Jonah (Jeffrey Bravin) is deaf, lonely and isolated. Due to his inability to communicate, the doctors assume that he is retarded. Jonah's mother (Sally Struthers) and father (James Woods), against the advice of the specialists and through a great deal of trial and error, finally manage to teach the child sign language, thereby opening up his world both intellectually and emotionally. Fantastic performances from the entire cast, particularly Struthers and Woods.