Listen to Me (film)
# Listen to Me (film)

Listen to Me is a 1989 American drama film written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart. Released on May 5, 1989, it stars Kirk Cameron, Jami Gertz, and Roy Scheider. The film was largely shot on location in Malibu, California, including the campus of Pepperdine University.

## Plot summary

Listen to Me centers around a group of college students who are members of the debate team at fictional Kenmont College. The two main characters, Tucker Muldowney (Kirk Cameron) and Monica Tomanski (Jami Gertz), come from underprivileged backgrounds and have won scholarships to Kenmont for displaying exceptional talent for debating. Both students are taken under the wing of the debate-team coach, Charlie Nichols (Scheider), who was a star debater in his youth.

The team eventually wins a chance to debate the issue of abortion against Harvard in front of the Supreme Court. Along the way, the students learn lessons about life, love, friendship, and politics.

The film also includes the theme song "Listen to Me", which was written and produced by David Foster and Linda Thompson and recorded by Celine Dion and Warren Wiebe, sometime in 1988.

## Cast

### Main

* Kirk Cameron as Tucker Muldowney
* Jami Gertz as Monica Tomanski
* Roy Scheider as Charlie Nichols
* Tim Quill as Garson McKellar
* Amanda Peterson as Donna Lumis
* George Wyner as Dean Schwimmer
* Anthony Zerbe as Senator McKellar
* Quinn Cummings as Susan Hooper
* Christopher Atkins as Bruce Arlington
* Timothy Dang as Bobby Chin
* Peter DeLuise as Cameron Sweet
* Jason Gould as 'Hinkelstein'
* Yeardley Smith as 'Cootz'
* Moon Unit Zappa as Longnecker (Credited as Moon Zappa)
* Tom Schanley as Stewart Shields
* Dan Schneider as Nathan Gore
* Rance Howard as Mr. Muldowney (Tucker's Father)
* Ron Masak as Mr. Tomanski (Monica's Father)
* Dottie Archibald as Mrs. Tomanski (Monica's Mother)
* Jon Shear as Braithwaite (credited as Jon Matthews)
* Christopher Rydell as Tom Lloyd
* Martin West as Justice Blyleven

### Supporting

* Jamie Kantrowitz as Monica's Little Sister
* Barbara Pilavin as Monica's Aunt
* Francine Selkirk as Monica's Aunt
* Sean Stewart as Reform School Boy At Fence
* Stephanie Copeland as Kenmore Cheerleader
* Jodi Engleman as Kenmore Cheerleader (Credited as Jodi Engelmann)
* Francine L. Julius as Kenmore Cheerleader
* Alison Morgan as Kenmore Cheerleader
* Traci L. Murray as Kenmore Cheerleader
* Tammi Urner as Kenmore Cheerleader
* Nancy Valen as Mia
* Dorrie Krum as Tasha
* Dylan Stewart as Chess Player
* Julie Dretzin as Sloan
* Lynn Fischer as Bobby Chin's Girlfriend
* Mark Christopher Lawrence as Attila
* Robert A. Chumbrook Jr. as Horny (Credited as Robert A. Chumbook)
* Lilyan Chauvin as French Professor
* Julie Robb as Fountain Girl (Credited as Julie Simone)
* Annette Sinclair as Fountain Girl
* Dianne Travis as Garson's Mother (Credited as Dianne Turley Travis)
* Anna Lee as Garson's Grandmother
* Kenneth Patterson as Garson's Grandfather (Credited as Kenneth G. Patterson)
* Thomas Heinkel Miller as Columbia Debate Official
* Priscilla Kovary Charlie's Dancing Partner
* Richard Lundin as Hansom Cab Driver (Credited as Rick A. Lundin)
* Jon Lindstrom as Television Reporter
* David Downing as Officer of the Court
* Don Galloway as Harvard Coach
* Ed Wright as Justice Patterson
* R. Norwood Smith as Justice Goodman (Credited as Norwood Smith)
* Dave Gilbert as Justice Tarlton
* Mary Gregory as Justice Brooderworth

### Cameo/Uncredited

* Frank Ferruccio as Alex Corey
* Donald Hall as Man in Restaurant
* Lara Holmes as College Student
* Angel Jager as Student
* Michael Joiner as College student
* Chillie Mo as Shaun
* Tricia Sheldon as Debator
* Tracii Show as College Student
* Reynaldo Silva as College Student

## Production

The film was originally called Mismatch and was meant to star James Garner but he had heart surgery and was replaced by Roy Scheider. Filming started in May 1988.

The film was re-titled Talking Back when released on video in the US.

"It's kind of the flipside of Less than Zero," said associate producer Chuck Cooperman. "These people are our future leaders. They're just as bright, concerned and just as passionate as anyone."

It was financed by the Weintraub Entertainment Group from Jerry Weintraub.

Kirk Cameron said it "was easy for me to relate to" his character. "To begin with, it's a dramatic part. It's not a film about teenagers with half a brain running around drinking, dancing and partying. The characters are intelligent and responsible. They are genuinely concerned about the world we live in. It's much closer to reality than other teen pictures. It's time to show the other side of my generation, the deeper side."

## Reception

The film's marketing was going to focus on Kirk Cameron, then at the height of his popularity. However Jerry Weintraub over-rode them and insisted on ads that emphasized the fact the film dealt with a debate about abortion, hoping to stir up controversy. The movie was a flop at the box office. "Fans were neither angered or disturbed, they simply stayed away," wrote the Wall Street Journal.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 20% based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 3.5/10.

Film historian Leonard Maltin gave the picture 1.5 (out of a possible 4) stars: "After 9 years, the star and screenwriter of The Blue Lagoon reunite for this slick travesty...set on the kind of party campus where Dick Dale and the Del-Tones wouldn't be out of place. The climactic abortion debate is cheap and hokey in roughly equal measure; Kirk Cameron's shifty Oklahoma accent certainly doesn't help. See The Great Debaters instead."

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Category | Nominee | Year | Result |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture | Kirk Cameron | 1990 | Nominated |
| Political Film Society | Human Rights | Listen to Me | 1990 | Nominated |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Supporting Actor | Christopher Atkins | 1990 | Won |
