Film Analysis: Sweet Nothing in My Ear

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I chose to do my paper on the movie Sweet Nothing in My Ear. The movie was about a child who was born hearing and ended up going deaf, so his parents had to deliberate on whether or not they wanted to get him a cochlear implant. The wife Laura (played by Marlee Matlin) is deaf and her husband Dan is hearing. The movie is centered around Laura and Dan’s struggle to decide if a cochlear implant is what’s best for their son Adam. It doesn’t help Laura make the decision when her parents are both deaf, and her father is basically prejudiced against the hearing culture. The main characters in the story with communication disabilities are Laura and her son Adam. Laura and Adam are both deaf. Both of them were born hearing, and then over time lost it. When someone is deaf, it means that the person can’t hear at all. One of the ways that deaf people communicate is by using American Sign Language, which is where a person uses gestures to communicate with others. Another part of deaf culture is that some speak, and some don’t because they either don’t know how or aren’t comfortable doing it Both Laura and Adam’s communication disabilities are accurately portrayed in this movie. First of all, Marlee Matlin is deaf in real life, so she knows first hand what being deaf is actually like and can portray it accurately. Also, Adam uses Sign Language and expressive facial expressions, which are all trademarks of deaf culture. Also, he doesn’t speak hardly at all, and neither does his mother. Another way that Marlee’s character Laura is portrayed accurately is that her character feels very strongly about deaf culture, and a lot of people in the deaf community feel the same way; that there’s nothing wrong with them and they don’t want to be changed.... ... middle of paper ... ...through literature and media (2nd ed., p. 12). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. Tanner, D.C. (2003). Chapter 6: Hearing Loss and Deafness. In Exploring communication disorders: A 21st century introduction through literature and media (2nd ed., p. 189). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. Tanner, D.C. (2003). Chapter 6: Hearing Loss and Deafness. In Exploring communication disorders: A 21st century introduction through literature and media (2nd ed., p.192). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. Sargent, J. (Director). (2008). Sweet Nothing in My Ear [Motion picture]. U.S.A.: Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions. Tanner, D.C. (2003). Chapter 1: Communication Disorders, Literature, Media, and Society. In Exploring communication disorders: A 21st century introduction through literature and media (2nd ed., p. 27). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.

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