MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Up 231 this week

At First Sight (1999)

 -  Drama | Romance  -  15 January 1999 (USA)
5.7
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 5.7/10 from 8,738 users   Metascore: 40/100
Reviews: 100 user | 55 critic | 21 from Metacritic.com

A blind man has an operation to regain his sight at the urging of his girlfriend and must deal with the changes to his life.

Director:

Writers:

(story), (screenplay)
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 10000 titles created 2 months ago
 
a list of 287 titles created 09 Nov 2011
 
a list of 38 titles created 06 May 2012
 
a list of 4252 titles created 11 months ago
 
a list of 102 titles created 13 Jan 2012
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999) on IMDb 5.7/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of At First Sight.
Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Forrest Gump (1994)
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.7/10 X  

Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran, eludes him.

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Stars: Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

A young boy attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance.

Director: Mimi Leder
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment
Comedy | Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

A naive young woman comes to New York and scores a job as the assistant to one of the city's biggest magazine editors, the ruthless and cynical Miranda Priestly.

Director: David Frankel
Stars: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

Nelson is a man devoted to his advertising career in San Francisco. One day, while taking a driving test at the DMV, he meets Sara. She is very different from the other women in his life. ... See full summary »

Director: Pat O'Connor
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron, Jason Isaacs
Hope Floats (1998)
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.5/10 X  

Birdee Calvert must choose between her morals and her heart after her husband divorces her and a charming young man, who her daughter disapproves of, comes back into her life.

Director: Forest Whitaker
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr., Gena Rowlands
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

A compassionate young man, raised in an orphanage and trained to be a doctor there, decides to leave to see the world.

Director: Lasse Hallström
Stars: Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Delroy Lindo
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.1/10 X  

Romantic drama about an aging playboy who falls for a sweet, but terminally ill, young woman.

Director: Joan Chen
Stars: Richard Gere, Winona Ryder, Anthony LaPaglia
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

A free-thinking art professor teaches conservative 50's Wellesley girls to question their traditional societal roles.

Director: Mike Newell
Stars: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

Gilbert has to care for his brother Arnie and his obese mother, which gets in the way when love walks into his life.

Director: Lasse Hallström
Stars: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

An airline pilot and his wife are forced to face the consequences of her alcoholism when her addictions threaten her life and their daughter's safety. While the woman enters detox, her husband must face the truth of his enabling behavior.

Director: Luis Mandoki
Stars: Andy Garcia, Meg Ryan, Ellen Burstyn
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.5/10 X  

A married woman agrees to have sex with another man for $1,000,000.

Director: Adrian Lyne
Stars: Robert Redford, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.8/10 X  

A woman discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach, and is determined to track down its author.

Director: Luis Mandoki
Stars: Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, Paul Newman
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Jennie Adamson
...
Duncan Allanbrook
...
...
...
Virgil's Father
...
Betsy Ernst
Margo Winkler ...
Nancy Bender
...
Singer
Brett Robbins ...
Ethan
...
Jack Falk (as Willie Carpenter)
Charles Winkler ...
Health Instructor
...
Caroline
Kelly Chapman ...
Susan (as Kelly Chapman Meyer)
Edit

Storyline

A driven Manhattan architect, Amy, relaxes at a resort and falls for the masseur, Virgil, blind since age 3 and assisted by his spinster sister. He helps Amy hear and sense the world, giving her new spirit and a burst of creativity. Over the sister's objections, Amy takes Virgil to New York for new, radical surgery. He regains his sight. He's disoriented and must learn to process these new images. Finding his place in a seeing world strains his relation with Amy; his absent father wants to connect with him now that he can see; then, retinal disease threatens to undo the surgery. Can love survive, will he find his new place and his old tranquillity, can Amy accommodate limits? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Science gave him sight. She gave him vision. See more »

Genres:

Drama | Romance

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for scenes involving sexuality and nudity, and for brief strong language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

| |  »

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

15 January 1999 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Sight Unseen  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£55,402 (UK) (30 April 1999)

Gross:

ESP 109,523,700 (Spain) (29 June 2001)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

There have been several references to Val Kilmer in the hit sitcom Friends with the most notable being when Ross rented Val Kilmer's jacket that he wore to the 'At First Sight' premiere. See more »

Goofs

At the end of the movie Virgil and Amy walk away and Virgil is letting his new guide dog lead him. The guide dog walks straight past the curbside obstacle without hesitation. No working guide dog would have missed this obstacle, it is too inbred during their training. Missing an obstacle of this magnitude would have called for, at the very least, a firm word of caution if not a subtle leash correction. The guide dog would have also stopped to check for traffic as Virgil did not seem to be paying attention. See more »

