aaaMargDuffield(LeeRemick)istheMainewifeofAl(JosephSommer)whosedaughterPeg(MarleeMatlin)isdeaf.Peg'shusbandiskilledinacaraccidentonthewaytovisittheMainehouse,andtheDuffield'stakeinPeg'ssixyearolddaughter,Lisa,whilePegrecovers.SinceLisaisaspeakingchild,MargthinksofherthewayshewantedPegtobe,andseeksguardiancustody.　　Remick'sroleissecondarytoMatlin's,thoughsheispresentedasatragicfigure,particularlyasAlrefusestohelpherplantogainLisa.Peg'sdeafnessissaidtobefromachildhoodcaseofspinalmeningitis,andtheteleplaybyLouisaBurns-Bisogno,withstorybyLouisaandTomBisogno,reducesRemicktoatextbookmotherwhoisself-hatingfromguiltandthereforecannotloveherowndaughter.Inamemorablescene,PegangrilysignsherexittoMarg,sinceMarghasrefusedtolearnsignlanguage,thoughPeghaslearnedtospeakforhermother.　　ThetreatmentusestheTenneseeWilliamsplay,TheGlassMenagerie,fortherapy,tohelpPegovercomehergriefandalsoMarg`loseherunicornhorn'andembraceherdaughter.WhilstPegchoosingtoactinthisplaymayseemanoddchoiceforsomeonegrieving,whatismorenoticableisthatMatlinisfartoomoreglamouroustobebelievableasLaura.TheBisogno'sincludeMichaelO'KeefeasDan,Peg'sdeceasedhusband'sbestfriendanddirectorofActorsTheatrefortheDeaf,toofferPeganewromanticinterest,andthankfullysherebukeshisprotestationsoflove.Althoughhisopinionmaybeinfluencedbyhis`crush',DantellsPegthatbeingdifferentisbetterthanbeingnormal,sincethenormalonesareas`commonasweeds'.ThisphilosophyreadsasratherNietzschean,onthelevelofartistsnotbeingrestrictedtothecommonmoralcode.　　DirectorKarenArthureitherhasthosesigningalsospeakingorthosesigningbeingtranslatedfortheaudience,thoughinonescenethesoundoflappingwavesdrownsoutthedialoguebetweenDanandPeg.ShealsogivesMatlinsomegoodmoments,onebeingherscreamofhorrorwhenshehearsthenewsofthedeathofherhusband,andanotherwhenshechasesRemickdownaflightofsteps,hittingher.

本片根据威廉福克纳的原着改bbb。故事描述在美国南方的密州小镇，一个腐朽且死气沉沉的富户，因为一名强悍的年轻佃农闯入他的生活而引致情况发生了整个变化。本片是一部文学艺术十分浓厚的电影，导演马丁．瑞特对气氛的营造非常成功，对几位主角的性格刻画也非常深入有力，可惜结局有点泄气之感，此外，本片的剧本和原着小说有很大的出入。