The Top 10 Best Movie Characters that Use Sign Language

April 4, 2018July 21, 2020 Patrick Sessoms Baby Driver, Beyond Silence, Children of a Lesser God, Hush, John Wick 2, Mr. Holland's Opus, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, sign language, the Raid 2, The Shape of Water, There Will be Blood

5. Cesar- Rise of the Planet of the Apes Trilogy

I felt a little weird about including Cesar on this list because, well, he’s an ape. Of course, sign language has been taught to apes in the past (remember Koko and her kitten?), but it felt almost disrespectful to have Cesar on here. However, since he’s played by Andy Serkis and is actually a general that leads a great revolt against humans and brings apes together to create their own society, I feel like it’s a lot less of a gimmick in the grand scheme of things. Since almost every other ape can’t speak, they all use sign language to communicate with each other. Cesar though can speak, and often will while signing. Cesar never wanted a war, just for apes to have their freedom. He might not have started it, but he sure as hell finished it in the end.

4. Lee Abbott- A Quiet Place

John Krasinski managed to knock it out of the park with his directorial debut in A Quiet Place. However, it’s his performance as a father who puts his families safty and survival ahead of everything else that makes him a character worthy of this list. Like the other’s he uses sign language to communicate with his family, but for a very different reason. In A Quiet Place, monsters have ravaged the world by hunting down humans using their keen sense of hearing. Lee Abbott though has a daughter that was born deaf, so he and his family were thrown into a world a silence without losing the ability to communicate with each other. Lee comes in at number 4 because he is a hearing man who mastered sign language to connect with his daughter and uses it to protect his family at all costs.

3. Maddie- Hush

It’s weird that someone with the name “Maddie” is such a badass.

Horror manages to offer up a few gems every once in a while, and Hush is one of the best scary movies I’ve seen in years and I’m not alone in that sentiment. Even master of horror, Stephen King loved it. What’s the big deal about Hush? Well, it’s a game of cat and mouse between a psycho in a mask and a deaf writer who is unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We never learn the killers motives for stalking Maddie, but he sure as hell regrets it. Despite not being able to hear her killer as he tries to break into her home, Maddie uses her other senses to stay one step ahead of him and eventually even uses his hearing against him. Maddie is a survivor and one is tough as hell. I couldn’t forget to include her on this list.

2. Eliza- The Shape of Water

Unless you were living under a rock in 2017, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about The Shape of Water, especially since it cleaned house at the Oscars. The hero of the film is Eliza, a mute woman who develops a remarkable bond with, well, the creature from the Black Lagoon. Despite the questionable nature of their relationship, The Shape of Water is probably one of the biggest films in decades to feature a protagonist who communicates solely through sign language. She has plenty of friends who are more than capable of communicating with her (she’s mute) and understanding her. In fact, it seems like it’s mostly the villains of the film that have a hard time understanding her. Luckily, there are a few gestures that even they know what they mean.

1. Baby- Baby Driver

Baby might be a man of few words, but he’s one hell of a signer.

While The Shape of Water was one of the biggest movies of all time to feature a character that used sign language, Baby Driver is probably one of the most fun. The main character in the film, Baby, is only hard of hearing (he has tinnitus) but he communicates with his guardian Joseph through sign language. The bond between them is clear from the way they talk with each other in their scenes. Honestly, the chemistry between CJ Jones and Ansel Elgort will bring a smile to your face. It’s especially moving to see the relationship between these two since Baby is obsessed with music and Joseph will hold his hands over the speakers to “listen” along with him. The love is real between these two and their signing is so fluid and natural that it seems like second nature to them.

Honorary Mention: Amy- Congo

When a gorilla asks for a dry martini, you give it to them.

Look, I’m definitely not going to say that there’s anything good about the movie Congo. It wasn’t that great when I saw it as a kid and it sure did not hold up after all these years. However, Amy managed to save the day with her epic battle cry of “ugly gorilla, go away” and that’s not something you soon forget.

Like I said, this was a tough list to put together. However, I’m hoping that it’s one that will have lots of updates to come with movies like A Quiet Place coming to theaters. It’s great that films like The Shape of Water and Wanderlust had such wide releases last year and featured characters using sign language. Until then, be sure to let me know what you think of the list in the comments. Which is your favorite character and which characters would you have wanted to see on it?

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