The Way We Talk

Director Michael Hunter decided to make a documentary about stuttering after a friend asked him what it was like. In his voiceover, Hunter explains that he kind of grew up with the disorder since several relatives all stuttered at various times. Hunter starts by asking his brother Ryan about stuttering, but the latter prefers not to dwell on it (their mother wishes the family had talked about it more). Interestingly, home movies show Hunter's grandfather stuttering, while the young Michael doesn't appear to have developed the disorder yet. Hunter next meets with Dr. Dennis Drayna, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, who confirms that stuttering is an inherited condition. "This mutation is about 12,000 years old," he states. Hunter also observes a support group for adults in Japan and a summer camp for youth in North Carolina. The campers worry about their prospects in terms of job interviews and professions that involve verbal communication, but the camaraderie with other stutterers gives them confidence. Hunter follows up by joining a group in Portland, ME, where he meets Ian, who becomes a friend, and Glenn, a speech therapist, who describes stuttering as "brain-based" rather than psychological. Some of Hunter's editing choices don't make complete sense, such as a sequence in which he conducts an interview while getting a haircut, but people who stutter—as well as family and friends—will find much to relate to here. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)