Firstborn (1984)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Michael Apted

Writer:

Ron Koslow (writer)

Release Date:

26 October 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Fifteen. At a time when most kids need to dream, Jake Livingston had to wake up.

Plot:

Because he's the oldest, Jake has been the man of the house, since his parents divorce. When Mom starts seeing Sam...

Plot Keywords:

Brother | High School | Drugs | Railroad Yard | Backtalking To Schoolteacher

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Teri Garr	...	Wendy
Peter Weller	...	Sam
Christopher Collet	...	Jake Livingston
Corey Haim	...	Brian Livingston
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Lisa
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Lee
Christopher Gartin	...	Adam
James Harper	...	Mr. Roder
Richard Brandon	...	Alan Livingston (Dad)
Gayle Harbor	...	Joanne
Ellen Barber	...	Wendy's Girlfriend Pat
Richard E. Szlasa	...	Coach Gant
Beverly May	...	Mrs. Mercer
Brian Lima	...	Robby
J.D. Roth	...	Ken
Larry Atlas	...	Stranger
Vebe Borge	...	Friend
Sara Inglis	...	Jill
Christopher Russo	...	Beckman
Josh Hamilton	...	Brad
Joseph M. Costa	...	Headman
Jason Berger	...	Jeffrey
Thomas Daggett	...	Boy in Pizza Shop
Frank Ferrara	...	Driver of Car
Nole R. Cohan	...	Party Man
Christina Swing	...	Party Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Karyn Lynn Dale	...	Girl in Clothing Store (uncredited)
Ned Eisenberg	...	Learner Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Apted

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ron Koslow		writer

Produced by
Stanley R. Jaffe	....	executive producer
Paul Junger Witt	....	producer
Ron Koslow	....	co-producer
Sherry Lansing	....	executive producer
Alice Shure	....	associate producer
Tony Thomas	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Small

Cinematography by
Ralf D. Bode

Film Editing by
Arthur Schmidt

Casting by
Shirley Rich

Production Design by
Paul Sylbert

Set Decoration by
Alan Hicks

Costume Design by
Colleen Atwood		(as Colleen C. Atwood)

Makeup Department
Fern Buchner	....	makeup artist
Tony Marrero	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Patrick McCormick	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Louis D'Esposito	....	second assistant director
Jill Frank	....	dga trainee
Robert V. Girolami	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Gregory Bolton	....	assistant art director
Jeanette D'Ambrosio-Sylbert	....	assistant: Mr. Sylbert
Herbert F. Mulligan	....	set dresser
Bruno Robotti	....	scenic artist
Philip Saccio	....	propman
Thomas Saccio	....	property master
Eric Stepper	....	propman

Sound Department
Pamela Bentkowski	....	foley editor
John H. Bolz	....	sound mixer
Alan Bromberg	....	foley editor
Larry Carow	....	sound editor
Cecelia Hall	....	sound editor
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
Denise Horta	....	sound editor
Bruce Lacey	....	sound editor
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin Meehan	....	sound recordist (as Kevin V. Meehan)
Alan L. Nineberg	....	adr editor
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Scanlon	....	boom operator
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
George Watters II	....	sound editor

Stunts
Bill Anagnos	....	stunts
Leslie Arnett	....	stunts
Linda Arvidson	....	stunts (as Linda Lee Arvidson)
Jery Hewitt	....	stunts
Steven Lezak	....	stunts
Victor Magnotta	....	stunt coordinator
Victor Magnotta	....	stunts
Dar Robinson	....	stunt coordinator
Dar Robinson	....	stunts
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunt coordinator (as Glenn Wilder)
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunts
Scott Wilder	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Buck	....	key grip
Angelo Di Giacomo	....	second assistant camera
Michael J. Fabiano	....	grip
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer
Thomas F. Hanlon	....	video playback operator
Michael J. Kammerer	....	grip
Gábor Kövér	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Ed Larkin	....	rigging grip
James Malone	....	electrician
Michael McGrath	....	grip
Brendan Murphy	....	electrician
George Potter	....	electrician
Michael Stone	....	camera operator
Robert M. Volpe	....	rigging grip
David Wagreich	....	first assistant camera
William Ward	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William A. Campbell	....	wardrobe supervisor
Patricia Eiben	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Angelo Corrao	....	additional film editor
Jeanne D'Antoni	....	apprentice film editor
Ray Hubley	....	assistant film editor
Peter Lonsdale	....	assistant film editor
David Siegel	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Burt Berman	....	music supervisor
Bob Buziak	....	music supervisor
Christopher Dedrick	....	orchestrator
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer
Mick Guzauski	....	music mixer
Curt Sobel	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Transportation Department
Michael Hyde	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Tony Adler	....	studio manager
Mitchell Amundsen	....	production assistant
Victor B. Borge	....	production assistant
Carla Corwin	....	production assistant
Jo Ann Craig	....	production assistant
Robert A. Jaffe	....	location assistant
Mimi Obler	....	assistant: Shirley Rich
Jane Paul	....	production assistant
Ann Pollack	....	assistant: Mr. Apted
Barry Rossnick	....	production assistant
Michael Shure	....	production assistant
James W. Skotchdopole	....	production assistant
Jill Sprecher	....	assistant production coordinator
Renata Stoia	....	script supervisor
Lenny Vullo	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

First Born
Moving In (Europe: English title) (video title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bronxville High School - 177 Pondfield Road, Bronxville, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Quotes:

Jake Livingston: You don't want the class to know, you want to be the only one with the answer! You want us to think you're the coolest, hippest... if you're that great, why are you trying so hard to impress us?

Soundtrack:

Blueberry Hill

Both the book and the movie were very good.

This is another movie about the ramifications of addictions and though it's not "Leaving Las Vegeas" the movie is still welldone and draws you in(it was a book to). It also offers a fresh perspective surprisingly rare for movies of this type-addiction as seen through the eyes-not of the lover or parent-but of the child. In THIS story it's the mother in the family who is problematic-especially when the mother's new boyfriend enters the picture and starts a destructive chain of events.

As in most stories of this genre don't expect sweetness and light. It's a good story to see though and one many may relate too. The book is equally as welldone.