Silent Tongue (1994)
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43% of users liked it
(1,346 ratings)
Playwright Sam Shepard wrote and directed this bizarre combination of western film revisionism and Greek tragedy. Silent Tongue (Tantoo Cardinal) is a mute Kiowa who is raped by Eamon McCree (Alan Bates), the owner of the Kickapoo Traveling Medicine Show. Eamon attempts to make up for his crime by… More Playwright Sam Shepard wrote and directed this bizarre combination of western film revisionism and Greek tragedy. Silent Tongue (Tantoo Cardinal) is a mute Kiowa who is raped by Eamon McCree (Alan Bates), the owner of the Kickapoo Traveling Medicine Show. Eamon attempts to make up for his crime by marrying her, hoping for forgiveness. Instead, Silent Tongue enacts a bitter retribution through her two daughters, Awbonnie (Sheila Tousey) and Velada (Jeri Arredondo). Awbonnie, as the film begins, has already died, but her grieving husband Talbot (River Phoenix) refuses to let her go, dragging around her corpse. To assuage Talbot, his father Prescott (Richard Harris) sets out to purchase Velada from Eamon, thinking that only Awbonnie's sister can replace her in Talbot's eyes. But Velada's half-brother Reeves (Dermot Mulroney) protests the attempted transaction. As a result, Prescott kidnaps Velada and flees, with not only Reeves and Eamon chasing him, but also Awbonnie's ghost. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Directed By
- Sam Shepard
- Genres
- Western, Drama
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Feb 1, 1994 Wide
- Studio
- Trimark
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Unfortunately the film never held together in a cohesive way, and seemed forced and awkward at times.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Alan Bates
as Eamon McCree
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Richard Harris
as Prescott Roe
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Dermot Mulroney
as Reeves McCree
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River Phoenix
as Talbot Roe
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Sheila Tousey
as Awbonnie/Ghost
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Jeri Arredondo
as Velada McCree
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David Shiner
as Straight Man
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Tantoo Cardinal
as Silent Tongue
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Billy Beck
as Petrified Man
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Arturo Gil
as Little Person Acrobat #1
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Fred Maio
as Owner
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Timothy Scott
as The Lone Man
- Red Clay Ramblers
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Joseph S. Griffo
as Little Person Acrobat #2
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William Irwin
as Comic
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Tommy Thompson
as Medicine Show Band Performer
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Jack Herrick
as Medicine Show Band Performer
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Lynn Davis
as Prairie Girl
