This story is an excellent film from one of Britain's most talented directors - Alexander Mackendrick. When a family has to deal with the reality of a deaf child, it throws their lives into turmoil as they face their own misconceptions and try to work out what is best for the child. This movie documents the changes that could have occurred to any family in similar circumstances. The parents are not perfect but do their best to work things out and this is part of the reason I liked the movie. It is honest and the parents try to do what is right, albeit a big adjustment. The deaf child is Mandy, a bright and happy little girl who the parents realize hasn't started to speak a number of months on. This leads them to take her to a doctor who diagnoses the condition as congenital deafness. According to the doctor, nothing can be done. The parents, played by Phyllis Calvert and Terence Morgan, are shocked and are afraid for her future. They immediately take her to the grandparents' home where she can be kept alone and given private tutoring. Subsequently, they meet a specialist who suggests that the girl be placed in a school where she can learn more effectively under the guidance of a proper teacher in the company of other children. There is a rift between the parents who have different views about sending her away. There are other differences they encounter along the way. The father also suspects that an affair is going on between the specialist (Jack Hawkins) and the mother, Phyllis Calvert. The acting is superb all-round and the child, played by Mandy Miller, shows the strain that she too must face from her parents' disagreements and her own problems interacting with others. The movie is heart-wrenching but also offers hope. I thought this was an excellent film that treats the subject in a thoughtful and intelligent way.
