Jonah (Jeffrey Bravin) is a lonely deaf child who has been misdiagnosed as retarded. Jonah's mother (
Sally Struthers) and father (
James Woods) struggle to establish communication from their withdrawn son. As the specialists shake their heads and cluck their tongues, Jonah's parents finally manage to teach the child sign language, thereby opening up his world both intellectually and emotionally.
And Your Name is Jonah is proof enough that
Sally Struthers once had potential for greatness, and confirmation that
James Woods was on the right artistic track as early as 1979. Despite competition from the network premiere of
Taxi Driver,
And Your Name is Jonah managed to post excellent ratings upon its original telecast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide