A first feature from acclaimed actress Christine Lahti (who won an Academy Award for her short film Lieberman in Love in 1995), My First Mister explores the delicate relationship between two unlikely individuals who bring each other out of their protective shells. Jennifer (Leelee Sobieski), the film's narrator, is a Goth-obsessed, tattooed 17-year old who absorbs herself in death-laden music and poetry. Just graduating from school and immersed in a dysfunctional relationship with her out-there
mother (Carol Kane), she finds a job at a local clothing store as a clerk. Her boss, Randall Harris (Albert Brooks), is a rigid, middle-aged type, who becomes uncomfortable when Jennifer begins to spy on him and follow his moves. She then cleans up her act a bit and lands a position as a stockperson, and Randall begins to take an interest in her. After a few outings where they attempt to relate their lives to each other, they begin to become close friends, effectively building confidence and bridging their considerable age gap. Also included in the cast are Desmond Harrington, Mary Kay Place, and John Goodman as Jennifer's hippie father. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi
A testament to both Sobieski and Brooks -- especially Brooks, who is Oscar-worthy here -- that we buy into their film's manipulative tendencies and its demands of unconditional acceptance.
Franklin's gooey, implausible script is too ridiculous to support unexpected bouts of sincerity, and the darkness is seldom as profound as it should be.
Actress Lahti's feature directorial debut is a disappointingly sappy melodrama about the unlikely bond between a rebebllious high-school grad (Leelee Sobieski) and a dying older man (Albert Brooks).
...while Ghost World is, on the whole, a slightly better movie, My First Mister is nevertheless worth checking out mostly due to two incredible lead performances.
There's a terrific movie somewhere inside Christine Lahti's My First Mister, but it's kept hidden by the trite trappings of a Lifetime movie-of- the-week.
She's not just tattooed and surly and he's not just geeky and stern - their characters are beautifully written and fleshed out gradually and admirably by the actors.
Simply stated, this was a wonderful discovery. The movie boasts a cast who played off of each other effortlessly, and believably. It was poignant, and timeless. I loved this movie,
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