From Silence To Sound tells the story of Justin, a young man from Oklahoma who, from birth, has coped with advanced hearing loss. Through interviews with both Justin and his family, we learn of his difficulties growing up - at home with both sets of his separated parents, as well as the impact his lack of hearing has taken on him, both personally and professionally. Justin, however, is fortunate to have his insurance cover surgery for a double cochlear implant, which he elects to take. Although still widely untested, the surgery will offer Justin his best and perhaps only chance of recovering some auditory ability. From Silence To Sound details out his desire for the surgery and the post-operation therapy that eventually renders it a success.

Although the film is meant to play on your emotions of "one man overcoming the odds", it's undercut by a few things that place it more in the category of typical sentimentalism than truly inspirational. First, the film deals almost exclusively in reflective interviews after the operation. There is footage towards the end of Justin just after the surgery and as he goes through tests and adjustments to train his implants to transmit signals correctly to his brain. But other than that, family members and doctors are simply recounting the difficulties that Justin faced before the surgery and how he would be aided by a successful operation. Although this content is touching and helps you connect with his plight, it leaves a positive outcome as a foregone conclusion, and diminishes any suspense to the tale as an actual story.

Second, and perhaps more striking, Justin is never at any kind of crossroads with electing for the surgery. With basically no available hearing, his decision to get the surgery doesn't carry the same risk as it would for someone with just minimal hearing. As explained in the film, if a cochlear implant isn't successful, then it can damage and perhaps wipe out what little hearing there was to begin with. So someone with trace levels of hearing would have to calculate the risk. Justin, although he could obviously greatly benefit from a successful implant, seems to have a no-brainer decision to make, as his hearing is already near zero. If the surgery fails, he in effect is no worse off than he was. And if it succeeds, then it's an obvious gain.

Article Author: David R Perry

Lost somewhere in the rolling hills of Tennessee, David R Perry can occasionally be found doing dark, unspeakable things to words. Printed words, spoken words, electronically mangled words... really any kind but twittered words.

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