At First Sight (1999)

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:

Irwin Winkler

Writers:

Oliver Sacks (story), Steve Levitt (screenplay)

Stars:

Val Kilmer, Mira Sorvino, Kelly McGillis

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Val Kilmer	...	Virgil Adamson
Mira Sorvino	...	Amy Benic
Kelly McGillis	...	Jennie Adamson
Steven Weber	...	Duncan Allanbrook
Bruce Davison	...	Dr. Charles Aaron
Nathan Lane	...	Phil Webster
Ken Howard	...	Virgil's Father
Laura Kirk	...	Betsy Ernst
Margo Winkler	...	Nancy Bender
Diana Krall	...	Singer
Brett Robbins	...	Ethan
Willie C. Carpenter	...	Jack Falk (as Willie Carpenter)
Charles Winkler	...	Health Instructor
Drena De Niro	...	Caroline
Kelly Chapman	...	Susan (as Kelly Chapman Meyer)

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?

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Plot Keywords:

regaining sight | based on article | box office flop | massage therapist | blindness | 

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Taglines:

Science gave him sight. She gave him vision.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for scenes involving sexuality and nudity, and for brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

20th Century Fox [es] Imperial [pl]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sight Unseen

Filming Locations:

Bear Mountain, New York, USA

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:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

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.

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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.

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Quotes

Virgil: She smelled like cinnamon and nutmeg.

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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

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Connections

References The Miracle Worker (1962)

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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

User Reviews

Loved it!

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!!!!