How Matt's Life Revealed In The Film, The Hammer

The Hammer (2010) is an award winning movie that sheds light on the deaf community, and shares the personal life story of deaf UFC fighter, Mathew Hamill; as portrayed by actor Russell Harvard. The Hammer was written by Eben Kostbar and Joseph McKelheer, and directed by Oren Kaplan. What was Matt’s life like, and how did Tapout choose to interpret his story? The beginning of this movie takes place in Loveland, Ohio. Matt and his brother are raised by their mother and grandfather. For some strange reason, the grandfather holds more power to make decisions than Matt’s mother. The grandfather makes a poor decision not to teach Matt sign language despite the mother’s wishes. Matt is forced to wear a cochlear implant that does not work, and attend a

Though gaining some popularity, Matt is still distanced from the other students. He ends up missing out on staple events such as prom, due to fellow student’s lack of understanding. Hamill does not let his social life deter him, as he receives a full scholarship to Perdue University.
Hamill’s experience at Perdue is painful to watch. The typical struggles of college were increased, when the professor awkwardly pointed him out in front of the whole class. To make matters worse, the interpreter did not seem willing to slow down. The lack of communication and inability to work with Matt, causes him to get kicked off the team and flunk his classes.
After the negative experience at Perdue, Matt begins to attend Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Having no prior experience, Matt seems to struggle with a bit of culture shock. He seems nervous because he does not really fit in with deaf or Deaf cultures. He appears embarrassed when speaking, or admitting he is not fluent in sign language. He seems to have a sense of desperation to find his