User reviews

The generic timing; the generic plot twists, don't exist here. It's a movie about violation and expectation. Don't watch the trailer, stop reading the reviews. Put the phone down and be patient. It's a film worth watching.

What would you do if you had a friend who supposedly is deaf and cannot speak? Would you confide your darkest secrets? Especially when you have to get it out, but fear being outed? I think in some ways we wish we could all do this since we have so much bottled up inside us, that's why I rented The Quiet, I didn't realize how dark this movie truly was until I saw it with my friend today. This story was so disturbing and horrific in my opinion, even though I'm not sure it's within my tastes, but it actually was a pretty well made movie.

Dot is a deaf teenager who has just been adopted by her godparents, she also cannot speak, she is the outcast at school, and lost her parents at a young age. Nina is the parent's daughter who is very popular and has a very dark secret with her "daddy". When Nina spots Dot playing the piano, Dot has a secret of her own that just might out what is happening in their family.

The Quiet is a very interesting plot that I found to be unique and pretty good. The acting is alright, I was surprised by how well the film worked and how well directed it was. I think the thing is though, it's one of those movies you can only see once, you'll see what I mean, because it touches bases you'd never think where a movie would go, you know? But I think we all need those type of movies every once in a while.

7/10

The Quiet (Toronto Film Festival Cut) Mr. Black's Grade: B Starring Edie Falco, Elisha Cuthbert, and Shawn Ashmore.

Directed by Jamie Babbit, who is apparently known for lighter TV fare. She has thrown that out the window with The Quiet. Dot (Camilla Belle), a deaf orphan girl, is sent to live with a wholesome foster family, but soon realizes all is not cop-acetic.

Something about this film really hit me. It is a very dark and adult tale set in any town USA. You would find me to be a quiet guy generally, and I like to listen to folks have to say. When you pay attention, people will tell you the most amazing things. 'Dot' certainly goes through that in this film. This is a story about teenagers, and it is appealing that they act that way, saying stupid things and not being 'wise' beyond their years.

The film captured High School for me to a tee, and featured nice pacing and a better than expected performance from the ever-so-lovely Elisha Cuthbert. Some folks may get completely turned off by the subject material, since this is very dark, depressing and very adult material. But for some reason the 'Dot' character really got me...

This is a flawed gem of a movie. The ending is a big crack in this diamond. I suggest seeing it, but with the foreknowledge this is a quirky little film that stutters badly on occasion and leaves you wondering in disbelief if that could actually happen-remember- a good script suspends disbelief-- and then realize- it could actually happen.

This is what I call the evil teen genre. Some young flesh in tight clothes with some sociopathic behavior thrown in for good measure. The acting is television quality but the script is intriguing enough that you won't notice until after mulling over how the whole story unfolded and whether it is really plausible or not. I don't find this story plausible and the acting really falters like a broken ankle at the end, but I also know sloppier crimes have gone undiscovered so I guess it could happen.

It's just not really what you would expect though, so be prepared to go.. HUH??? WHAT??

I liked a lot of the dialog in the movie- the bickering was well written.

PLOT: a deaf girl who is the daughter of a recently dead relative shows up on a family's doorstep and they take her in. The family's daughter is NOT amused and the family's father has a rather odd relationship with the rest of the family. Let's just say he's a self-centered asshole with a bad temper that isn't above getting physical over a verbal argument and he has a fetish.

Adding this mysterious deaf girl to their already weird suburban hell mix makes for some interesting fireworks. You will be disappointed with the ending but it's a fantastic story with pretty girls( no skin to speak of, though- BOO!!) up until the last 12 minutes or so where it kind of careens into a ditch and comes to a hasty halt.

I can't believe the great reviews for this movie-it was horrible! Total waste of time. I can't believe Edie Falco would even do a movie like this.

I walked into this movie thinking it would suck based on reviews. I was surprised that it actually was interesting and provocative. I think some people might have trouble handling the subject matter and the fact that it's treated with equal parts seriousness and humor. But uncomfortable laughter to me is the sign of a movie that actually pushes some of our buttons and that's a good thing. The cast here is wonderful, in particular Elisha Cuthbert, who proves she can act and Katy Mixon, who nails the bitchy teen banter that can be so typical in other movies. The direction is heavy handed at times but the humor does a good job of undercutting the heavy atmopshere. The ending does have some problems which I won't post here since I don't want to give anything away, but overall I think any movie that manages to be this disturbing is worth a look. I suspect this film will be re-evaluated when its time has come.

