, a doctor suggests in Dan’s ear(Like Snake 2 the Eve) the idea of cochlear implant surgery(Apple), a tiny device that would be inserted into his skull to enable for Adam to hear, Dan latches onto the notion that his son’s life could be made easier. A hi-tech marvel, but Laura, the daughter of proud deaf parents, teaches at her son’s school for the deaf & is resolute in the faith that her & her son’s lives aren’t hampered by lack of hearing; she obstinately opposes the process, believing her son “developed” deafness. Laura, who is deaf herself, sees deafness as a minor problem, something she has dealt with her whole life. She sees the device as a threat to deaf culture. In her eyes, the most "natural" thing for Adam is to remain deaf. To her, deafness is an honor, not a handicap, like being "a flower of a different color."
Dan who being so smitten upon meeting Laura, that he yearned to speak her language & learns sign language to woo her, becomes convinced that it’s in Adam’s "best interest" to become a "normal" child. The battle to help his deaf son become a hearing boy launches Dan on an emotional journey of self-discovery that exposes hidden prejudices & threatens to shatter his family. Locked in their own worlds, the couple must find a way to mend their differences & make the best decision for Adam’s future.
Soon, neither parent is willing to let go of their ideas about what they think is best for Adam, & suddenly a notion that initially stemmed from curiosity, goodwill & perhaps a hearing dad’s understandably selfish desire to feel more a part of his son’s life, rips apart the family dynamic & leads to a legal separation. The two eventually battle in a custody hearing. The story is told in flashback from the courtroom where Laura & Dan fight over Adam.
What I really liked about the movie is how every single character appears human, simple, plain & none is made out to be a heartless monster. It was quite an emotional roller coaster ride. It opens up people’s eyes to a whole another world that some of us live in. The plot, which entails the struggles within the couple’s marriage unravels both emotionally & politically believe to be the best for their son, with the son caught in the middle. I see them as human beings. All of us have our flaws. We have our opinions. Everybody is different & unique in his/her own ways. If you ask me, I think some people are just taking too much for granted to appreciate life. One of the best portrayals of the Deaf culture I have seen in a long time. I liked the signing with voiceovers rather than the subtitles.
When the little boy spoke, “Thank you, Dadee, ” during the Thanksgiving scene, the Deaf grandpa looks disappointment & disgusted. Oh, please Deaf grand/parents are happy if their children can talk some. Then, the father strongly urges the child to talk to his hearing grandparents via phone. The mom & daughter had a lovely relationship; I really liked the scenes between the two of them. Although deaf herself, the grandmother albeit with a sympathetically motherly look says, "but you are a teacher."
In watching I seesawed between "Awe" feelings & rolling my eyes at some of the dialogue. Max & Sally, Parents of Laura, are macabre monuments to fear, hypocrisy, bigotry & outright deceit. The garden scene in which Laura’s parents confess that she was born hearing & she angrily asks, why didn’t you put hearing aids on me?
I recall, During tu tu main main between Dan & Laura, as Tempers flare & frustrations mount, Laura Shuts the lights & makes the bedroom dark, so as to avoid any further discussion on the matter. WoH!
"It is not better to be deaf." the quality of a person’s life is measured by the amount of hearing they have. The courtroom scenes bring many of the issues & emotions into focus, & I felt sympathic for both points of view. Laura’s dad Max, a deaf pride advocate, complains "The majority always thinks each minority wants to be like them", cutting to the heart. This is a truth many a times in out real lives. He doesn’t consider deafness a disability, & hence remains against the implants. Dan on the other hand sees this deaf prejudice against him, & hearing people, when he simply wants to give his son a better future.
Sign language is an official language it’s NOT just English with your hands. It has it’s own grammatical structure & rules. Deafness is a culture, a very complex one, a way of life before it’s a disability. They don’t think something’s wrong with them. Remember, a deaf person can do ANYTHING a hearing person can, except hear.
I wonder why they chose to end it the way they did. Though I’m glad that the parents stayed together, I think the film tried to walk both sides of the line in failing to have the characters choose one option or the other for their son. The movie ended with a note implying that it was up to viewers to do the guesswork before drawing a final conclusion.
Truly, I think that if you enjoy family drama with emotional conflict & human struggle- you will enjoy this movie.
Others in Cast
Rosemary Forsyth as Louise MIller
Bradford English as Henry Miller
Sonya Walger as Joanna Tate
David Oyelowo as Leonard Grisham
Lily Knight as Judge
Jack Laufer as Dr. Carl Harvey
Christopher Gartin as Dr. Weisman
Deanne Bray as Dr. Walters
Colleen Flynn as Priscilla Scott
Steve Cell as Jerry Scott
Joseph Sargent: Director
Stephen Sachs: Writer
Charles Bernstein: Composer
Anne Hopkins: Producer
Rating 3.5/5.
Edited to Highlight & Select Prod. Details.