''Dead Silence'' is a 1997 Canadian-American crime

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

television film directed by

Daniel Petrie Jr. Daniel Mannix Petrie Jr. (born November 30, 1951) is a Canadian-American producer, writer, and director of film and television. He is best known for pioneering the sub-genres of action comedy and buddy cop films through films like ''Beverly Hil ...

and written by

Donald E. Stewart Donald E. Stewart (24 January 193028 April 1999) was an American screenwriter, best known for his screenplay for ''Missing'', which won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, the Writers Guild of America Award, the London Film Critics' C ...

, based on the 1995 novel ''A Maiden's Grave'' by

Jeffery Deaver Jeffery Deaver (born May 6, 1950) is an American mystery and crime writer. He has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a J.D. degree from Fordham University and originally started working as a journalist. He later ...

. The film stars James Garner,

Kim Coates Kim F. Coates (born February 21, 1958) is a Canadian–American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American films and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' and in the lead ...

, Marlee Matlin, and Lolita Davidovich.

Premise

A veteran FBI

agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...

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 Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

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 *

as Ted Handy * Marlee Matlin as Melanie Charrol * Lolita Davidovich as Priss Gunder / Detective Sharon Foster *

Charles Martin Smith Charles Martin Smith (born October 30, 1953) is an American actor, writer, and director of film and television, based in British Columbia. He is known for his roles in ''American Graffiti'' (1973), ''The Buddy Holly Story'' (1978), '' Never Cry Wo ...

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 Neil Crone (born May 29, 1960) is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer and motivational speaker. He is known for portraying Fred Tupper in ''Little Mosque on the Prairie'', Jerry Whitehall in '' Cube 2: Hypercube'' and the voices of Gordon, Diesel ...

as Airport Security Officer *

Sharon Dunn Sharon Dunn (born in Sydney, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian journalist. Career A graduate of Dalhousie University, she began her career in broadcasting at the age of 21 as a weather girl at CJCB-TV in Sydney, Nova Scotia in 1975. She quickly moved t ...

as TV News Narrator * Craig Eldridge as Roger Elb * Adrian Hough as FBI Agent Pete Henderson *

Ted Whittall iding_-_infobox_currently_empty_--> Ted_Whittall_is_a_Canadian_actor_who_is_best_known_for_his_roles_in_''Wicker_Park_(film).html" ;"title="Canadian.html" ;"title="iding - infobox currently empty --> Ted Whittall is a Canadian">iding - infobox cur ...

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

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 {{Canada-tv-film-stub