At last, a genuine portrayal of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing using hearing technology. It’s humorous, true-to-life, and I can finally tell others, that’s me!
How much do you know about those who are deaf or hard of hearing, using hearing technology such as cochlear implants or hearing aids? Did you know around 430 million people experience disabling hearing loss but only 2% use sign language as their first language? What about the rest you may ask?
“A Quiet Place” didn’t resonate with me with depiction of deafness, I was not born deaf, whereas “Sound of Metal” did to some extent, through its depiction of a deafened band member, experiencing sudden hearing loss. The emotions of dealing with rapid hearing loss were realistically presented and I am sure, many deafened people, like me, related to this part of the movie. Unfortunately, its overly negative portrayal of cochlear implants was off-putting, which I found quite disappointing.
Therefore, you can imagine my excitement upon learning that Rally Caps would be available on streaming platforms worldwide from September 10th. I had been anticipating its release since I first heard about the production. Jodi Cutler and the team invested significant effort into creating this movie, and knowing Jodi’s work, I was confident it will be outstanding.
Starring Academy Award Nominee Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans), with Carson Minniear (Palmer) and Amy Smart (StarGirl), RALLY CAPS is a coming-of-age family-friendly story written and directed by Lee Cipolla. Based on actual events, adapted from the book by the father-daughter writing team of Stephen J. Cutler and Jodi Michelle Cutler, RALLY CAPS is a heartwarming tale of friendship. A young boy, Jordy, is seriously injured during a youth baseball tryout. At a summer camp, he bonds with a deaf boy, Lucas, who recently had Cochlear Implant surgery. Their friendship becomes the driving force as the pitcher/catcher duo leads their team in the camp championship game.
The film began with Jordy getting injured and dealing with additional family issues. The first encounter with the boy who was deaf, happened when Jordy entered the summer camp cabin they were sharing. Typically, Lucas seemed “rude” because he didn’t respond to Jordy’s greetings. Lucas had his back to the door and had removed his cochlear implant and hearing aid, seeking some quiet time due to listening fatigue. However, when Lucas felt the suitcase drop, he reacted, and the misunderstanding was quickly cleared up.
There are many similar scenes that showcase different behaviours, such as the ability to listen to music without headphones, which might seem confusing to onlookers. Our devices can stream directly from smartphones, making it possible to listen to a music, directly to our devices—a situation that can indeed be perplexing!
There were several familiar scenarios depicted, such as swimming with or without hearing devices, and participating in speech and listening therapy sessions after receiving a hearing device. Immediately, I recalled my own sessions with my mum, after receiving hearing aids for the first time.
However, my absolute favourite scene featured the siblings arguing, with Lucas taking off his devices and exclaiming, “Talk to my ears!”, it left me in stitches! I must admit, I have done this myself many times during arguments when I no longer wished to converse. I just loved witnessing such an authentic representation that everyone could see.
Is there anything else that makes this movie stand out? Absolutely! There’s a casual scene where Lucas hands his personal FM system to the coach and explains, “so I can hear you in my ear.” This was the first time I saw an FM system depicted in a movie plot, illustrating how it helps us participate by “blocking out unnecessary noise” and providing clear speech access. People who are hard of hearing and use these devices daily often face significant misunderstandings.
As a prolific user of assistive listening devices and systems, I can attest to the fantastic access to sound and independence they provide in everyday situations. My hope is that this particular scene will stop negative reactions, much like those shared by my good friend Maria.
Hats off to Jodi Cutler, whose son, Jordan, was born deaf and wears cochlear implants. Jodi has been driving force behind achieving accurate representation of children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing and who use hearing technology—or “the ears”—to speak and listen, while also highlighting moments of vulnerability when they cannot hear because “the ears” are off. Jodi understood this very well and insisted on actors who are deaf or hard of hearing themselves to play their characters. Colten and Noelle Pride have lived experience of hearing loss, and are able to portray deafness with authenticity , hearing actors simply cannot.
Deafness and hearing loss exist on a spectrum, and Rally Caps has bridged a significant gap in societal understanding of our communities and within the film industry. To gain true awareness of deafness and hearing loss spectrum , you need to watch Rally Caps, only then will you have a better grasp of our diversity. We all experience deafness differently; there is no single way to be deaf or hard of hearing.
I also have to admit, thanks to the movie, I have learned about Curtis Pride, former professional deaf baseball player in US. The script writers, masterfully inserted Curtis in the storyline , a perfect way of presenting the power of a Role Model on us, especially young people struggling with their insecurities and trying to find their own path.
Rally Caps has made the world more inclusive for me, allowing me to finally say, “this is me!” It feels wonderful to express that! Thank you to all who made this movie a reality!
To watch the movie, check out the list in the link https://bit.ly/m/RallyCapsMovie
Check out World Health Organisation fact checks on hearing loss and deafness https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss
Rally Caps – the movie worthy of changing mindsets!
Photo Credit: Rally Caps
SeeHearInclusion 