Deadly Whispers (1995 TV Movie) User Reviews

An Entertaining Two Hours

[parriepenn · 7/10 · 18 November 2003]

*****SPOILERS*****

I recently saw Tony Danza as a thug in the movie "Mob Justice," and he really impressed me. At first, it was odd to see him with a serious demeanor--since I had only seen him in light-hearted fare--but his face was entirely different from usual. His facial expression was a scowl emanating from general attitude rather than a specific incident or deliberate attempt to be intimidating. His face visibly darkened and his eyes carried a bitter look that made him frightening to me.

Having seen that movie made it easier to forget the dumb, lovable, lug he has typically played. In "Deadly Whispers," he appeared to be a very loving father who was too strict because he was concerned about his children and their futures. He wanted them to have the best possible start in life. I didn't see anything remotely abusive in his treatment of his children, but he was, at times, harsh enough to spawn bitterness in the heart of a sensitive child. I suspect it is not (theoretically) psychologically sound for a multiple personality to present a sudden change from merely harsh to murderous, but I don't know for sure. I chose to believe it for the duration of the movie, anyway.

I was surprised to hear Tony Danza speak in a Southern accent (Georgian?) and thought he did quite well. Pamela Reed was excellent as the distraught wife and mother. Ving Rhames is always fascinating, partly because his hypnotically-high vocal pitch is incongruous with his physical presence, but mostly because of his cool, laid back manner.

I gave this movie a 7/10 rating because: (+)It was two hours well spent, (+)I like Tony Danza, (-)It was not gripping, and (-)It was not unforgettable.

Enjoy.

Way better than I ever could have expected!

[carissarama · 7/10 · 15 July 2017]

So, I've recently been on this 80's and 90's "TV Movie of the Week"/Lifetime movie kick and this was one of the films on my watch list.... it seems there are a great number of reviews complaining of Tony Danza's accent (which is pretty bad, but I was able to look pass that) but PLEASE don't let that prevent you from watching this film! I kind of wish the ending had been fleshed out a little bit more but I felt that the "twist" toward the end was definitely pretty great and also a bit random, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much, lol.

An interesting story

[alliesmom97 · 5/10 · 25 February 2005]

The story (a true one, from what I understand) behind this movie is actually pretty good. Tony Danza really did a fine job of showing a wide range of "emotions". He was absolutely chilling at times. But the accents were AWFUL. I can't say whether or not they were authentic, but I CAN say they were incredibly annoying. And it was a bit odd that for some reason, the oldest daughter's accent wasn't so thick you could cut it with a knife, but the rest of the family's was.

I didn't find the other actor to be all that outstanding, and I hope that Acton's real wife was not as ignorant as she was portrayed here.

All in all, a good story, and some fair acting by the supporting cast, but next time, tone down the accents.

Rapt attention,

[Herag · 25 August 2003]

It is difficult for a TV Movie, to hold a rapt attention when you have a remote in your hand-and you see Tony Danza with a Southern accent. But this movie did. Pamela Reed is incredible accentuated by a great dialog. Tony Danza looked younger to her as her husband but there was some brilliant moments in his role. There are few actresses who can do justice to a role of a southern housewife, one of them is Patty Duke. The Pic was a treat and Pamela Reed had lot to do with it.

Outstanding Acting, Okay Editing. Okay Directing

[deborahjwood · 6/10 · 28 October 2012]

Plausible storyline with OUTSTANDING performances by Reed, Danza & Rhames. I liked the narrow focus - it was not cluttered with unnecessary roles so more focus could be placed on developing the pertinent characters. Excellent dialog and very plausible "southerners" - I am a native southerner so I know what I'm talking about - surprised at the review that contends seeing a New York Italian with a southern accent is weird - that's laughable - Consider the British actors with American accents - the Australians (consider Nicole Kidman, Jude Law and Renée Zellweger in Cold Mountain. These were great southern characters and from the accents I think they were West Virginians (not Georgians as suggested by another reviewer) WV, VA & KY have different accents from AL & GA and TN is a cross between KY and GA. NC & SC also have their own dialect -- nutshell GREAT job on the accents.

Good research on MPD. They don't as normally depicted change on a dime and just jump into the alternate ID it's a gradual process that is drawn out with the dominant personality wanting to control and the others struggling to come out - it was flawed in that one personality believed Kathy to be alive - as the real, kind, loving father he KNEW she was dead - that knowledge would not have fallen with MPD to hallucinations that Kathy was still alive so bad research on MPD.

I just love Ving Rhames and keep hoping he will get an Alex Cross role - his role was minor but well played as a compassionate but determined detective - that stare of his just gives me goosies.

Intense storyline - this is much more a drama than a thriller - an avid movie fan will have figured this out by the time Rhames suspects Danza but the dialog curiosity on the return (or not) of the kids will hold you and keep you from fast forwarding. despite no sex and nominal profanity it has very adult story line - not for kids at all.

based on a) the acting b) dialog c) realistic depiction of southerners and southern poverty 6/10

What kind of accents are these?

