I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing 1987
Directed by
Patricia Rozema
Made by
Téléfilm Canada
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Polly Vandersma Sheila McCarthy works for a temporary secretarial agency and serves as the film’s narrator, guiding us through a world that blends ordinary life with bright, whimsical fantasies. The story follows her quiet, solitary days: she lives alone, has few friends, and rides her bicycle through the city to capture moments with her camera. Despite her clumsiness, limited education, social awkwardness, and a habit of taking others’ words literally, Polly clings to small joys and dreams. Her path leads her to a secretary position in a private art gallery owned by Paule Baillargeon, a place where she hopes to belong even if the fit feels tenuous.
Mary Ann-Marie MacDonald, Gabrielle’s former young lover and a painter, returns after an absence, and the rekindling of their relationship unfolds with a mix of warmth and doubt. Gabrielle’s reticence about aging and the widening gap between years and youth add tension to their renewed bond, creating a charged dynamic at the heart of the gallery’s creative circle.
Polly, who has begun to feel a spark of love for Gabrielle, selflessly tries to share her own photographs by submitting them anonymously to the gallery. The rejection she faces is sharp and humiliating—Gabrielle dismisses her work as “simpleminded.” The blow unsettles Polly, prompting a temporary departure from the gallery and a spell of depression. Yet a glimmer returns when Mary notices one of Polly’s photographs, hinting at the recognition Polly has long sought.
Behind the scenes, an unsettling deception unfolds: Gabrielle has been presenting Mary’s paintings as her own, a fraud that compounds Polly’s sense of betrayal. When Polly finally discovers the truth, she reacts with anger, hurling a cup of tea at Gabrielle in a moment of raw hurt. Convinced she has committed an unforgivable wrong, Polly retreats to her quiet flat, overwhelmed by the break in trust and the loss of a world she hoped to belong to.
The tension eases only when Mary and Gabrielle show up at Polly’s door, acknowledging that the discarded photographs were indeed Polly’s. Their visit marks a fragile reconciliation and a shift in the gallery’s fragile ecosystem, where honesty, talent, and recognition begin to realign the relationships that were once distorted by deceit.
As the film concludes, Gabrielle and Mary revisit Polly’s growing collection of photographs. In a short fantasy sequence, the three of them are transported together to an idyllic wooded glen, a vivid metaphor for the beautiful, overlooked world Polly believes exists for ordinary and unseen people. The ending leaves a resonant sense of belonging and possibility, even for someone who has long felt invisible, suggesting that art can reveal the worth that daily life often fails to acknowledge.
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Polly is introduced as narrator and gallery secretary
The film establishes Polly as the narrator and as the secretary of Gabrielle's private art gallery. Her whimsical fantasies frequently interrupt the present, revealing how she copes with a solitary life. The audience learns that Polly is clumsy, undereducated, socially awkward, and often literal in interpretation, yet she remains hopeful.
Polly's solitary life and photography hobby
Polly lives alone and keeps to herself, enjoying solitary bicycle rides and photography as a hobby. Her lack of friends and education limits her employment opportunities, and she survives on small, uncertain jobs. The film emphasizes her inner world as a sanctuary from social awkwardness.
Mary returns and rekindles with Gabrielle
Mary, Gabrielle's former young lover and a painter, returns after an absence. She and Gabrielle rekindle their relationship, despite Gabrielle's fear that Mary is too young and she is too old. The relationship complicates the gallery's dynamics.
Polly is inspired to submit her photographs
Polly, drawn to Gabrielle, decides to submit her own photographs anonymously to the gallery. Her hope is crushed when Gabrielle dismisses the effort as 'simpleminded.' The rejection deepens Polly's longing and self-doubt.
Polly quits and falls into depression
Crushed by the rejection, Polly temporarily quits the gallery and sinks into a depressive mood. She withdraws from her usual routines, retreating to a sense of failure and loneliness. Her mood foreshadows how close she is to giving up.
Polly returns; Mary notices her photograph
Polly makes a return to the gallery, hoping for some connection. Mary notices one of Polly's photographs, and its quiet depth hints that Polly's talent may finally be seen. The moment suggests a potential shift in how Polly is perceived.
The fraud is revealed; Polly confronts Gabrielle
The audience learns that Mary and Gabrielle have been passing off Mary's paintings as Gabrielle's own. Polly discovers the deceit and confronts Gabrielle, tossing a cup of tea in fury. The confrontation marks a turning point in their fragile relationships.
Polly retreats to her flat in anguish
Overwhelmed by the betrayal and the social costs, Polly retreats to her flat in anguish. She grapples with the sense that her quiet world has been violated and that her hopes were misplaced. The apartment becomes a private refuge from the gallery's conflict.
Mary and Gabrielle visit Polly; truth comes to light
Mary and Gabrielle visit Polly at her flat and realize that the discarded photographs are Polly's work. Their recognition changes the dynamic, offering a possibility of reconciliation. Polly's contributions are finally seen, but the personal wounds linger.
