Premise: A young speaker seeks his destiny, but finds it by losing his hearing.
Stars: Ron Livingston * Melissa George * Michael Sheen * Hector Elizondo
Story: Richard Pimentel (Livingston) discovers he has a gift for public speaking at a young age, but is turned away from a scholarship contest due to a perceived lack of heart. He heads off to Vietnam, getting wounded in the process. Losing his hearing, he works on learning how to pretend he can still hear by reading lips and developing other skills. He befriends a disabled artist (Sheen) who has cerebral palsy and falls in love with a freethinker (George). By defending his friend in various encounters, he learns what was meant earlier - his passion is helping people who can't help themselves. Pimentel becomes one of the chief proponents of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which became law under President George H. W. Bush.
Review: The film is a nice biopic/character study of Richard Pimentel, a famous activist for the rights of the disabled. Livingston is a decent character actor (Office Space, Band of Brothers) and performs admirably, but Sheen's work as Art Honeyman really shines. Melissa George is basically a cypher for Livingston, providing a bridge between his college years and his activist work, but contributes little to the film other than a brief love affair that ends badly.
Unfortunately, as with nearly all biopics, the film is saddled with stereotypes: the friend that dies, the addiction (in this case it's the activism) that destroys a relationship, the failed love, the self-destructive period, the successful ending. These cliches overlay the film with a sense of dullness, making the performance of Livingston and Sheen the only reason worth watching the film. The film becomes almost instantly forgettable otherwise.
Overall: Mediocre
Links: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
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