Sadly Over-hyped

Fresh and Exciting

Best movie of this year hands down!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Firstborn has been one of my favorite films since its release. It has a terrific script and fine performances by all the actors. I have worked with children as an educational therapist and have known many students who had step-parents that were abusive. Even a second cousin of mine has brought boyfriends into her home to live who would make Peter Weller's character look saintly by comparison. Teri Garr, like many deserted or divorced mothers, becomes flattered by the attention she is getting from Peter Weller, and their obvious sexual bonding makes it easy for her to overlook the potential harm to her children that moving him in might cause. While many critics didn't like that the film adds drug use about midway through, this too is more common than many think. This was Corey Haim's first film, and his reaction early on when learning that his dad is getting remarried, shows what a fine actor he was. I am so glad I have the VHS tape and have put a cable copy on a home DVD. If you like serious family drama, do yourself a favor and try to find a VHS tape to rent or buy. It is a heart wrenching but ultimately satisfying movie, and you get to watch early performances by Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Junior. The director, Michael Apted, should be very proud. It richly deserves a DVD release. (Update 2012: Firstborn has finally been made available on DVD).

I didn't think this movie was all that good, probably why it isn't on DVD (as of Spring 2008).I couldn't empathize with any of the characters. Collett's character was a smart ass punk (not funny, clever smart ass; but kids who hang out at 7/11 and make rude comments about female customers and try to get you to buy them beer smart ass). I felt pity for Teri Garr's character, but a lot of her character's problems were her own doing especially when she observed RoboCop being abusive to her kids... a real mother would probably cut his ***** off while he slept or at least abscond with her kids in the middle of the night while his ass was passed out drunk in the lazy boy.Weller's character was pure evil with no redeeming humanity to make his character realistic/sympathetic or make this a more interesting story.The plot reminded me of the story in "Sling Blade", but even the thoroughly rotten character portrayed by Dwight Yokkem (sp?) was human (though fatally flawed). Weller's cyborg Robocop character was more human than this guy...2D characters in a 3D world, good guys v. bad guys - makes it clear who to root for and also makes this a simplistic, puerile movie...Was this movie the culmination of Christopher Collets 15 minutes of fame? I don't see a lot done by him in the 1990's and beyond.

i've always liked this movie. i've caught it from time to time on network cable, and i've never seen it all at once, start to finish. it doesn't seem to be out on DVD, which is a shame, considering the other garbage they've converted to DVD.i would buy it if it became available. good performances, especially from the kids, and a great portrayal of a desperate divorced woman putting her own happiness ahead of her kids.if it is on DVD, would someone please let me know where i can get it? i've searched the internet sites.mb

Wendy(Garr) is a single mom raising two boys, Jake(Collett) and Brian(Haim). After seeing that her ex-husband has moved on in his life she gets in a relationship with Sam(Weller).At first Sam seems to be a nice guy, but that soon changes. He keeps coming up with different ways to make money but never follows through. He moves in with the family way too soon and even starts helping himself to the boys belongings. He invites shady looking friends to the house late at night to have Coke parties and starts to become verbally abusive to all and physically abusive to Wendy. She keeps telling the boys that Sam is trying and to be patient but the stress of this affects the boys as well.Jake is a great student, athletic and fun-loving. As the stress keeps welling up in him it causes problems in his relationship with his girlfriend Lisa(Jessica-Parker). He becomes verbally abusive to his friends and more aggressive on the Lacrosse field. Up to this point he has been tolerant of his self absorbed, egomaniac teacher but even starts to become defiant with him as well.Brian avoids home as much as he can and keeps getting into bad fights in school.When Jake discovers that Sam is trafficking drugs through the house he has finally had enough and takes it upon himself to make a stand.This movie is a great example of how a bad relationship can cause stress on more than two lives. Stress becomes a trickle down effect and can be very damaging especially to young lives.