User reviews

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.) =)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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...

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.