Sweet Nothing In My Ear (2008, Joseph Sargent)

Runtime: 93 Minutes – Country: USA – Produced for TV by Hallmark

This quiet drama-flick is focusing on the eventful life of the Miller-family, who is almost likewise consisting of hearing and deaf people. Daniel Miller (Jeff Daniels) and his wife Laura (Marlee Matlin), who is deafened; have an 8-year-old son named Adam (Noah Valencia). At first it seemed like there were no real complications, but when Adam got older there were the first problems to appear. There is an audiotape with one of the last recordings of a speaking Adam – but this is already over 5 years old.

So they find themselves in a serious familiar struggle: after Adam had slightly injured himself while playing in the garden, his father Daniel first heard about the so called Cochlear Implant by a local doctor. He is sceptical; his wife even totally denies to face this option – but soon he is getting more and more comfortable with the idea, this way of a possible improvement of his life… he is starting to do some basic researches in the internet, arranging the first continuative appointments – much to the disapproval of his deaf wife.

Adam can not listen to the tunes that his father is playing, but he can feel the music…

First of all: certainly, this is a topic that you might have stumbled upon, it is often treated in TV-series. But I have to state it: personally I have not seen many films on this important topic ! The overall keyword and main subject-matter would be deafness – a story of a young boy and his family; with all members having very different opinions and standpoints on how to deal with the hearing loss of Adam. So, one could certainly expect a great family drama; with two of the main family members being deaf; and a hearing father who is living with them; who can only use sign language to communicate – this mixed with some detailed pro’s and con’s or advantages and disadvantages on the Cochlear Implatant and the culture of the deaf in general…

At least that is what I expected. But focusing on it this way, I am rather disappointed. Just because the storyline is so promising, leaving so much possible room for discussion, unique messages, conversations et cetera – but in the film itself there is this certain “forced mood”; which makes it feel rather unrealistic and cold. Too bad – since a film like this would only work with heartwarming and believeable characters and a bigger attention to the smaller details also. The overall athmosphere just did not make me feel very comfortable – maybe also because, and that is my main negative aspect that I would like to mention here: the film is annoyingly reduced – including both characters and storyline.

Adam, who faces a neighbourhood child who bullied on him becasuse of his disability

Adam, certainly one of the main characters (he should be!) – is an 8-year-old boy who got deaf. Just tell me, why would the audience not get to hear anything about himself ? The whole film turns out to be portraying a serious conflict among the parents, involving their parents also – caused by a neverending discussion on the pro’s and con’s of a Cochlear Implant. Of course, the son is 8 years old and could not really decide anything – but why is he not even informed about what is going on between the parents ? They do not seem to really interact nor even talk with their son; from who we do not get to know anything – this certainly is a bad mixture for a family drama with children involved. Since it feels like they are steady talking about one big topic; which is affecting one of the closest family members. And altough this family member is standing right beside them, you can not get a felling for the connection. At least that is how I feel – I would ascribe this to the average cinematography, the cold acting; and most certainly: the uninspiring script… I can only remember one single scene in which Adam has been bullied by a neighbourhood kid – I guess this was the first and only time the focus has actually been laid on him (and his deafness) alone…

Daniel and Laura are arguing a lot about her son and his possible future

Since the overall battle and argumentation between the “deaf culture” and their “opponents” (at least that is what is at times portrayed here) is starting to become hilarious at some points – take the overall court scene for my example on this. And of course: why would they have even gone there ? Maybe I would have taken this for serious, if there had not been this artificial ending that makes everything even worse… do not get me wrong, I like open endings – but certainly not in this case. I also like the message that love is the most important thing and source of power that can carry you thorough hard times, this is what the end actually consists of – but it fails here. And this is also referable to the characters development – the parents are arguing very often, having so much conflicts that it seems that they could become divorced; all because of the Choclear Implant and the possible positive and/or negative effects. Just to become totally enlightened in the end ? But it seems that this form of “enlightenment” is relativizing all of the past events and discussions they had – they have each other, and that is what counts… good, but let me ask one question: what about the son; and the result of the main discussion we fortunately came to watch in the past 90 minutes ?

Finally… will all things come to a good end ?

But I guess this is up to the viewers, such as the answer to many questions that are occurring while watching this one – volitional or not. For example, why did the producers choose to go for rather annoying voice-overs here ? It does not really seem to fit; I would definitely have recommended subtitles. Reconsidering this film again – it is only an average, but still a worth watching flick. Since it can initiate many further discusions on the general topic of deafness; by offering a (slight) inside view on their culture, and their way of interacting with hearing people. Also, it is offering some pro’s and con’s on the Choclear Implant – I certainly like that the film stays rather neutral, in conclusion. Nothing exciting to say about the technical part; the actors however are doing an average job at least. Finally: certainly none of my favourite films. Mainly because I expected an interesting family drama with lots of backgrounds, a main focus on the person the whole story actually is about – but rather got to see a familiar couple crisis. Not a simple or very usual one, though – but all of the characters are just badly reduced; such as the whole main topic: 5.3/10.

This DVD at Amazon.com – The Trailer