... AND YOUR NAME IS JONAH (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television drama film follows the Corelli family and their attempts to connect with their special-needs son. The story begins as Jenny and Danny Corelli hurry to the institution where their young son Jonah, having been misdiagnosed as mentally handicapped when he is in fact deaf, has lived for three years. They happily take their son home, where the rest of the family has arranged a surprise welcome-home party, though Jonah, having never learned language, is naturally confused by all the excitement. An audiologist attempts to test Jonah, though admits that she is unsure about his level of hearing loss and recommends a hearing aid as well as speech therapy. Jonah begins acting out at home, frustrated not to be understood, and Danny is taken aback when Jonah begins wearing a large, unwieldy hearing aid, sure that he will be mocked by other children. Younger son Anthony tries to bond with his big brother through comic books, though Jonah seems unnerved by the Spider-man character. The speech therapist, Mrs. Marquardt, firmly states that deaf children should be forbidden from using sign language and should focus solely on speech and lip-reading in order to function in a hearing world, and Jenny agrees to go along with the plan.
Jonah finds happiness in his frequent visits to his grandparents at the Italian market, though Danny is angered when his workmates object to Jonah's presence at their baseball games. Jonah's obstinate behavior at home continues, and Jenny bonds with another mother, Connie, at the speech therapy office. Jenny grows increasingly frustrated by her inability to communicate with her son, who is not taking to his lessons well, and she confides in her grandmother about her doubts and fears for him. When she suggests throwing Jonah a birthday party, Danny comments that Jonah is judged as a "freak show" by others, and Jenny finds that Jonah has placed Anthony's Spider-man doll in the broiler out of a misplaced fear of it. The party seems to go well and Jonah is gifted with a bicycle, though he is nearly hit by a car and Danny furiously confronts their neighbors when they declare that he should not be allowed to play outside. When Jenny chastises him, Danny angrily declares that Jonah is not "normal" and belongs back in the institution. Jenny refuses, saying that the hospital was a cold and lifeless place, and Danny soon leaves the family.
Jenny applies for welfare, much to her mother's distress, and continues trying to teach Jonah their names. She observes other parents using sign language and talks with Connie about the conflicting recommendations for educating deaf children, slowly realizing that forcing Jonah to learn speech is not working. Danny sends money to the family but does not return home, and when Jonah's grandfather and "best friend" suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, Jenny frets that she cannot properly console her son for his loss. Jonah soon sneaks out of the house and takes the bus to the Italian market, having not understood that his grandfather is gone, and he is soon found and taken to a hospital by a confused policeman. Jenny arrives and is horrified to see her son in restraints, and she meets up with Danny and describes her feelings of guilt and self-doubt. Danny muses that he now understands Jonah's frustration at being unable to express his complicated feelings, and the couple parts company, seemingly for good.
Jenny questions Mrs. Marquardt about Jonah's lack of progress with speech therapy, frustrated when the woman assures her that Jonah will someday be "just like them." In desperation, she pursues the signing couple, Janice and Paul, and attempts to explain her predicament. Janice invites her to a social gathering of deaf adults, and Jenny brings Connie along and converses with several attendees with the help of an interpreter, Kate. Paul and another young man, Woody, happily teach Jenny and Connie some introductory signs, and Janice explains how she chose to stop being offended by others' fear of the deaf and instead decided to help spread awareness and education. Having seen its effectiveness, Jenny informs a disapproving Mrs. Marquardt that she wishes Jonah to learn sign language and intends to learn it herself, declaring that she no longer views his deafness as a "failure" or something to be denied. Jonah spends time with Woody and Kate and quickly begins learning various signs, through which he eventually accepts that his grandfather is gone. Some time later, mother and son have learned to communicate well, and Jonah is excited when he arrives at his new school for the deaf, at which signing is actively taught, and begins to make new friends. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: January 28, 1979 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:34:52
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:64216
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Parenting; Deaf - Education - Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1979
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Charles Fries … Executive Producer
- Stanley Rubin … Producer
- Norman Felton … Producer
- Michael Bortman … Associate Producer, Writer
- Richard Michaels … Director
- Fred Karlin … Music by
- Sally Struthers … Cast, Jenny Corelli
- James Woods … Cast, Danny Corelli
- Randee Heller … Cast, Connie
- Titos Vandis … Cast, Grandpa
- Penny Santon … Cast, Grandma
- Ruth Manning … Cast, Mrs. Marquardt
- Jeffrey Bravin … Cast, Jonah
- Robert Davi … Cast, Dickie
- Erica Yohn … Cast, Jenny's Mother
- Anthony Ponzini … Cast, Larry
- Paula Shaw … Cast, Ann
- Jeremy Licht … Cast, Anthony
- Rose Barbato … Cast, Carmella
- Tracee Lyles … Cast, First Aide
- Robin Pearson Rose … Cast, Kate
- Lee Kessler … Cast, Audiologist
- Barbara Bernstein … Cast, Janice
- Bernard Bragg … Cast, Paul
- Billy Seago … Cast, Woody
- Gregg Brooks … Cast, Bartender
- Herman Tweeder … Cast, Max
- Michael Griswold … Cast, Dr. Tibbs
- Kathleen Hughes … Cast, Nurse
- Dick Rossner … Cast, Intern
- Michael Fuller … Cast, Doctor
- Hilary Martin … Cast, Teacher
- Vince Pacimeo … Cast, Pitcher
- Sal Richards … Cast, Second Baseman
- Tony de Benedetto … Cast, Third Baseman
- Sylvia Mann … Cast, Neighbor
- Bret Hampton … Cast, Principal