I've Heard the Mermaids Singing is a 1987 Canadian comedy-drama film written and directed by Patricia Rozema and starring Sheila McCarthy, Paule Baillargeon, and Ann-Marie MacDonald.

Despite her clumsiness, lack of education, social awkwardness and inclination to take others' statements literally, all of which have resulted in scarce employment opportunities, Polly is placed as a secretary in a private art gallery owned by Gabrielle.

[1]: 45 Although Passion won a Silver Plaque at the 1985 Chicago International Film Festival, it also received a very harsh review in The Globe and Mail.

Her funding application received a letter of recommendations from David Cronenberg, Stuart Cornfeld, and "anyone I could think of who had any credibility in the industry" according to Rozema.

Rozema initially rejected that idea because she didn't think the film was ready, as it was in the final stages of sound editing and still had to be mixed.

[27] Rozema originated the concept for the film's poster, envisioning a René Magritte-like photograph of McCarthy's head floating over a body of water.

She hired Toronto graphic artist Robbie Goulden to create the final product, with promises of payment if the film made a profit.

Near the end of the film, Polly has a vision of conducting a small orchestra, performing selections from Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

[32] I've Heard the Mermaids Singing made its world premiere on May 10, 1987, at the Cannes Film Festival, as part of the Directors' Fortnight program.

When Pierre-Henri Deleau, the programmer for the Directors' Fortnight, received the film he mistakenly thought it was three hours long and would not preview it.

Some distribution deals had been made prior to Cannes, but Rozema and Raffé had intentionally not sold the U.S. rights before the world premiere.

After the film's selection for Cannes was announced in Variety,[35] the producers received numerous calls from American distributors who wanted private previews, but those requests were turned down.

At least seven American companies vied for the rights, including Orion Classics, Spectrafilm, and the eventual winner of the bidding war Miramax, represented at Cannes by Harvey Weinstein and Mark Silverman.

Rofekamp and the producers had earned advances on royalties worth $1.1 million,[37] which made the film commercially successful before it was released.

[1]: 61–62  Their official review, published on 20 May 1987 was very positive, stating that Mermaids is "an off-beat, power-packed first feature … bursting with confidence, with Rozema in full control in all capacities nearly every step of the way….

"[49] However, in Vincent Canby's review in The New York Times, the critic wrote that watching the film "is like being cornered by a whimsical, 500-pound elf" and that it "takes itself more seriously than the screenplay warrants".

[18] Richard Corliss wrote in Time magazine that the film is "a fairy tale for feminist pre-teens" and said Rozema was working "entirely too hard to be ingratiating; her picture is a desperate audition for endearment".

[6] A review by Rita Kempley in The Washington Post said the film is "rough around the edges, brimming with uncontrolled talent and confiding as a close friend.

[46] In a December 1987 review, Bob Thomas from the Associated Press wrote that Rozema's "vivid and surprising imagination, coupled with a startingly original performance by Sheila McCarthy, help make the film a rare and unexpected delight".

[55] Ebert also described Sheila McCarthy's performance as "extraordinary" and said "she has one of those faces that speaks volumes, and she is able to be sad without being depressing, funny without being a clown".

[59][page needed] In Rozema's cinematic work, the main characters are predominantly women, in heterosexual or lesbian relationships, or single.

[60] The critic Camille Paglia praised the film's "wonderful comedy and realism", commenting on the character Polly, "This girl's kind of aimless, yet plucky.

[62] Yet within some gay and alternative media coverage, there was criticism that the film glossed over the lesbian relationship between two of the characters, as well as complaints that Rozema had made a "decision not to make a public declaration of her sexuality in interviews with the world press after Cannes".

[64] The first essay on Mermaids in a prominent academic journal by a highly credentialed feminist film scholar was written by Teresa de Lauretis in 1990.

In her Screen article, de Lauretis "applied a political rubric that she called 'alternative women's cinema', and Mermaids failed her test".

[1]: 58  De Lauretis wrote that the recognition of Mermaids as "an exemplary film of women's cinema is ground for serious self-questioning by those of us who still want to claim the term for a feminist political project".

[67] The New York theatrical release led to a successful national roll-out, with the film eventually screening in approximately 50 American cities.

Co-producer Raffé claimed that the film grossed about $2.5 million in the United States, despite Miramax's "inscrutable bookkeeping methods".

[1]: 26 I've Heard the Mermaids Singing won seventeen awards worldwide by the end of its run at film festivals and theatrical release,[1]: 27  including: In addition to its Genie Award victories, it was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Rozema), Best Supporting Actress (MacDonald), Best Screenplay (Rozema), Best Cinematography (Douglas Koch), Best Costume Design (Alexandra Z, Martine Matthews), and Best Overall Sound (Michelle Moses, Egidio Coccimiglio and Gordon Thompson).

[73] In addition, the film garnered the following honors: Mermaids was first released on VHS tape in Canada by Norstar Home Video.