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I had the pleasure of moderating a post-screening talkback for Rally Caps at ReelAbilities’ flagship festival in NYC. A short film, Deaf Giants was shown prior to the feature length Rally Caps. Both are family films that share a baseball theme. And a common message: Hearing loss may be challenging but it doesn’t need to hold you back from your dreams. Both movies are fun and appropriate for young audiences, including school-aged children.
Many hearing loss movies focus on the Deaf experience, but not Rally Caps. Its accurate portrayal of the hearing loss experience, including the use of hearing technology of all types (rather than sign language) makes it a great film for educating the mainstream. How better to break down stigmas and generate conversation than by showing characters with hearing loss living their everyday lives.
Read more about the films below.
Rally Caps Shows How Hearing Tech Helps Us Thrive
Rally Caps is the story of a boy, Jordy, who is injured during his little league tryouts. He recovers and heads to a baseball camp where he makes a friend, Lucas, who just had cochlear implant (CI) surgery. As their friendship deepens, Jordy learns about resilience and is able to overcome his fears to lead his team to the camp baseball championship game.
Based on the book “Rally Caps”, the film is family-friendly and star-studded, featuring Judd Hirsch as Jordy’s grandfather. The co-author of the book who is the parent of a deaf child, Jodi Michelle Cutler, is also a producer of the film. She worked tirelessly with director Lee Cipolla to ensure that Rally Caps provides an authentic portrayal of the hearing loss experience.
For example, Lucas does not hear Jordy’s arrival into the camp bunk because his devices are off, creating a misunderstanding. In another scene Lucas asks his coach to wear a mini-mic so he can hear him better over the crowd of the big game. Lucas also works with his CI-wearing sister Niki on aural rehab for his new CI. These educational moments flow seamlessly with the plot.
Fun fact: Curtis Pride, a deaf former Major League Baseball outfielder is the real-life father of the actors who play Lucas and Niki in the film.
Deaf Giants Asks Where are Today’s Deaf Baseball Players?
Deaf Giants is a documentary about the history of deaf baseball players at the turn of the century. The film’s narrator is a baseball-obsessed tween who wants his deaf younger brother to be able to play baseball despite his hearing loss. The film has many endearing moments (the narrator debates which professional baseball team he should join) but it also raises an important question. Why has baseball gone backwards in terms of deaf access?
Fun Fact: Deaf Giant’s “director” is the father of the two boys featured in the short, but the narrator is the primary filmmaker who created the concept and drove the making of the short film.
More about the Films
Learn more about the films at the links below. Each is working on securing wider distribution in theaters and schools. Please be in touch directly if you are interested in scheduling a screening.
Deaf Giants: Learn More
Rally Caps: Learn More Contact
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