At First Sight

1999, Romance, 2h 8m

38 Reviews 10,000+ Ratings

critics consensus

Interesting premise, but too long and conventional. Read critic reviews

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At First Sight Photos

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

At First Sight (1999)

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Movie Info

In the midst of a desperately needed vacation, cynical Manhattanite Amy Benic (Mira Sorvino) meets blind massage therapist Virgil Adamson (Val Kilmer). Fascinated by his independence and seduced by his positivity, Benic falls for him hard. As their relationship deepens, the two plan to leave the tiny resort town Adamson knows by touch for the hustle and bustle of New York City, where Benic suggests he undergo a cutting-edge medical procedure that could repair his sense of sight.

Rating:

PG-13
Genre:

Romance
Original Language:

English
Director:

Irwin Winkler
Producer:

Rob Cowan, Irwin Winkler
Writer:

Oliver Sacks, Steve Levitt
Release Date (Theaters):

Jan 12, 1999 original
Release Date (Streaming):

Dec 19, 2000
Box Office (Gross USA):

$22.4M
Runtime:

2h 8m
Distributor:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Argentina Video Home
Sound Mix:

Surround, DTS

Cast & Crew

Val Kilmer
Virgil 'Virg' Adamson

Mira Sorvino
Amy Benic

Kelly McGillis
Jennie Adamson

Steven Weber
Duncan Allanbrook

Bruce Davison
Dr. Charles Aaron

Nathan Lane
Phil Webster

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for At First Sight

All Critics (38) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (12) | Rotten (26)

Full Review… Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly

Full Review… Susan Stark Detroit News

Full Review… James Berardinelli ReelViews

Full Review… Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times

Full Review… Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle

Full Review… Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle

Full Review… Matt Brunson Creative Loafing

Full Review… Betty Jo Tucker ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Full Review… Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com

Full Review… Robin Clifford Reeling Reviews

Full Review… Leonard Schwarz Palo Alto Weekly

Full Review… Alex Sandell Juicy Cerebellum

View All Critic Reviews (38)

Audience Reviews for At First Sight

Apr 20, 2014

It is an interesting observation that even if your eyes can see, you have to learn to see. The love story angle is a bit predictable.

Red L Super Reviewer
Feb 20, 2011

At first Sight is about seeing life as it is and being content with your situation despite the imperfections of it. A successful, beautiful, New York architect Mira Sorvino (as Amy Benic) gets a rubdown from hunky blind masseur Val Kilmer (as Virgil Adamson) who lost his eyesight at a young age and the two fall in love. Kilmer plays a very convincing blind man who's learnt to rely fully on his senses. The scene where it's about to rain is beautiful, his perception is intuitive. Kilmer undergoes treatment to recover his sight, thanks to conveniently placed doctor Bruce Davidson (as Charles Aaron). He "learns" to cope with seeing for the first time but it is very strange for him. Everyone that can see all their lives take many things for granted. Mia Sorvino and Val Kilmer give charming performances but the stand-out is for me Kelly McGillis. She portrays a generous sister who sacrificed her life to taking care of her blind brother.

Deb S Super Reviewer
Apr 23, 2010

A trite romantic melodrama about a blind masseuse who regains his sight. Based on a true story.

Juli R Super Reviewer
Jan 28, 2010

It was a cheesy movie and I would have liked it if they would have explored further in depth about how seeing isn't all it seems when all you've known is being blind. Interesting, but not a great movie.

Sarah P Super Reviewer

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