The Quiet (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Camilla Belle, Elisha Cuthbert, David Gallagher, Martin Donovan, Edie Falco, Katy Mixon, Shannon Woodward, Shawn Ashmore DIRECTED BY: Jamie Babbitt A recently orphaned deaf and mute teen learns disturbing facts about her adoptive family in director Jamie Babbitt's visceral… More
  Camilla Belle, Elisha Cuthbert, David Gallagher, Martin Donovan, Edie Falco, Katy Mixon, Shannon Woodward, Shawn Ashmore DIRECTED BY: Jamie Babbitt A recently orphaned deaf and mute teen learns disturbing facts about her adoptive family in director Jamie Babbitt's visceral drama. After losing her father, Dot (Camilla Belle) goes to live with her dysfunctional godparents (Edie Falco and Martin Donovan) and their rebellious daughter Nina (Elisha Cuthbert). Before long, each is entrusting the silent Dot with shameful secrets they assume will be kept private. But Dot has secrets of her own ... This movie is dark and disturbing. Not going to be a film for everyone. Some of the scenes are uncomfortable and hard to sit through. The story itself is interesting, if you can handle a film like this. It's not one that will probably be watched more then once or twice. But still should be seen. Elisha really gives a great performance in this movie. Probably the best I have seen her do. Camilla was really good as well. I bought this movie without seeing it before hand. I am glad not to be disappointed. I often buy movies before I see them which in some cases can be a big mistake. But no regrets with this one. Hope more see it.

• Stefanie C

  
  a seemingly perfect family isn't complete without a healthy dose of dysfunction....

• Lorenzo v

  
  Many viewers may find this movie hard to swallow because of the sensitive nature of it, but it is a very good movie. The good parts of this movie had to do with the sensitive nature, at the beginning of the movie, you are not so sure of Dot, you sympathise with her and the… More
  Many viewers may find this movie hard to swallow because of the sensitive nature of it, but it is a very good movie. The good parts of this movie had to do with the sensitive nature, at the beginning of the movie, you are not so sure of Dot, you sympathise with her and the treatment she receives from her step sister, but there is something about her that you just cannot pin point. Elisha Cuthbert plays a great role and for a young lady so young in the business to play that role is commendable. I felt that the mother should have played a bigger role in the movie. Her role was a bit boring. It is only in the end, she does SOMETHING! I did enjoy the movie, it was suspenseful, had a lot of intrigue and twists to it and it highlighted some issues that teens obviously had in school.

• Arash X

  
  "They say that the truth can set you free, that's a lie. The truth is lies can protect us. Lies keep us safe from the truth."

• Jennifer X

  
  I'm ashamed to like this movie as much as I do but it does a sufficient job of keeping you in suspense. The premise itself isn't original but Camilla Belle keeps it interesting.

• Dean !

  
  This is a great drama that might have slipped many by. Starring Camilla Belle and Elisha Cuthbert both giving strong performances in this dark, brooding drama. A bit like American Beauty but with a darker tone.

• Bruce B

  
  This was a pretty good movie, I like the part that Dot played. I am sure this goes on in many households, one of those dirty little secrets. Not for those under 15 I would say. or at least watch by the parent first.

• Drew S

  
  I couldn't really tell whether they were posturing this as some sort of bizarre, ambitious attack on dysfunctional suburbia or a hilarious campy not-really-horror, but despite these clashes (which result in some of 2006's most risible dialogue) I actually sort of enjoyed the… More
  I couldn't really tell whether they were posturing this as some sort of bizarre, ambitious attack on dysfunctional suburbia or a hilarious campy not-really-horror, but despite these clashes (which result in some of 2006's most risible dialogue) I actually sort of enjoyed the movie. It's an underwhelming effort at best, with a predictable plot and bizarre pacing, but there are some interesting things about it. Little subtexts that the writers could have used to deepen the movie seemed to be ignored in an attempt to go that black-humor route. Honestly, I think this one could have been played straight, and very well too. The studio obviously wasn't prepared to throw that kind of money at it though, and thus we get some truly bizarre attempts at making it into warped humor. See: the scene where strange, geeky-looking Shawn Ashmore tells Camilla Belle all about his dick, which is one of the strangest things I've ever witnessed. I mean...no one involved could have thought that including that would be a good idea for the movie's dramatic credibility. But the show must go on! The other interesting thing about this movie is Camilla Belle's role. She deserves commendation for even attempting this character, a challenge that other actresses her age wouldn't go near. Could you imagine Lindsay Lohan trying to pull this off? Even though I don't think she was very good in the role - it may have had to do with the writing, demanding constant blank stares and non-reactions - it was still an interesting turn for someone whose best-known work is When A Stranger Calls. I wouldn't mind seeing more of her.

