Dead Silence (1997 film)

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