The Night Listener 2006

Gabriel Noone, a well-known gay radio show host in New York City, is navigating the emotional turmoil of a breakup with his partner, Jess. During this challenging time, he receives a memoir from a teenager named Pete Logand, who recounts his harrowing experiences of sexual abuse inflicted by his parents and their friends. Tragically, Pete is also battling AIDS and has been taken in by Donna Logand, the social worker assigned to his case.

As Gabriel builds a connection with Pete over the phone, he forms a deep bond, almost like a father and son, which causes tension with Jess. This friction escalates when Gabriel suspects that Donna might be pretending to be Pete during some of their conversations. Further complicating matters, his secretary, Anna, shares insights about individuals who fabricate intricate stories for attention, feeding Gabriel’s growing concerns.

Driven to confirm Pete’s existence and the validity of his story, Gabriel embarks on a surprise journey to Pete’s rural Wisconsin hometown. Upon arrival, he discovers that the return address on Pete’s letters is merely a mail drop. While dining at a local diner, he hears a familiar voice — that of Donna — and is shocked to realize she is blind and relies on a guide dog. After tailing her, Gabriel gains entry into her home, where they discuss Pete, who, according to Donna, is hospitalized for tests. However, she abruptly becomes hostile and forbids Gabriel from meeting Pete.

With his suspicions intensifying, Gabriel reaches out to hospitals in Madison, only to find that no patient named Pete is listed. His anxiety regarding the boy escalates, prompting him to break into Donna’s home in search of answers. This reckless act results in his arrest, but a mix-up leads to him being assaulted by a police officer who mistakenly accuses him of being one of Pete’s abusers. After convincing the authorities of his innocence, Gabriel is released, only to find Donna with devastating news: Pete has died, but he had actually been in a Milwaukee hospital, not Madison.

In a state of disbelief, Gabriel watches as Donna loses her composure, trying to drag him into traffic with an oncoming truck. Soon after, she vanishes, having cleared out her home before the police can interrogate her. This leaves Gabriel convinced that Pete may have been nothing more than an illusion crafted by a disturbed woman.

Following a troubling call from Donna, Gabriel discovers Pete’s stuffed rabbit and a tape at a motel where she had been staying. The video features a child who appears to be Pete, yet it remains ambiguous. Just then, the phone rings, and the voice on the other end claims to be Pete, echoing Donna’s mannerisms. When prompted about Donna’s past and her supposed blindness, the conversation abruptly ends, leaving Gabriel in a cloud of uncertainty.

Returning to Manhattan, Gabriel channels his experiences into a new radio story titled The Night Listener. The film closes with Donna, now unrecognizable and devoid of her previous appearance, searching for a new home. She tells a realtor that the house is for her and her son, who has recently lost a leg but will be discharged shortly. The revelation that her blindness was a ruse shocks Gabriel, who concludes his radio show with the insightful words: > “As for Pete, there’s a line in The Velveteen Rabbit that reads… Real isn’t how you were made. It’s the thing that happens to you. I’m Gabriel Noone. Goodnight.”