Final scene: Polly's world on screen and a dreamlike journey
Gabrielle and Mary look at more of Polly's photographs, beginning to appreciate her perspective. In a short fantasy sequence, the three are transported to an idyllic wooded glen, a metaphor for the beautiful world Polly inhabits. The ending suggests that unseen, plain people may harbor extraordinary inner landscapes.
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing Characters
Explore all characters from I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Polly Vandersma (Sheila McCarthy)
Polly is a temporary secretary and the film’s narrator, whose solitary life and whimsical fantasies drive much of the story. She lives alone, bicycle rides for photography, and struggles with social awkwardness and literal-mindedness that hinder steady employment. Despite clumsiness and low self-esteem, she clings to a hopeful, creative impulse and a quiet crush on Gabrielle. When she discovers the gallery’s deception, Polly experiences a painful mix of anger and disillusionment that fuels her emotional arc.
Mary Joseph (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
Mary is Gabrielle’s former young lover and a painter who returns to the gallery, reigniting their relationship despite concerns about age and power. Her presence destabilizes the gallery dynamics and fuels the plot’s conflict over authorship and recognition. She becomes entangled in the deception when Gabrielle and Mary collaborate to pass off Mary’s work as Gabrielle’s. Mary’s artistic voice is central to the fraud and its emotional consequences.
Gabrielle St. Peres (Paule Baillargeon)
Gabrielle runs the private art gallery and carries the pressure of aging and maintaining her reputation. She is wary of being eclipsed by younger talent and collaborates with Mary in a deception that aims to preserve status. Her relationship with Mary and her handling of Polly’s work reveal a morally ambiguous side, balancing charisma with calculated maneuvering. Gabrielle’s decisions drive the central conflict between integrity and appearance.
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing Settings
Learn where and when I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Location
Private art gallery, Polly's flat
The private art gallery is the central setting where artworks are displayed and reputations are formed. Polly's flat provides a quiet, solitary counterpoint that reveals her loneliness and longing. Together, these spaces highlight the tension between public presentation and private truth.
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing Themes
Discover the main themes in I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Artistic Authenticity
The film questions what truly defines ownership in art, showing Mary’s paintings being passed off as Gabrielle’s. Polly’s own photographs, initially dismissed as simple, become a test of whether inner vision can be recognized. The fraud at the gallery forces characters to choose between surface appearances and genuine creative voice. Authenticity emerges as a fragile, contested value within the art world.
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Love and Betrayal
Gabrielle and Mary rekindle a relationship that thrives on power dynamics and age difference, complicating loyalties. Polly’s unrequited affection for Gabrielle adds personal stakes to the professional deceit. Trust fractures as deception spills into intimate lives, revealing how love and ambition can collude to obscure truth. The story probes whether love can survive or redeem the hurt it causes.
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Fantasy vs Reality
Polly’s whimsical fantasies punctuate the narrative, offering an escape from a life she perceives as unseen. The short fantasy sequence in which the three are transported to a wooded glen represents Polly’s vibrant inner world and a realm where she feels seen. The boundary between what is real and what is imagined becomes a central tension throughout the plot. These dreams reframe Polly as a creator deserving recognition.
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a city that feels both familiar and whispered with wonder, a quiet dreamer navigates the space between ordinary routine and the moments she frames through a camera lens. Polly works fleeting secretarial jobs, and her narration invites us to see the world as a series of fleeting snapshots—bicycles winding past cafés, light catching the edge of a storefront, and the soft hum of daily life that she records with gentle curiosity. Her clumsy charm, literal mind, and yearning for belonging set a tone that is at once tender and slightly off‑kilter, hinting at an inner world as vivid as any painted canvas.
She lands a position at a sleek, minimalist art gallery run by a celebrated figure in the local scene. The gallery itself becomes a character, its polished walls and curated exhibitions offering both a sanctuary and a mirror to Gabrielle’s cultivated reputation. Polby’s admiration for the artist is palpable; she reveres the gallery’s aesthetic and hopes to slip into its creative rhythm, even as her own modest photographs linger on the edge of recognition. The atmosphere buzzes with a quiet intensity, where every brushstroke and photograph seems to promise a glimpse of a larger, more magical reality.
The arrival of a younger painter, once romantically linked to the gallery’s owner, adds another layer of subtle tension. Mary steps back into the circle, her presence stirring both warmth and a delicate unease, suggesting that past connections are never entirely settled. As relationships intertwine—Polly’s quiet affection for her boss, the rekindled intimacy between the two women, and the unspoken competition for artistic validation—the film sketches a landscape where ambition, desire, and the quest for acknowledgment coexist.
All of this unfolds with a whimsical, almost lyrical tone, blending realistic detail with fleeting fantasies that echo Polly’s own day‑dreams. The story invites viewers to linger in the spaces between images, to wonder how art can both conceal and reveal, and to consider how a solitary voice might finally be heard amid the polished silence of a gallery’s walls.
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