Taking its cue from "Nell" and "The Wild Child", "Cries of Silence" is a handsomely crafted mystery-drama about a severely traumatized, mute young woman who shows up on the shores of a coastal Mississippi island in the wake of a devastating hurricane.
While subtlety isn't big on writer-director Avery Crounse's agenda, committed performances and strong production values help keep things involving.
Although theatrical prospects appear limited, the Showcase Entertainment release should have a healthy ancillary life. Its strong female characters and subject matter should make it a natural for the likes of Lifetime.
Set against the backdrop of 1969's Hurricane Camille, the picture immediately immerses the viewer in the disaster's trail of destruction. Surveying the damage, Dr. Dorrie Walsh (Kathleen York) is led to the comatose body of a 15-year-old girl (Erin Buchanan) who has apparently washed up on the shore of Sister Island.
After regaining consciousness at a nearby clinic, the mysterious teenager -- she appears to neither hear nor speak -- is brought to the home of the doctor's mother (Karen Black), where the painstaking process of uncovering clues to her identity begins.
Little by little, the young woman dubbed Camille begins to respond to assorted external stimuli, ultimately leading Dr. Walsh to conclude that her patient has been abused.
Unfortunately, the doctor's detective work is hampered by colleagues who wonder if her obsessiveness about the case might have something to do with her own shaky emotional past.
Filmmaker Crounse dishes out all the little plot twists and turns in an unhurried, measured manner, taking the viewer along on an intriguing voyage of discovery. But his insistence on giving each major character an inner voice results in a lot of unnecessary on-screen chatter.
His performers are certainly capable enough. In the essentially nonspeaking role of Camille, Buchanan (Crounse's daughter), is a find. And it's nice to see Black (stripped of makeup and eccentricity), in a low-key, effective turn.
CRIES OF SILENCE
Showcase Entertainment
An Elysian Pictures production
Director-screenwriter Avery Crounse
Producers Nancy Nickerson, Michael Barnard, Avery Crounse
Executive producer Chris Baldwin
Directors of photography Michael Barnard,
Wade Hanks
Production designer Randy Erikson
Editors Avery Crounse, Michael Barnard
Costume designer Bernadette O'Brien
Music Nigel Holton
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dorrie Walsh Kathleen York
Rose Walsh Karen Black
Camille Erin Buchanan
August Claiborne Ed Nelson
Esther Lynch Ellen Crawford
J.D. Lynch Michael Genovese
Running time -- 109 minutes
No MPAA rating...
While subtlety isn't big on writer-director Avery Crounse's agenda, committed performances and strong production values help keep things involving.
Although theatrical prospects appear limited, the Showcase Entertainment release should have a healthy ancillary life. Its strong female characters and subject matter should make it a natural for the likes of Lifetime.
Set against the backdrop of 1969's Hurricane Camille, the picture immediately immerses the viewer in the disaster's trail of destruction. Surveying the damage, Dr. Dorrie Walsh (Kathleen York) is led to the comatose body of a 15-year-old girl (Erin Buchanan) who has apparently washed up on the shore of Sister Island.
After regaining consciousness at a nearby clinic, the mysterious teenager -- she appears to neither hear nor speak -- is brought to the home of the doctor's mother (Karen Black), where the painstaking process of uncovering clues to her identity begins.
Little by little, the young woman dubbed Camille begins to respond to assorted external stimuli, ultimately leading Dr. Walsh to conclude that her patient has been abused.
Unfortunately, the doctor's detective work is hampered by colleagues who wonder if her obsessiveness about the case might have something to do with her own shaky emotional past.
Filmmaker Crounse dishes out all the little plot twists and turns in an unhurried, measured manner, taking the viewer along on an intriguing voyage of discovery. But his insistence on giving each major character an inner voice results in a lot of unnecessary on-screen chatter.
His performers are certainly capable enough. In the essentially nonspeaking role of Camille, Buchanan (Crounse's daughter), is a find. And it's nice to see Black (stripped of makeup and eccentricity), in a low-key, effective turn.
CRIES OF SILENCE
Showcase Entertainment
An Elysian Pictures production
Director-screenwriter Avery Crounse
Producers Nancy Nickerson, Michael Barnard, Avery Crounse
Executive producer Chris Baldwin
Directors of photography Michael Barnard,
Wade Hanks
Production designer Randy Erikson
Editors Avery Crounse, Michael Barnard
Costume designer Bernadette O'Brien
Music Nigel Holton
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dorrie Walsh Kathleen York
Rose Walsh Karen Black
Camille Erin Buchanan
August Claiborne Ed Nelson
Esther Lynch Ellen Crawford
J.D. Lynch Michael Genovese
Running time -- 109 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/2/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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