My First Mister (2001)

A 17-year-old girl has a troubled relationship with a 49-year-old man.

Director:

Christine Lahti

Writer:

Jill Franklyn

Stars:

Albert Brooks, Leelee Sobieski, Rutanya Alda

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rutanya Alda	...	Woman at Apartment
Natasha Braisewell	...	Girl in Vintage
Albert Brooks	...	Randall - 'R'
Henry Brown	...	Jack Taylor - Salesman
Gary Bullock	...	Mr. Smithman
Kevin Cooney	...	Doctor
Nic Costa	...	Blaine - Surfer Boy
William Forward	...	Customer
John Goodman	...	Benjamin
Desmond Harrington	...	Randy
Shawn Huff	...	Woman at R's Store
Carol Kane	...	Mrs. Benson
Michael McKean	...	Bob
Chadwick Palmatier	...	Manager
Pauley Perrette	...	Bebe

Storyline

Jennifer does not fit in. A total misfit, she's as wacky as a teenager can be. Goth-ed out with multiple piercings, tattoos, and dyed hair, she listens to strange music, watches vintage TV, eats primarily chocolate, and self injures. But now high school is over and she needs a job. Can she possibly have anything in common with the overweight middle-aged man in the haberdashery window? He gives her a job, not to mention a real friendship.

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Plot Keywords:

intergenerational friendship | teenage girl | goth girl | piercing | tattoo | 

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Taglines:

Meet the new odd couple.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual material

Did You Know?

Trivia

Leelee Sobieski's character, Jennifer, has a number of facial piercings, and cartilage piercings in both ears, but does not have her earlobes pierced - to which a reference is made in the movie. At the time the movie was made, Leelee herself did not have pierced earlobes, as she did not have them done until 2006. Specially for her part in this movie, she did, however, have both nostrils, both eyebrows and her lip pierced, along with the cartilage of both ears. After filming was completed, she removed the piercings and allowed them to close up again, but kept the jewelry as a souvenir of the movie.

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Goofs

Reflected in the glass of the VW Beetle as it's being towed by the pickup truck.

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Quotes

Randall ("R"): What's he like?
Jennifer ("J"): Oh, he's kinda like you.
Randall ("R"): He's an asshole?
Jennifer ("J"): Oh worse than that. He's a pathetic loser asshole.
Randall ("R"): That's my boy. So you *like* him.
Jennifer ("J"): Nooo. Are you mental?
Randall ("R"): Totally. I've gotten down with it. I've boogied.
Jennifer ("J"): OK Shaft.

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Connections

Features Win Ben Stein's Money (1997)

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Soundtracks

I Think I Love You
(1970)
Written by Tony Romeo
Performed by The Partridge Family
Courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Leelee Sobieski and Albert Brooks are good chemistry in "My First Mister."

This is a story of an unlikely couple, a 49-year-old clothing store manager (Brooks) and a rebellious 17-year-old girl (Leelee) just finishing high school. She needs a job, so she can move out of her parents' house, and he needs help in the back room sorting clothes. With her black clothes, black lipstick, black hair with purple strands, and multiple peircings, he chuckles at her and tells her to come back after she cleans up. She eventually does, she gets the job, they provide unlikely friendships for each other that each needed at that time in their lives. In the end they both gain something they needed. The film strongly implies that she wanted the relationship to a romantic one, but he learns to love her as a family member, perhaps the daughter he never had.

Leelee was in two films released in 2001, this one and "Joy Ride." In the latter I found her acting wooden and uninspired. However, in "My First Mister" she was a totally different actress, very effective, very believable. Brooks is his usual good self. John Goodman was effective as the girl's somewhat estranged and slightly off-kilter father.

The DVD image is very crisp and focused. I was especially impressed with the film's lighting and camera work. The many facial close-ups are almost three-dimensional, with a soft out of focus background. Really one of the nicer looking films. Although the sound is Dolby 5.1, most of the sound comes from the front channels

Good movie.

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Classics

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 October 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

My First Mister

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,250,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$102,456, 14 October 2001

Gross USA:

$568,762

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$595,005

Company Credits

Production Co:

ApolloMedia Distribution, Carol Baum Productions, Film Roman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1