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AT FIRST SIGHT
Directed by: Irwin Winkler
Written by: Steve Levitt,
based on the book "To see, or not to see." by Oliver Sacks, M.D.
Starring: Val Kilmer, Mira Sorvino,
Kelly McGillis, Nathan Lane, Steven Webber.
My advice: I loved it at first sight
Rating:  of
I love a good love story. Nothing fulfills me more than hunkering
down on the couch with a boatload of Kleenex, some chocolates and having myself a good cry. It's refreshing.
Virgil (Kilmer), is a really sweet blind man who, in truth, probably sees the world better from his blind eyes
than we could ever hope to with our sighted ones. He's self-sufficient in his own home, works as a massage therapist
at a local spa, and lives a quiet and unassuming life.
Into his life comes Amy (Sorvino). Seeing Virgil for who he is and the potential for what he can become, Amy persuades
Virgil to move to New York with her in order to have an experimental eye surgery that may restore his sight. Against
his sister's (McGillis) better judgment, but seeking only to please the woman he so loves, he acquiesces and off
to New York they go.
Let's be frank. I've been to New York. As a sighted person it was terrifying. I cannot even begin to relate what
it must be like for a blind person to live in such a city. And to live there by choice. I think Virgil gets an
A just for effort.
I'm not going to offer any spoilers here. I enjoyed both Kilmer and Sorvino in their rolls and my heart went out
to them as they tested the trail of their new relationship. We're lucky that most of us start out on a fresh foot,
but these two are given many a terrible twist of fate and the struggle to watch them overcome and persevere is
what really keeps this movie alive.
This film does run a bit long, but it's well worth the watch. Love in bloom is a wonderful thing. For those with
sight, or without.
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