Dead Silence is a 1997 Canadian-American crime thriller television film directed by Daniel Petrie Jr. and written by Donald E. Stewart, based on the 1995 novel A Maiden's Grave by Jeffery Deaver. The film stars James Garner, Kim Coates, Marlee Matlin, and Lolita Davidovich.
Premise
A veteran FBI agent negotiates the release of a bus load of hearing impaired school children taken hostage by three desperate escaped convicts.
Release
Dead Silence premiered on HBO during January 1997. That year the film was also released on VHS in Australia, the UK and several other countries.
A few months after its HBO premiere, the film was screened at the 1997 edition of the Cannes Film Festival, despite being a made for TV production. It also received a theatrical release in Japan.
It was released on DVD in the USA in 2005, and in 2007 in Australia.
Reception
In their June 1997 review, Variety labelled it "strictly for undemanding thriller fans", and commented that, "For most of its length, Dead Silence is a routine hostage drama, though a couple of plot twists in the final reel, while implausible, enliven the hitherto mundane fodder."
Cast
James Garner as FBI Special Agent John Potter
Kim Coates as Ted Handy
Marlee Matlin as Melanie Charrol
Lolita Davidovich as Priss Gunder / Detective Sharon Foster
Charles Martin Smith as Roland W. Marks
Kenneth Welsh as Sheriff Lenny Budd
James Villemaire as Ray "Sonny" Bonner
Gary Basaraba as Shephard "Shep" Wilcox
Barclay Hope as Sheriff Gene Stillwell
Vanessa Vaughan as Susan
Blu Mankuma as FBI Special Agent Henry Lebow
Mimi Kuzyk as Donna Harkstrawn
Scott Speedman as Officer Stevie Cardy
John Bourgeois as Major Daniel Tremaine
Neil Crone as Airport Security Officer
Sharon Dunn as TV News Narrator
Craig Eldridge as Roger Elb
Adrian Hough as FBI Agent Pete Henderson
Ted Whittall as Toby Geller
Justin Dressler as Sam
Kristin Dressler as Annie
Lisa Dressler as Jocelyn
Christy Elliott as Beverly
Trista Langford as Emily
Vance Youngs as Kevin
Awards and nominations
See also
List of films featuring the deaf and hard of hearing
Notes
References
External links
1997 films
1997 television films
1997 crime thriller films
1990s American films
1990s Canadian films
1990s English-language films
Alliance Films films
American crime thriller films
American Sign Language films
American thriller television films
Crime television films
Canadian crime thriller films
Canadian thriller television films
English-language Canadian films
Films about deaf people
Films about hostage takings
Films about the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Films based on American crime novels
Films based on American thriller novels
Films directed by Daniel Petrie Jr. Films set in New York (state) Films shot in Toronto Films shot in Vancouver HBO Films films Interscope Communications films Television films based on books