At First Sight (1999)

REVIEW
Adapted from the story by Dr. Oliver Sacks, whose real-life experiences inspired Awakenings, comes another tale of a medically impaired man who temporarily beats the odds. Not as dramatically involving nor as nicely paced as Awakenings, the sincere though ordinary At First Sight stars Kilmer as Virgil, a blind masseur who works at a mountain resort in upstate New York. When Virgil undergoes an operation and has his sight restored, he has difficulty in adjusting to a sighted world. As the sensitive Virgil, Kilmer is easy-going and nice to look at, but the part offers little for the actor to grab hold to. Lane makes a nice impression as a maverick therapist who tries to help Virgil adjust to seeing for the first time.