Hear the Silence

Hear the Silence is a 2003 semifictional TV drama based on the MMR vaccine controversy, in which Andrew Wakefield published a paper claiming a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism. It debuted on December 15, 2003 atPM on the British network Five. The film, produced at a cost of aboutmillion pounds, stars Hugh Bonneville as Wakefield and Juliet Stevenson as Christine Shields, a fictional mother who discovers the possible MMRautism link when her son is diagnosed as autistic. After noticing this, Stevensons character begins telling doctor after doctor that her son seemed to develop autism soon after he received the MMR vaccine, but she does not receive any sympathy from them, nor does she receive any from her boss, or even her husband. However, this all changes when she meets Dr. Wakefield, who believes her statements about the MMR vaccine causing her sons autism. The film then shows fictional government officials plotting Wakefields demise, which they intend to bring about by portraying his research as flawed. Although never documented in reality, Wakefield is then targeted by the government, with film depicting his phone being tapped and his files beings stolen. The film was watched by 1.2 million viewers on the night of its debut, which was considerably lower than usual for Channel Fives films that debut atPM, which often get more thanmillion viewers.

Source: Wikipedia