Greenes Please don't spend money on this.

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

dtderanleau Dreadful, unlikable cast. Shallow, conniving characters (even the jj kid). Just pointless and poorly executed. Another repository for talentless hacks to wallow in public. I found it impossible to care about any aspect of Speechless, and I wish the creators had felt the same.

byson5186 Prime Time T.V. shows coming out try to be funny and original. This T.V. show is both, and it shows us how awesome and normal a kid with disabilities can be!! My title is an allusion to Katy Perry's song Firework. You'll feel that same way about J.J.So about this show being original, it helps us get to know a family and a teen with cerebral palsy. He can't walk, and gets around in a wheelchair. He also can't speak, but he's not deaf. He doesn't communicate with sign language, but he uses his head gear with a laser where he points to a board, and everybody around him always seems to immediately know what he's trying to say? We have J.J.'s Mom, Maya. She speaks in a British accent, which alone makes the character more interesting. Maya loves J.J. so much, and will do anything for him. She and the family frequently can get away with things when they use having a disabled son as an excuse. But, Maya fights for everything to get her son involved in regular activities in school and feel as normal as the other kids, not just because he's disabled. She's also into giving J.J. anything he wants, even if she doesn't like it.We have J.J.'s caretaker Kenneth. Kenneth is a big older black guy, who lives in his own apartment away from the Dimeo family, but he really feels like he's part of their family. He almost always is with them when we see the family together. Kenneth is a funny man, and feels like he is doing something with his life helping out J.J. We occasionally hear some of his backstory prior to helping J.J. and other things he does aside from assisting J.J.We have the other characters: Dylan, Jimmie, and Ray. I don't find these characters as interesting. They don't get as much attention as J.J. does, but they are all very supportive of J.J. and would do anything for him. Ray is a dorky guy trying to fit in, and the voice of reason. Dylan is a tough girl that seems real smart in her responses. Jimmie seems a little whacko and doesn't take things seriously. He reminds me of the Dad in Modern Family.We also have their house and big van. The house is an older house small, and not the nicest looking house. It's a mess and disorganized as this family mostly shows to be disorganized. We have the big van which holds a wheelchair and Maya can get away with speeding.Anyway, this T.V. show is really funny and can get me laughing. This T.V. show brings prime-time into teaching how awesome and normal a kid with a disability can be. This isn't like Sesame Street having a character in the main cast not speak and use sign language. Or, this isn't like a discovery show you'll see on T.V. talking about kids with disabilities. This is prime-time, comedy. We see a whacko family and funny caretaker doing the best to live their lives and take care of a disabled family member. J.J. is a character we'll like. He really shows his personality, and the things he wants in life. Even though he can't speak or walk, he seems pretty normal aside from that. He isn't an annoying kid with disabilities that you won't like. For example, the only other acting role the actor that plays J.J. Micah Fowler has been in is a movie called Labor Day. For the brief scene he was in, he seemed to be portrayed like an annoying disabled kid. But, in this T.V. show he really is somebody we care for and who doesn't seem annoying. A Prime-Time show can show how inspiring a disabled kid can be through comedy, which makes it more entertaining than trying to teach the same lesson through a Discovery Show, or kids education show. I'm so happy this T.V. show made it to a second season. I hope it lasts many more seasons. I'm sure it will inspire kids who are disabled through comedy!!

jessicaolsen-80394 This was a really awesome episode, and seems like it will only get better as the season goes on. It provides what a family who has a child with a disability goes through on an every day basis. From rude people, difficult accommodations, family stresses, and so much more that we wouldn't normally second guess. The message was conveyed as that the son with cerebral palsy is a human, and should be treated like one no matter if he is in a chair, or cannot talk vocally. Others on the show treated disability as in inspiration before they even know who he JJ is. But with the lack of accessibility from the school puts a damper on things very quickly for the mother figure. This was an amazing episode to just start and begin how a family may be with a child with a disability. They are still a family, just in a little bit of a different way, and different challenges that may come around on a daily basis. I would 100% recommend this film to everybody!

Jim Bell If you are a fan of The Middle or were a fan of Malcolm in the Middle, Speechless is another great family sitcom. It shows a quirky family who at the heart of it deeply love each other and the kids. In the case of Speechless, the show provides insight into the challenges for a family of caring for a special needs child and how that causes sacrifices and compromises and coping mechanisms. The show is quite brilliantly able to show both the ridiculous nature of a too PC culture and the problems of people's insensitivity to the real challenges of special needs. It very effectively cuts both ways. It shows those who fawn on and draw unnecessary and unwelcome inspiration from someone who is just trying to live his own life and adapt into society and the problems of actually trying to do so. The cast is excellent with Minnie Driver just charming, and strong, and feisty, a real mother bear who will play all sides of the system to protect and get opportunities for her whole family while somehow recognizing the impossibility of it all. It is witty, very funny, all too real, heartwarming,topical, and some of the best writing on TV.