Quotes

Virgil: She smelled like cinnamon and nutmeg.
See more »

Crazy Credits

At the start of the closing credits: Inspired by Dr. Oliver Sacks' true account of the experiences of Shirl and Barbara Jennings They are now married and living in Atlanta, Georgia Barbara continues to sculpt and although Shirl never regained his vision, he now paints pictures of his brief adventure in sight See more »

Connections

References The Miracle Worker (1962) See more »

Soundtracks

"Love Is Where You Are"
Music by Mark Isham
Lyrics by Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman
Produced by Diana Krall and Stephan R. Goldman
Performed by Diana Krall
Diana Krall appears courtesy of Impulse/GRP Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
Loved it!
13 May 2004 | by (San Diego, California) – See all my reviews

I've been a nurse for 20 years, and have been around many patients who must contend daily with what "normal" people would consider to be adversities and handicaps. I've always looked upon them with (1) great admiration for their personal strength and determination, and (2) a pervading sense of sorrow and an aching heart, for their "misfortune" in having been denied the opportunity to interact in the world with the benefit of an intact, healthy body.

This movie really struck an emotional chord with me, and made me realize how my feelings for these `unfortunates' could be construed as condescending and insensitive. I've often wished that I had the power to "heal" the handicapped, or to make them whole and "normal." The idea that they could feel totally satisfied, complete, and happy, despite their limitations -- and that it is presumptuous of us to think otherwise -- was intelligently brought to light in this screenplay.

This film is based upon a true story of a man who had come to terms with his blindness, and who, instead of wallowing in bitterness and self-pity, had learned to use his remaining senses of hearing, touch, smell, and taste -- along with a delightful sense of humor -- to become a happy, positive, and resourceful human being, with a keen sensitivity toward -- and appreciation of -- the world and the people around him. This is very much like handicapped patients I have cared for through the years, who left me in wonder at their strikingly positive attitudes and warmth toward humanity, despite the obstacles they face on a daily basis.

One of the reasons that I enjoy Val Kilmer's performances so much, is that he has the uncanny ability to capture the subtlest nuances of the characters he is portraying, whether it's Virgil, Doc Holliday, Jim Morrison, etc., and then is willing to bare his soul to bring the role to fruition for public enjoyment/critique. It's a risky, daring, thing to do -- and I applaud him for his courage! I appreciate the effort he makes to hone his performances by extensively researching the people and situations he is contracted to portray, instead of just showing up on the set, spewing his lines, picking up the paycheck, and moving on. His portrayal of a blind man was COMPLETELY believable, and I forgot for two hours that he was a sighted actor playing a part. One reviewer criticized him for smiling too much when his character interacted with people. I have to ask whether that person has ever watched Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles or Jose Feliciano, while they are interacting in social situations. Kilmer nailed this part, and beautifully expressed the gamut of emotions experienced by Virgil in the transformations that took place in his life.

Other issues that have been mentioned by reviewers: (1) -- A supposed `lack of chemistry' between Kilmer and Sorvino – I have to wonder if we were watching the same film! (2) -- Yes -- as a warning to households with young children -- there is nudity, but their intimate scenes were enacted beautifully, with sensitivity and tenderness; there was nothing raunchy or sensationalistic about them. However, some might take offense at the scene in the strip club – it wasn't essential to the plot development, and could have been omitted. (3) -- The only `bad language' in the film were rare, scattered expletives, which conveyed the understandable frustration of the main character when he was confronted with overwhelming emotions and tribulations, and (4) – the scene of confrontation between Virgil and his father, which some people thought unnecessary, but which I felt was very appropriate, since their relationship and the father's abandonment of the family had been such traumatic, devastating events in Virgil's life.

This film is an emotional roller-coaster ride, but WELL worth the trip – LOVED it! :o)

P.S. – If you haven't seen Kilmer as Doc Holliday in `Tombstone,' RUN, don't walk, to your nearest video store, and grab the Vista Series DVD – it's absolutely one of the best performances EVER recorded on film! The Academy must have slept through 1993!!!!






56 of 59 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
val kilmer... MDSR
similar movies wherelovegoes
Val seemed to dumb down the character, you think? Abe_Phroman
Does Anyone One Else Just Watch... katyzone
The End nicktji
Rating ChrisR2k4
Discuss At First Sight (1999) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?