Ruth Manning

Because of a misdiagnosis, a deaf young boy named Jonah (Jeffrey Bravin) has been classified as mentally handicapped and is institutionalized. Jonah's parents, Danny (James Woods) and Jenny (Sally Struthers), are shocked at this realization, and so make efforts to open communication and develop a relationship with their child. Their patience is tested not only by their withdrawn son, but by his doctors who are not convinced he's deaf and consider him better off institutionalized.