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. (from IMDb)

At First Sight is a serious, yet warm, drama with tiny doses of humor. It'll make you laugh, cry, and maybe even surprise you.

This romantic drama offers mild language, decent acting, and, surprisingly, a fair helping of sex and nudity for a PG-13 film. There's a scene where Virgil (Val Kilmer) talks to his visual therapist while in a strip bar (Really? He needs to meet him in a strip bar?! I suppose that's meant to be ironic...), and the reflection of numerous topless dancers are seen behind them in a mirror.

Although the images are not completely clear, the glimpses are not short and there are plenty of them. Also, in a love scene where Amy (Mira Sorvino) takes off her clothes for Virgil after he can see, a detailed silhouette of Amy's nude body can be seen through a room divider/wall. But if this wasn't bad enough, the day they realize they're in love with each other and first kiss, they wind up in bed together that night. It's stories and films like these that present a twisted view of what a real expression of love is... and hopping into the sack the night you first realize you love someone is NOT the way to show it.

After reading several mixed reviews for At First Sight, I went into seeing it not really knowing what to expect. However, when I left the theater, I was certain that I totally disagreed with the critics. They came down hard on the acting, especially Kilmer's part, but I thought everyone did a really good job portraying the characters they were given. Critics also knocked the story and the movie in general, which I have to again disagree with because, although it wasn't outstanding, I found the movie entertaining and overall well-done (despite the aforementioned complaints).

As far as the rest of the film's material, the language is your standard PG-13 assortment. There are several uses of blasphemy and 6 uses of the "S" word. But the most objectionable material in the film definitely comes in the form of sex and nudity.

Overall, At First Sight is a pretty decent romantic drama. Due to the hefty amount of objectionable material, however, I couldn't even give it 3 stars. It's definitely of the bargain bin variety, so if you miss this one, you won't be missing much.

- John DiBiase, (reviewed: 1/18/99; edited 5/21/24)