Review of I've Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) by Steve S — 24 Sep 2009

One of my favorite movies, even now, although it's obvious that it was made on a shoestring, and makes use of drama students, and the filmmakers' family and friends instead of professional actors in most of the bit parts.

The core, the beating heart of the film, though, is carried to perfection on the skinny gawky shoulders of the wonderful Sheila McCarthy. Her lovely and nuanced performance of Polly (an "organizationally impaired" office temp in a museum whose curator is as attractive, graceful and stuck-up as Polly is plain, ungainly and down-to-earth) fills the screen, and it so obviously comes from a place of love within herself, that we cannot help but love her too.

It's hard to believe that this was McCarthy's first foray into film acting. Although the plot is light and simple, and the direction by first-timer Patricia Rozema is delicate enough to let timid Polly shine through, it is by no means a superficial film.

There is clever magic and depth of meaning in this film - and beauty - the final 30 seconds of the film literally took my breath away.