The power of silence is so powerful. Because she attracts people to constantly expose the secrets and privacy that cannot be released from the depths of their hearts. As if it were a container that can safely store secrets. And once the silence is absent, people will be panicked with birds and beasts, as thin as a bowed bird. This is also human nature. However, when the secret carried exceeds the critical point, peace and calm will be quickly disintegrated

Although this movie was very intense and at times sickening it really wasn't what I was expecting. I won't lie and say it wasn't at all entertaining because it left both me and my boyfriend speechless several times but it lacked that high quality you look for. This movie reminded me too much of something you would see on the lifetime channel. It displayed a dysfunctional family no doubt but it just didn't seem dramatic enough to make it into the theater. You really do get to know the characters in this film and even feel compassion for them but it's just not something you should have to pay money to see. My advice is just wait until it comes out on cable and if it impresses you enough go buy the DVD.

This film receives a 10 for disturbing subject matter. It is at times very difficult to watch. The characters are troubled, each in his/her own way. It feels edgy and often very foreign. With that warning, I must say that on some level I enjoyed the film. Technically it is superb. The character development is wonderful, the story intriguing and the plot is gripping. As the plot unfolds, you are forced to change your opinions about each of the characters. At first I despised the main character but felt much sympathy for her towards the end. Not an uplifting film, but that is certainly not what the screenwriter nor the director intended. I suspect that it will be an award winner.

This movie made me sick. The plot was horrible, the characters were horrible, and, worst of all, the dialogue was HORRIBLE. Dot's "thoughtful" character is really just a cover for the actresses inability to act. Elisha Cuthbert plays an amazing bitch of a teen but her attitude towards her father's lecherous behavior is sickening. And I can't believe an amazing actress like Edie Falco would lower herself to being seen in this movie. The dialogue between the characters is filled with lewdness and vulgarity and doesn't even register as thoughtful of intuitive. It's predictable and awkward. There's a scene where the cool-guy-who-falls-in-love-with-the-weird-girl (CLICHE!!) describes in full detail an erection he had. The language used is juvenile but the content isn't. I'm not sure who the writers of this awful story were trying to communicate with because the subject matter is too mature for teens and the language is too adolescent for adults. This movie was horrible and not worthy of even a straight-to-DVD label. I wouldn't recommend it to ANYONE.

A tedious bore! This film doesn't know what it's trying to be. Serious drama or psycho-sexual hokum? Even the poster is confused as it looks like a lesbian vampire flick! So...Mute 'geek' girl moves in with dysfunctional family (God only knows why Edie Falco & Martin Donovan agreed to do this tripe) and uncovers the underbelly of darkness within the household while retaining her own (instantly figured out) secrets. Much like a bad teen-comedy, geek-mute girl becomes popular and even has the most fancied boy at school after her who asks her to 'the dance' (yes he really does!) and secrets are revealed and shared and...who cares! Rubbish. The kind only America loves to make with the premise that if they stick Elisha Cuthbert and Camille Belle as the gals - giving promise to adolescent boys that they may get their kit off (they don't!) the bucks will roll in. They probably have. Don't be one to bankroll this any further. 1 for Edie Falco, 1 for Martin Donovan = 2 out of 10 (very generous at that!)

The Quiet is director Jamie Babbit's (But I'm a Cheerleader) psychological thriller that takes viewers into darker places than those we are normally transported to in such films. The subject includes four types of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual and substance abuse. All the main characters have secrets and/or manipulation, and there's a lot going on in the unpredictable currents below the surface. The production has its weaknesses - there are times when the process becomes too bleak and the denouement seems unnecessarily long - but overall this is an attractive and, at times, disturbing film.

The film follows the story of Dot (Camila Belle), a deaf girl who is adopted by a family full of problems. Soon, her relationship with her sister Nina (Elisha Cuthbert) becomes unpredictable as she discovers that Dot isn't really deaf. Taking advantage of the situation, and wanting to cause an internal conflict in the other girl, Nina tells Dot that she's going to kill her father (Martin Donovan) for having abused her. Now, the young girl will have to decide to reveal her secret or stay in the shadows and let her sister's threats happen...

Babbit's second feature after the 1999 comedy " But I'm a Cheerleader," "The Quiet" was filmed in Austin, Texas in 2004, the first film by University of Texas production company Burnt Orange. Its soundtrack features songs from Bass, Cat Power, Le Tigre, and numerous Beethoven piano sonatas. Horror in productions like When a Stranger Calls and The House of Wax, respectively. The central idea of the script is very interesting. There is a fine line about right and wrong, which is poorly explored by the plot itself. It could have been an efficient psychological thriller, it turned into a dry, dramatic film, which loses more and more credibility as it develops.

