Plot
Young autistic Laura Hoff, who lives in a decrepit working-class home in Scarborough, seems to suffer from agoraphobia and social anxiety. Her mother Mari nicknamed her Little Voice because of her shyness. Entranced by her late father’s array of vintage songs by Édith Piaf, Judy Garland, and Shirley Bassey, among others, she flees from her dreary existence by impersonating these singers. Mari, a profligate woman who engages in numerous affairs, discards her lovers as soon her interest falters. Her search for a long-time companion has so far been futile.
Billy, a meek phone installer who comes to repair the family phone, soon shows interest in LV by sending her pamphlets. Her solitary existence shows signs of improvement when Ray Say, a manager of third-rate acts, becomes romantically involved with her mother. He overhears LV singing, recognises her prowess and determines to make her the star she declines to be, whereas Mari, who finds LV’s singing annoying and therefore disdains her, doubts her talent. Ray nonetheless asks his manager to showcase LV at his rather louche nightclub, where the girl quells her fear by imagining her father in the audience, and performs a couple of numbers that enrapture the crowd and argue her talent. For example, her voice is suffused with eroticism as she mimics Marilyn Monroe. Ray Say, who relishes the prospect of LV being a successful performer, tries to goad his newfound protégée into a singing career, but to no avail.
Problems ensue when Little Voice retreats into privacy and boycotts a much-heralded appearance attended by an esteemed press agent. Ray Say’s hopes are extinguished when his attempts to console LV remain fruitless. Mari, who still scorns LV despite recognising her talent, prods her daughter into further performances without noticing the effect this has on LV. When a fire destroys LV’s records, Mari wrongly accuses her daughter of setting their house ablaze. For the first time LV manifests anger by defending herself and blaming Mari’s hedonistic philandering for her husband’s early death.
Mari is abandoned by everyone, including LV, who leaves her for good, and Ray Say, who is facing angry debt-collectors. Billy finally saves LV both literally and figuratively.
Read more about this topic: Little Voice (film)
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