• Craig S

  
  <b><u>Directed by:</u> Jamie Babbit.</b> <b><u>Starring:</u> Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla Belle, Shawn Ashmore.</b> This actually came as a surprise, I had heard mixed reviews for this film well over a year ago and with me living in New… More
  <b><u>Directed by:</u> Jamie Babbit.</b> <b><u>Starring:</u> Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla Belle, Shawn Ashmore.</b> This actually came as a surprise, I had heard mixed reviews for this film well over a year ago and with me living in New Zealand and having to endure long delays in films and no marketing, I finally found the movie on DVD years after release. Now I will say the film isn't for everyone, some will say that it is a very slow film, which is actually intentional and it gave Elisha Cuthbert time to give a very surprising performance, showing a lot of range. The themes raised are quite interesting and disturbing, at times, there are moments of greatness but as a whole, the film doesn't quite hit the mark. But still, a very surprising film, with very focused direction and some interesting themes raised. Overall, an intentionally slow moving film that shows Elisha Cuthbert as an amazing upcoming actress.

• Leigh R

  
  Very odd yet interestingly good.

• E.J. B

  
  Contrived and predictable. The writers assume too much about human behaviour, and the film never is as disturbing as it wants to be.

• Dean M

  
  Very good suspenseful with Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle. It's like <i>American Beauty</i> meets <i>When the Deaf Man Heard</i> in the female version of thriller film.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]In "The Quiet," Dot(Camilla Belle), a deaf high schooler, is taken in by her godparents(Martin Donovan & Edie Falco), following the death of her father. Their daughter, Nina(Elisha Cuthbert), a cheerleader, is none too happy at the new situation and… More
  [font=Century Gothic]In "The Quiet," Dot(Camilla Belle), a deaf high schooler, is taken in by her godparents(Martin Donovan & Edie Falco), following the death of her father. Their daughter, Nina(Elisha Cuthbert), a cheerleader, is none too happy at the new situation and like everybody else at her high school ostracizes Dot.(And Dot is wrong about one thing. If you want to be invisible in high school, fit in. Don't stick out like a sore thumb.) The mother's dependence on prescription painkillers makes it convenient for her husband to sexually abuse Nina.[/font] [font=Century Gothic]"The Quiet" has an intriguing setup that is wasted by uninspired writing and directing. It would have been better served by hinting at the abuse first and letting the tension and creepiness build naturally.(Oh, what Claude Chabrol could do with such material...) Yes, it's about the silence surrounding sexual abuse but the viewers do not have to be told the right way to react which certainly is not the film's. But there is a certain intelligence at work here, especially in the artisitic pretentiousness department when it comes to the half-finished house painted in various shades of blue. [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]With that having been said, the acting is also weak. We all know that Elisha Cuthbert cannot act but what is Edie Falco's excuse for her hammy performance?(I have fond memories of what Martin Donovan and Edie Falco did for suburban alienation all those years ago in "Trust." Just in case you were wondering why I watched this film in the first place...)[/font]

• Daniel P

  
  <i>The Quiet</i> is a fantastic premise with a bunch of interesting themes in a story worth telling, hindered by a pretty woeful script. It's the second film I've seen in a month that not only suffers from the "good concept, bad execution" vibe, but… More
  <i>The Quiet</i> is a fantastic premise with a bunch of interesting themes in a story worth telling, hindered by a pretty woeful script. It's the second film I've seen in a month that not only suffers from the "good concept, bad execution" vibe, but also features Elisha Cuthbert displaying some actual acting ability. The other film is <i>He Was A Quiet Man</i> (odd that they also both have the word 'quiet' in the title). Straddling teen-flick, drama, thriller, camp comedy and sort-of horror, the film surprisingly doesn't ever feel confused. The pace is fast, the acting more than capable (Cuthbert, Camilla Belle and Edie Falco are all especially good), the story intense and gripping. But the script lets things down - there are some horrible clangers here - which adds to the fun factor, admittedly, but does sit at odds with some of the disturbing content (fathers will fuck you up, and wanting to be invisible makes everyone else *more* visible). In the end, this is easy to recommend even if the way in which it is written makes it, essentially, trash.

• Yinalí R

  
  Needless to say, really dark.

• Adam M

  
  Cool drama/thriller thats miles better than i thought it would be with the lovely Camilla Belle and Elisha Cuthbert. Dot(Belle), a deaf mute, joins her dysfunctional God-parents family as she has recently lost her parents but Dots new parents' daughter, Nina(Cuthbert),… More
  Cool drama/thriller thats miles better than i thought it would be with the lovely Camilla Belle and Elisha Cuthbert. Dot(Belle), a deaf mute, joins her dysfunctional God-parents family as she has recently lost her parents but Dots new parents' daughter, Nina(Cuthbert), doesn't like the idea and bullies Dot at every opportunity. After a while the people around Doy, Nina included, start to share their secrets with her, thinking it will go no further but some secrtets prove to be to dark and disturbing to be kept quiet. Despite the description of it being "erotic" on the back, this definately isn't that but it is a well made and acted film that proves that Belle and Cuthbert are more than just pretty faces as their roles are quite challenging. It does leave a few questions at the end which might annoy some viewers but overall this is a desent little movie.

• Laurence C

  
  Far from as disturbing as it wants to be, The Quiet is a, um, quiet little movie that packs a few interesting narrative elements and features a quality, hand-picked cast, but is ultimately more or less detailed in its characters' psychology. Add to that some of the worst… More
  Far from as disturbing as it wants to be, The Quiet is a, um, quiet little movie that packs a few interesting narrative elements and features a quality, hand-picked cast, but is ultimately more or less detailed in its characters' psychology. Add to that some of the worst narrating to grace the screen in ages but a handful of intriguing scenes... and The Quiet is well worth checking out on a sleepy sunday night, even it will leave you wanting for more the second it's over... and not in a satisfying way.

• Rose G

  
  Watching this movie doesn't make me a Camilla Belle fan but I have to say that she has done a good job in portraying a character that doesn't talk in about 95% of the movie (not counting the narration). Some scenes struck me as weird and some of the characters were annoying.… More
  Watching this movie doesn't make me a Camilla Belle fan but I have to say that she has done a good job in portraying a character that doesn't talk in about 95% of the movie (not counting the narration). Some scenes struck me as weird and some of the characters were annoying. I guess I was not fully impressed with how the movie showed character development of the people that were in it.

• Lee K

  
  This was pretty good it was nice to see the very beautiful elisha cuthbert as the "bad" girl

• Doctor S

  
  Not knowing one shred about this movie going in - and reaffirming that's always the best way to see a movie - this unsettling story of a troubled well-to-do family successfully avoids teen-drama conventions while slowly increasing tension like a roller-coaster car clicking up the… More
  Not knowing one shred about this movie going in - and reaffirming that's always the best way to see a movie - this unsettling story of a troubled well-to-do family successfully avoids teen-drama conventions while slowly increasing tension like a roller-coaster car clicking up the first slope one notch at at time. You uneasily sense you will reach the apex where the bottom will drop out, but where will you fall?

Read all 20 featured audience ratings