A Sight for Sore Eyes

I was lucky enough to see this film as part of the 'shorts' program at the Wine Country festival, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys film, not just shorts. It's emotional but not in a cloying way, and the performances are all wonderful. I particularly liked the blind girl, she was moving without TRYING to be moving. Gary Busey was a nice surprise, I didn't expect him to come down off of his 'crazy' perch, but when he does it's really nice to witness.

Apparently they are trying to turn this into a feature, which I think is a great idea, as long as they don't recast the roles.

Shane Stanley directed this, and he did a marvelous job, I look forward to seeing more of him in the future.

I had the chance to view this short film over the first weekend in June while visiting the expo in New York City. The theater was about two-thirds full and it screened well. Audiences laughed (especially during Busey's scene) and I think I heard a few sniffles and hmm's from the heart from time to time. I personally was touched, not to the degree as I think some of the audience was but thought it was a nice piece of work. I believe I heard that some of the producers were there shopping it as a potential full length feature film, which I think could be interesting. They wrapped up everything in the short - left you hanging at the end but I can see it as a longer film. Deborah Zoe, (a New York resident from Guiding Light) was not there as far as I could tell, which was a bit of a let down, since I enjoy her work on the soap. Anxious to see what happens here, as I am a fan of her work and now of this short film.

In A Sight For Sore Eyes you spend time with the main character and just as you get to the point where you really dislike him,(as a woman anyway) he finally hooks up with the female lead/love interest that turns him around. Amy (the girl) did a wonderful job as playing a blind girl and she comes in and makes him finally see true love. You really want these two to kiss and have a future together and just as they do he leaves a gentleman - something his character would not have done before. Sight has a nice turn of events, not too much a chick flick but it might appeal to us women a bit more.

I watched this little picture off a friend's recommendation who knows I'm a sucker for love stories. I can't help it, I am that hopeless romantic that everybody laughs about. At first I was so turned off by Steve, (male lead) and his overall attitude toward women. He was everything in a man that I dislike, so much I wanted to turn off the film - but that was the filmmakers point. Just in the knick of time, before I could find my remote, Steve is reunited with the female lead, Amy, and he's thrown an unexpected curve ball due to her current circumstances. We've seen this formula done so many different ways in motion pictures, (learning to accept someone's inner beauty) and this attempt was very well executed. There are a few fun cameo appearances, as well, (read the cast list). I'm glad I watched through it.

I gotta say it, because no one else will. Did they do a love story on a blind person because it seems that any film focusing on the handicapped, retarded, musically challenged or simply someone who must overcome an eating disorder gets attention from the Academy or the independent film fanatics? Overall this film was enjoyable and very well done, but just when I thought I had seen all the Rainmen, My Left Foot's, Shine's and What's Eating Gilbet Grapes - Stanley comes along and adds this one to the pile of 'the world of the less fortunates.' The blind girl certainly stood her own, a memorable performance in the likes of Rush, Day Lewis & Hoffman in their roles as handicapped characters and Gary Busey was surrounded by fairly equal talent. All too often a known star jumps into a small film and completely takes you out of the moment or simply out-shines his fellow cast members. Not so here. In 'Sight' the male lead goes head-to-head with Busey in a very dramatic and well written scene and really holds his own against such a seasoned and intimidating actor, such as Busey.