User reviews

We saw this film at Sundance 2007, and it was one of the best we saw this year! What a fascinating story about Paul and Sally Taylor, the filmmaker's parents. They were both in their mid 60s and had lived their entire lives as deaf people, when they decided to get cochlear implants. This film followed their journey from the decision to get the surgery to the after effects. I was touched by the relationship between these two very special people. Their daughter, Irene Taylor Brodsky, did a phenomenal job portraying all the emotions involved and all the difficulties they encountered. This story will stay with me for a long time. Even if you don't have anyone you're close to who is deaf, this movie will affect you. I highly recommend it.

This film was an audience favorite at Sundance, and it is easy to see why. I was captivated from the beginning and just could not turn away.

The Taylors were 65 years old when they decided they wanted to hear for the first time. They managed to live their lives successfully (he is responsible for TTY) and raise three children, but they wanted to do more.

They decided to get cochlear implants, and this film is the road to that operation, and how they adjusted to hearing. It is a feel-good film, not for any magical ending, but for our sharing in the lives of these two people and the love they had for each other.

If you need some inspiration in your life, then this is the film to see.

Wonderful film about the film maker's parents who grew-up deaf and decide to get cochlear implants when they turned 65.

For me as an engineer and who has worked with deaf folks, this was fascinating to see the prologue to the surgery and the aftermath.

This film should be required viewing for anyone considering cochlear implants so that they will know how their lives may change and what realistic expectations they should have.

I also wish to note that Paul Taylor, the deaf father, was instrumental in the invention and development of TTY technology. While not widespread among the hearing, TTY technology is a landmark development analogous to the development of the telephone was for the hearing. So, even just on historical grounds, this film is important.

It is nice also, that the deaf mother's parents are still alive at the time of the film, so it is nice to see them have their daughter finally hear after 6.5 decades.

This is a deeply personal piece by Irene Taylor Brodsky and I had tears, smiles, and many laughs my entire time watching it. I wish to thank her for this film and for HBO for presenting it.

I saw this movie on a random movie channel that I was flipping through. As I continued to watch this movie it became so overwhelming, all I could really do is cry. This movie not just brings tears but smiles and laughs too. This movie captured the presence of a wonderful love between the filmmaker's deaf parents as the struggle through a dangerous surgery to finally hear after 65 years of "silence". Hear and Now should be on everyone's must see list. This movie will change your outlook on everything you see and hear on a day-to-day bases. I give congrats to Irene Taylor Brodsky in this amazing film portraying her family's life through silence and sound. I would love to have the relationship her parents have one day.

This movie documents the writers journey with her parents so honestly that you really feel their emotions while watching this movie. I work with the deaf and found this to be very indicative as to what the deaf community faces when the decide whether or not to have this surgery done. The raw emotion of the writers parents will make you laugh when they laugh and cry when they cry. This is definitely a must see documentary. This documentary will also show the negatives towards getting a cochlear implant as well as the positives. I think that the daughter making this film is a wonderful tribute to her parents struggles and accomplishments. It also gives you an insight into hearing children being raised by deaf parents and how they adapted to it during their childhoods. Very good movie.

Such interesting story, it draws you in, a wonderful couple

i just watch it 4/6/21 and i wonder how they are doing now?

I wish they would add an update to the documentary, ( i would watch again)

I laughed, I cried. What an amazing couple and family. A beautiful, heartfelt story that made me feel so blessed and humbled. I would love an update on them.

The very first thing that turns me off from documentaries are biased perspectives. The second turn-off is overly emotional displays meant to endear the viewer to the character. Unfortunately, this documentary uses generous amounts of both.

The fact the director is the daughter of couple probably wasn't a good idea to begin with. I felt that she was enthralled with her mother's sensitivity and she was fixated on filming her tantrums and tears. I personally found all the moodiness repugnant and hated her by the end. I was more interested in the father and his scientific accomplishments, but was disappointed by the director's passing reference to him. Instead I was fed more mommy tears and wailing.

The was the Sundance audience award winner for documentary, and I thought it wasn't a good reflection on their taste. Awful, awful, awful!!!