[kash1058-1 · 1/10 · 19 December 2004]

Where is this movie supposed to take place? I live in Tennessee, and I have never heard accents like those actors were using. The fake accents took away from the believability of the movie, and I lost interest. When filming a movie about southern rednecks, some research should really go into the accents. Every time I watch a movie like this, it trips me out how fake these accents are. I saw Reese Witherspoon in a movie when she was younger that was based in the South, and her accent was perfect. Why? Because she is from Nashville and knows how southerners talk. How about using actors from southern areas when making movies like this? Tony Danza needs to stick to driving a taxi in New York. I'm glad I had my remote control handy for this one.

Good movie, Great cast!

[kareyhicks-16516 · 7/10 · 22 December 2020]

Although, I'm seeing this movie 25 years late, and despite its predictability, I thoroughly enjoyed 'Deadly Whispers' (and btw, Tony Danza's performance had much to do with that). Pamela Reed's supporting presentation was great as well. Ving Rhames, as always, is Ving Rhames, and I evenly liked his role. But once again, it's Danza's southern draw and blue collar character that drew and kept my attention.

Good acting, but a terrible plot.

[dnwalker · 2/10 · 27 August 2003]

SPOILER ALERT Tony Danza and Pamela Reed both did a great job with their accents, and the police detective was very good also, but I hated the plot. It would have been a MUCH better movie if there really had been a red pickup driven by a murderer.

TONY DANZA WAS A GREAT JUNKYARD CHARACTER!

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 20 July 2003]

Tony Danza (Tom Action) surprised me with his complete change of character from anything he has ever performed, he gave up his NY(Brooklyn) accent for a real down to earth SOUTHERN DRAWL!! If you liked him in "Who's The Boss", get ready to completely hate the role he plays. If you had any doubts about Tony Danza as an actor, his junkyard character will change your mind completely. His wife Pamela Reed(Carol)("Proof of Life" '02 and "Standing on Fishes" '99) played a great supporting role as a very simple minded down to earth good mother and wife who depends completely on her husband Tom and looks up to him NO matter how he seems to ACT at TIMES!! Ving Rhames (Detective Jackson)("Sin" '03) was fantastic in his role trying to figure out this crazy household and just what happened to the missing daughter Kathy Action,(Heather Tom)"Young & The Restless'73 TV series) This is a great film to view the next time it is on the TV Screen.

Complete codswallop

[imdb-10138 · 1/10 · 16 October 2005]

Hilariously bad. Everything you'd expect from a film which starts with the advisory phrase "Suggested by actual events". Not 'Based on actual events', you notice - just 'Suggested by'.

Which is an indication of what a complete load of codswallop this straight-to-video nightmare really is. Tony Danza displays all the emotional breadth and depth of a soap dish, leaving Pamela Reed acting against herself for most of the film - a challenge she meets by putting in a performance so over the top that you constantly feel you've missed some major plot point. Ving Rhames spends most of the film looking as confused as you as to why he's actually turned up at the set.

Complete codswallop. But worth a look if you want a laugh.

A Chilling Drama

[lavatch · 8/10 · 13 December 2018]

The strength of "Deadly Whispers" was in the strong character developments, especially the roles of the mother and father, who desperately try to come to terms with their missing teenage daughter.

On the surface, the film was written as a "whodunnit." Once the mystery is revealed at the midpoint of the film, there was the danger that the viewer's interest would wane. But the tension is sustained especially well by the mother character played by Pamela Reed. Ving Rhames is also good in the role of the police detective.

The filmmakers may have unintentionally stumbled on an important theme about social class in America. There is one line in the film in which the mother described how the Acton family was residing in a tent. The hardscrabble existence tended to disguise the serious mental illness of one of the family members. The excruciating experience with the missing daughter raises the question for Mrs. Acton that she should have seen the signals of disturbance long ago.

For a made-for-television movie, "Deadly Whispers" was well above average. Some of the scenes were so extreme that the film could have lapsed into comedy. But it was kept on track with the steady performances. This was a chilling story that was carefully crafted and filmed with a lens that refracted light in a way that evoked the qualities of a dream...or a nightmare.

Danza does Deep South... badly

[silverrose45 · 5/10 · 8 October 2009]

I love those Lifetime cheesy movies, but as a Southerner, when I heard those first words escape from his lips, I was sorely disappointed. I understand that perhaps Southern accents are not all that easy to do, but this was just that bad.

The script could have been better too, as it seemed like overacting was the only way to push through the dialogue. Pamela Reed did an excellent job of this, except that each time when the detective showed up with news, both her and Danza almost viewed him as the pizza man, instead of someone with the potential to tell them about their daughter's fate.

I made it to the 90-minute point because I wanted to know what happened to Kathy and this was basically revealed a little more than halfway through the movie. I would have continued watching but it was late at night. Worth a watch if you're into those bad Lifetime flicks, but definitely not an example of Danza's best acting.

Not as bad as some seem to think.