First let's talk about the characters, because it's their instability that makes the movie painfully boring. As much as the plot tries to seek depth around its protagonists, even revealing that the father himself abused his daughter, we were unable to empathize with the character Nina, precisely because she is incapable and makes senseless decisions. There is a different perspective from the way we see it at the beginning and end of the film. And, unfortunately, she doesn't manage to rise in our concept. Aside from the two little girls, we have the parents, who I don't even need to comment on because it's too obvious, and lastly, Dot's friend Connor (played by Shawn Ashmore), who is basically a pervert. Great characters, isn't it? And if they can't win us over, the only salvation would be too much flexibility in the script. Something that is far from happening in this case. In fact, it's the script itself that makes all the characters unbearable.

A strength of The Quiet is that it does not explorative address the issue of incest/sexual abuse in its quest to generate tension. This is an unpleasant subject, and Babbit appreciates it. Nina is obviously confused and damaged. She attacks Dot for no reason, is disdainful of her mother, and has a love/hate relationship with her father. She fantasizes about murdering him but can't summon up the courage. She craves simple affection - after verbally abusing Dot for half the film, she snuggles up next to her one night to comfort herself after rejecting one of her father's advances. Paul suffers from self-loathing. He calls himself "sick" and wants to stop sleeping with his daughter, but he doesn't have the strength to block the compulsion. Olivia protects herself from reality with drugs, but is complicit in what is happening to her husband and daughter. Many nights when he gets out of bed she is not sleeping.

The most interesting character is Dot, and the film is presented from her point of view. His running internal monologue is unnecessary and disturbing, but other than that, the character is presented effectively. Initially, we are not sure whether Dot is deaf or not. There are clues in the way she reacts to comments from others that indicate she is not what she appears to be. After we discover her secret (this comes very early in the movie so it's not really a spoiler), the story takes a while to show how she exploits that advantage. Of course, it's not certain how others will react if they find out she can hear things she shouldn't. It's dishonest and some people, including her possible boyfriend (Shawn Ashmore), may see it as a betrayal. Nina, on the other hand, uses her knowledge of Dot's secret to manipulate the other girl.

The tone emphasizes isolation according to Dot's perspective of her place in the world. For a while, she remains aloof, but circumstances eventually force her to make a choice. Things start to come crashing down like a house of cards when a trigger triggers a series of uncontrollable events. The high school scenes are refreshing and free from the mindless, scripted interaction we usually expect from these situations. The cafeteria and classrooms are not populated by a bunch of bland stereotypes. These are real people, and when they don't like someone, they express it sarcastically and offhandedly, not exaggerating. That's how I remember high school - sometimes weird, sometimes cruel and relentless.

Both links have strong performances. Like Nina, Elisha Cuthbert captures all the emotional changes her character must endure, forcing the viewer to re-evaluate an individual who is initially unpleasant. This is an argument that Cuthbert was underutilized in 24 Hours. Sure, she's attractive, but she also has an ability the TV show never showed. Camilla Bell, who excelled in The Ballad of Jack and Rose and lost in When a Stranger Calls, does most of her work with body language and facial expressions. Edie Falco and Martin Donovan offer balanced supporting performances, lending humanity to roles that could have been one-dimensional.

The Quiet will unsettle some viewers, and this is uncertain territory for any thriller to traverse. Babbit, however, is careful in how she approaches the material, and the film's rhythms are often more than you'd expect from a heterosexual drama. However, there is an undercurrent of suspense, and while the story's trajectory makes sense in hindsight, it is not predictable. 20 minutes before completion, I wasn't sure where things were going. For those who don't mind thrillers with darker and more serious underpinnings, The Quiet is sure to delight.

I have a habit of not reading too much about a film before watching, so I had very little idea about this one. Admittedly, it was quite a bit different than I'd anticipated! Not sure about the low ratings - wouldn't be surprised if people were thrown off by the subject matter. I thought it was beautifully shot and unique. American Beauty would be the obvious comparison, but it was less ornate and more raw while still maintaining a distinct mood and delivering top-notch performances.

THE QUIET comes to the big screen then back to DVD as the product of a group of television writers Abdi Nazemian and Micah Schraft and director (Jamie Babbit) and the film has the feeling that it would have fared better in a made for television format. It is not a film without merit - the cast is good, the atmosphere created is well captured by good camera people, the twist in the story survives - but something is missing that keeps it flat.

