Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideToronto Int'l Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Dead Silence

  • TV Movie
  • 1997
  • R
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
Dead Silence (1997)
ActionCrimeDramaThriller

A veteran FBI agent negotiates the release of a bus-load of hearing-impaired school-children taken hostage by 3 desperate escaped convicts.A veteran FBI agent negotiates the release of a bus-load of hearing-impaired school-children taken hostage by 3 desperate escaped convicts.A veteran FBI agent negotiates the release of a bus-load of hearing-impaired school-children taken hostage by 3 desperate escaped convicts.

  • Director
    • Daniel Petrie Jr.
  • Writers
    • Jeffery Deaver
    • Donald E. Stewart
  • Stars
    • James Garner
    • Kim Coates
    • Marlee Matlin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    1.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Daniel Petrie Jr.
    • Writers
      • Jeffery Deaver
      • Donald E. Stewart
    • Stars
      • James Garner
      • Kim Coates
      • Marlee Matlin
    • 18User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations total

    Photos73

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast40

    Edit
    James Garner
    James Garner
    • John Potter
    Kim Coates
    Kim Coates
    • Theodore 'Ted' Handy
    Marlee Matlin
    Marlee Matlin
    • Melanie Charrol
    Lolita Davidovich
    Lolita Davidovich
    • Det. Sharon Foster
    Charles Martin Smith
    Charles Martin Smith
    • Roland W. Marks
    Kenneth Welsh
    Kenneth Welsh
    • Sheriff Lenny Budd
    James Villemaire
    James Villemaire
    • Ray 'Sonny' Bonner
    Gary Basaraba
    Gary Basaraba
    • Shephard Wilcox
    Barclay Hope
    Barclay Hope
    • Sheriff Gene Stillwell
    Vanessa Vaughan
    • Susan
    Blu Mankuma
    Blu Mankuma
    • Special Agent Henry Lebow
    Mimi Kuzyk
    Mimi Kuzyk
    • Donna Harkstrawn
    Scott Speedman
    Scott Speedman
    • Officer Stevie Cardy
    John Bourgeois
    John Bourgeois
    • Major Daniel Tremaine
    Neil Crone
    Neil Crone
    • Airport Security Officer
    Sharon Dunn
    • TV News Narrator
    Craig Eldridge
    Craig Eldridge
    • Roger Elb
    Chris Faulkner
    • Trooper
    • Director
      • Daniel Petrie Jr.
    • Writers
      • Jeffery Deaver
      • Donald E. Stewart
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews18

    6.11.5K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    7willandcharlenebrown

    Enjoyed this made for TV movie!

    Pretty good Matlock'ish movie. James Garner is a missed gem. Awesome to also see Scott Speedman in a very early role prior to Underworld. Nice twist at the end!
    7SteveSkafte

    A basic crime/action film with guts. James Garner makes it work.

    "Dead Silence" was something of an unexpected pleasure for me. As far as TV movies go, this is pretty impressive. James Garner offers up an exceptionally engaging characterization, and it was a pleasure to see actors like Charles Martin Smith and Lolita Davidovich. Kim Coates is appropriately menacing as the bad guy.

    The story is fairly standard, sure, but it doesn't quite get ridiculous until the final act. It was as if a more hands-off crime story wasn't enough for the screenwriters and they decided that it needed a good deal more action to spice things up. That move was largely a mistake. Daniel Petrie Jr. does good enough as director. I like the general look and feel of the film.

    I enjoyed "Dead Silence". It's a hard film to dislike, one of the rare sort of action films that are neither especially challenging nor insultingly bad. Anyone should be able to get some entertainment out of this.
    7helpless_dancer

    School bus load of brats taken hostage by misunderstood escaped cons

    Exciting film dealing with a hostage rescue unit of the FBI. They must try to talk a deranged convict and his buddies out of killing a group of young kids held in an abandoned slaughter house. Things go about as expected until the last 20 minutes when a surprise is thrown in which spices up an otherwise routine suspense picture.
    KrelianZG

    An extremely worthwhile film. Highly enjoyable.

    Dead Silence is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. It has all the elements necessary for a quality film. Drama, suspense, action, and even the occasionally witty comment by the all-star cast are present. Drama and action, specifically, are present in spades. James Garner truly shines in his role as the conflicted FBI agent John Potter, as does James Villemaire, who portrays the character Sonny, one of the kidnappers of the deaf children. Dead Silence is a one of a kind, edge of your seat movie, sure to keep you guessing till the climatic finale. I recommend this film to all, as everyone should see this exemplar of modern film-making.
    9bmiller59

    What a great find on Max

    I'm a big fan of Jeffrey Deaver but I'm not aware of this story but I will look for it. Great suspense and cool twists in this story. John Potter, Jim Rockford, aka James Garner was superb. Just like his roles in The Rockford Files.

    If you are a fan of James Garner and/or fan of books by Jeffrey Deaver, this is a must. Tomorrow I need to go to our local used bookstore and get this one.

    It was difficult to not spill any spoilers.

    More like this

    White Mile
    5.8
    White Mile
    In Pursuit of Honor
    7.0
    In Pursuit of Honor
    Witness Protection
    6.2
    Witness Protection
    The Enemy Within
    5.7
    The Enemy Within
    Mistrial
    5.6
    Mistrial
    Blind Justice
    5.7
    Blind Justice
    Point of Origin
    5.8
    Point of Origin
    Dead Silence
    5.4
    Dead Silence
    Indictment: The McMartin Trial
    7.5
    Indictment: The McMartin Trial
    The Jack Bull
    6.8
    The Jack Bull
    In the Line of Duty: Siege at Marion
    5.7
    In the Line of Duty: Siege at Marion
    Citizen X
    7.4
    Citizen X

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Although filmed in Ontario, Canada and British Columbia, Canada, the story ostensibly takes place in or near a place called "Beaumont, New York," which is not a real town, city, or county in the State of New York.
    • Goofs
      When Ted gets into the disabled red van, the hood is closed. After it fails to start and he gets out of the van, the hood is open.
    • Crazy credits
      The F.B.I. and the Coast Guard were not involved in the production of and did not endorse or approve the making of this film, or any part of it.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Bang Boom Bang - Ein todsicheres Ding (1999)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 11, 1997 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Canada
    • Languages
      • English
      • American Sign Language
    • Also known as
      • Después del silencio
    • Filming locations
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • HBO Pictures
      • Home Box Office (HBO)
      • Alliance Communications Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.