[ljq · 16 March 2003]

The first thing that struck me about this film is that (as far as I know) there are no Italian hill people and not many Italian southerners. The incongruity of Tony Danza with a southern accent made it hard to suspend disbelief long enough to get involved in the story line. Perhaps this was part of the reason the first commenter on this film found it "The funniest bad TV movie ever."

It didn't seem to be quite that bad, in my view. Except for Tony Danza's ethnicity, the casting seemed excellent. The actors playing his father and daughter actually looked as if they could be his father and daughter (something one doesn't always find), and the action moved well enough to keep some members of my family riveted to the screen. As a person with many northern relatives and many southern relatives, I thought his accent to be pretty well done. On the whole, not that bad a movie, and it didn't seem to me to have a funny moment in it.

A murder in West Virginia....based on a true story

[MarieGabrielle · 8/10 · 5 November 2006]

this film was based on a true story and Pamela Reed is excellent; Tony Danza as Tom Acton; who has 3 children and is a good family man. Or is he? This film is good because while there are a few stereotypes, it is not over the top. Pamela Reed is the mother trying to protect her children, and loses her oldest daughter to an abductor. She excels in this role, especially during the scene where social services takes custody of her other children.

No one except Ving Rhames, as the local detective, seems to know who the culprit is. While the initial disappearance of the daughter seems strange, you should watch the movie in its entirety. There are a few twists, and while I was never a Tony Danza fan (and his accent is still too close to Brooklyn, NY!) the story is still interesting and worth watching. 8/10.

Gets stressful to watch with family. This was filmed in my house!

[purplerita · 8/10 · 25 February 2006]

I like this movie because it was filmed at my house in El Dorado! I am admittedly a fan of Tony Danza and got a kick out of seeing Camryn Manheim as my neighbor! The beautiful wood inside the house is still looking great, but I prettied up the outside of the house and gave it some purple trim! There are street scenes from right around here and the house and lot set the mood for the story really well. I think there needs to be a sequel where the girl actually returns as a ghost and haunts the place. The story hit home and was not appropriate for my eight year old niece, but it was fun to see the family in my house in the start of the movie when they are so happy and normal. I want a copy of this movie, but when I tried to order it from Amazon they say it is unavailable.

Could a father murder his daughter?

[phd_travel · 9/10 · 2 March 2019]

Good solid true murder story. A 19 year old woman goes missing. When she's found dead suspicion falls on her father. He says she went off in a truck with a guy. His wife stands by him. Could the unimaginable be true? The explanation is quite bizarre and shocking.

Tony Danza acts well as the father even if his hillbilly accent takes some getting used to. He is quite believable as his multiple personalities come out. It's The actress who plays his wife Pamela Reed acts movingly.

He was a good enough husband considering their poor circumstances. The recreation of the murder is memorable.

They made em better 20 years ago.

This is a good movie!

[gerrilynmitchell · 10/10 · 4 June 2019]

Mannn, you have to see this movie. Ted Danza kills this role! I cried because he was so believable. His wife also was awesome! I'm trying not to spoil this for anyone but this was an awesome movie! Tell ur friends, have a girls night and bring a big box of Kleenex. You will be proud of the Husband Ted Danza betrays and then u will be confused and angry once the movie hit its Climax....a must see. The lead detective has a vocabulary and diction that only a good education and upbringing can give u. He is perfect. I can't go any further without ruining this for someone so, sit down and cuddle up and enjoy this hidden gem.

For a made-for-TV, this is remarkably well done & acted

[av_m · 8/10 · 28 October 2023]

OK, narratively, this is a heartbreaking story - just a huge tragedy.

That said, all the actors do a great job including Tony Danza and Ving Rhames in lead roles - but in particular, Pamela Read just give a superb performance in all respects - she captures the character pitch perfect - her demeanor, her costuming, her dialogue accenting, her character development - all of it.

So, this is a tear-jerker as well as a bit of a thriller - even the underlying music scoring is fine-tuned and sensitively nuanced to enhance the story build and accent the narrative key points - but well worth watching as a notably well-done production.

Tony Danza extravaganza

[rcollins20 · 10/10 · 2 June 2022]

Once again we see another terrific movie that just doesn't get the respect it deserves. There is more to life than what you're living, so take a chance and face the wind...j/k...based on tragic real life events, Tony Danza is outstanding in "Deadly Whispers" as father Tom Acton, who goes from grieving Dad to murderer with multiple personality disorder throughout the course of the film. Danza gives an intense, gritty performance that really demonstrates how well rounded an actor he is. Pamala Reed is unforgettable as grief stricken mother Carol Acton and Ving Rhames is tremendous as the stoic detective Jackson. So if you're a fan of the Danza-Man, definitely take a vacanza with this Tony Danza Bonanza.

The funniest bad TV movie Ever!

[TarynHWright · 24 April 1999]

If you're like me and you love watching cheesy made-for-TV movies, this one is for you. Nothing is funnier than hearing Tony Danza try to pull off a Southern accent. The ending psychotic sequence is worth the price of a blank tape. If this is ever on Lifetime or something, take my advice. You'll laugh throughout.