The Deers are a family with means whose generosity extends to taking in the victim of another family disaster: the troubles that hide in the Deer family far overpower the problems brought to the unit by the new member. Dot (Camilla Belle of When a Stranger Calls, Chumscrubber, The Ballad of Jack and Rose) is accepted into the Deer household when her deaf father dies in a freak accident: her mother died when Dot was seven and from that time to the present she has been newly deaf and mute. She is a loner, preferring to live in her own apparently silent world, finding solace in playing Beethoven piano works (the actress actually plays the works!). Her 'sister' is high school cheerleader, foul mouthed, crabby Nina (Elisha Cuthbert) who barely tolerates Dot's new role in the house and at school. Olivia Deer (Edi Falco, always excellent) is an interior designer mother who buries her disappointments in pills, being emotionally unavailable most of the time. Paul Deer (Martin Donovan) is a successful architect whose apparent kindness masks a man who is having an incestuous relationship with his daughter Nina. Dot lets the audience know early on that she is indeed not deaf or mute but elects to maintain her silence as she overhears Nina's plan to kill her father. The manner in which these two girls eventually bond and accomplish the dastardly deed and the surprising ending of the family's dissolution make up the basis for the plot development.

Taken on the basis of the story alone the film is fairly predictable, but it is after the movie is over that in retrospect we recognize how cleverly the writers and director and actors have shown us the fragility of each character: each is not black and white/good and evil but in a misty gray zone, a general statement for just about everyone who is in the cast (Connor the walking failure boyfriend - Shawn Ashmore, Michelle the rowdy slutty girlfriend - Katy Mixon). And it is this tendency to encourage the audience to ponder introspection that takes it to a higher level. It is to everyone's credit that they have taken on a tale that is bravely controversial and make it work as well as it does. Grady Harp

I was hoping for a Gothic-style horror flick, based on the title, but THE QUIET turned out to be yet another examination of the effects of a father-daughter's sexual relationship in -- where else? --- white-bread Connecticut. Cuthbert gives it her all as the sexually abused minor. The very fetching Camilla Bell plays Cuthbert's cousin, supposedly a deaf-mute, come to live with her. Cuthbert's parents are Edie Falco from THE SOPRANOS, who does a credible job in this one, and Martin Donovan, as Cuthbert's abusive dad. Some effective dream sequences, but the film is a letdown. It goes nowhere, and the ending is all too predictable.

Go watch "The Quiet"! Quickly! I can't get over what a good film it is – what a surprise! After watching The Quiet, I checked out its many awful critic reviews, then looked at it on the good old IMDb. Another surprise - it pretty much has nothing but raving user reviews – the People have spoken. I'm inclined to agree, as I picked the film up because I heard it was a thriller about normal people's dark, guilty secrets, which is always fun! I didn't really know much about the actual plot, and so, late last night, when I bunged it on the DVD with the idea of watching ten or so minutes before bed, I found that I couldn't stop watching it. I felt *compelled* to watch, even when the film was plumbing it's darkest depths and I was hanging over the edge of my seat feeling at my most unsettled and muttering to myself things like "mad" and "off key". If you don't already know what happens, I assure you, you will be completely surprised. The subject matter is one of those ones that some people think should never be dramatised, and it definitely *does* leave you unsettled (catch the scene where Nina confides her plan to Dot in the cafeteria – disturbing!), but I would say it will stick in my head, as apart from the twists, and the intense construction of suspense, the characters, who all start out as unsympathetic, go through such brilliantly contrived arcs, that you find yourself empathising with even the most evil. The two main characters are wicked – Elisha Cuthbert from 24 packs a stirring punch as the popular cheerleader from Hell with an unbelievable dark side and a complex set of issues, while Camille Bell puts in a career topping turn as not-so-deaf Dot, keeper of everyone's secrets – and work really well together. You also may find yourself laughing nervously a certain points and feeling bad for doing so, but that just means that the makers have provoked a reaction… Basically, I totally got more than I expected and I would recommend The Quiet to most people as shocking but compelling viewing! But, *don't* watch if you can't stand a film that makes you a bit uncomfortable, or one that makes you feel kinda guilty for liking it!

This story is about a very dysfunctional family whom has a deaf mute come live with them after her father dies. Nina the couples popular daughter is always picking on Dot but soon learns Dot may be keeping a secret. She tells Dot her secret because she really believes Dot can hear and will some how help her out. Her mom is a prescription drug addict and is living in a fog and pretends she doesn't know what is going on between her husband and daughter. Dot does something drastic, but Nina's mom ends up taking the blame.

FINAL VERDICT: At least the plot is a little something different. It's dark but entertaining enough. Those who like non conventional films may like this.