The Quiet stars an actress.
Frederick Eugene John `` Gene '' Lees ( February 8 , 1928 -- April 22 , 2010 ) was a Canadian music critic , biographer , lyricist , and former journalist . The Quiet is a 2005 American drama thriller film directed by Jamie Babbit and starring Camilla Belle and Elisha Cuthbert . It focuses on a deaf-mute teenage girl , Dot ( Camilla Belle ) who goes to live with her godparents ( played by Martin Donovan and Edie Falco ) after her father dies , where she slowly learns the disturbing secrets of the family , primarily concerning their teenage daughter , Nina ( Elisha Cuthbert ) .