Firstborn (1984 film)

Last updated
Firstborn
Firstbornposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Apted
Written byRon Koslow
Produced by Paul Junger Witt
Tony Thomas
Starring
Cinematography Ralf D. Bode
Edited by Arthur Schmidt
Music by Michael Small
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • October 26, 1984 (1984-10-26)
Running time
100 minutes
Country United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8 million [1]
Box office$6.3 million

Firstborn (titled Moving In in Europe) is a 1984 American drama film starring Teri Garr, Peter Weller, Corey Haim (in his film debut), Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert Downey Jr., and Christopher Collet. It was filmed in New Jersey and New York State. Firstborn centers on teenager Jake Livingston (played by Collett), whose home life is thrown into disarray when his mother's ne'er-do-well boyfriend moves in and pulls her into his dissolute lifestyle. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 31, 2012.

Contents

Plot summary

Sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston's parents divorced two years earlier, and his mother Wendy has been dating other men, but she remains deeply in love with her ex-husband. When she learns he is remarrying, she sleeps with a man she met the same day, Sam, on the rebound. Jake and his preadolescent brother Brian are disturbed by this, but as Sam begins dating Wendy, they are won over by Sam's ingratiating manner and his gifting them both dirt bikes.

Jake's concerns are aroused when Sam announces vague plans to open a restaurant, just days after he told Jake that he was planning to start a security business. He is alarmed when Sam, having been booted from his apartment, moves into the Livingston house, something Wendy never allowed with any of her previous boyfriends, some of whom she dated far longer than Sam. As Jake and Brian assume a hostile attitude towards Sam, Sam begins physically abusing them. The atmosphere at home causes Jake's relationships with his friends and girlfriend to deteriorate and Brian to repeatedly get into fights at school.

Without warning, Sam and Wendy disappear from the house for some days, leaving only a note that they are on a trip to a lake. While they are gone, Jake snoops into Wendy and Sam's bedroom and finds an assortment of illegal drugs. The next day he comes home to find a stranger looking for Sam and realizes Sam and Wendy left because they are ducking Sam's associates in the drug trade after a deal went sour. When they return, Jake confirms that Sam has introduced Wendy to cocaine use.

Wendy cannot see beyond Sam's charms or her own emotional needs. When Jake confronts her, she denies her drug addiction, insists upon the fantasy that they are going to open a restaurant, and says she cannot tell Sam to leave. As Wendy's mental state continues to deteriorate, Jake is forced to take on the parental roles in the household, including picking Brian up when he ends up in the principal's office. Jake and Brian's father still cares about them and Wendy, but his work is keeping him overseas for the near future, so Jake opts to hide their problems from him, and he cannot tell anyone else for fear of Wendy being imprisoned for her part in Sam's drug dealing. Brian wants them to run away from home, but Jake is unwilling to abandon their mother.

A confrontation with his bullying teacher makes Jake realize he has the courage to stand up to Sam. When Sam gets a fresh supply of cocaine to go forward with his drug deal, Jake steals it and hides it in an abandoned building. He then gives Sam an ultimatum: leave their home, or he will tell the police about the cocaine. Sam is not intimidated, believing Jake would never do anything that would lead his mother to be arrested, and threatens to start beating Wendy if Jake does not tell him where the cocaine is. Jake gives in, and they retrieve the cocaine. When they get back to the house, Wendy demands Sam leave. Sam refuses, and a fistfight ensues, with Jake, Wendy, and Brian all rallying against Sam. Jake tells a battered Sam to leave, threatening to kill him if he ever comes back. Sam takes his things and leaves as the family embrace each other.

Cast

Reception

Firstborn received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 36% from 14 reviews. [2]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two stars out of a possible four. He wrote how Firstborn started with promise due to good performances and realistic dialogue, but he "felt cheated" by the action film cliches in the climactic scenes because they did not address the serious issues the film raised. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Conaway</span> American actor (1950–2011)

Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway was an American actor. He portrayed Kenickie in the film Grease and had roles in two television series: struggling actor Bobby Wheeler in Taxi and security officer Zack Allan on Babylon 5. Conaway was featured in the first and second seasons of the reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

<i>Lucas</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by David Seltzer

Lucas is a 1986 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by The Omen writer David Seltzer in his debut as a director and starring Corey Haim, Kerri Green, Charlie Sheen, and Courtney Thorne-Smith. Thorne-Smith and Winona Ryder made their film debuts in Lucas.

<i>Diary of a Mad Black Woman</i> 2005 film directed by Darren Grant

Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a 2005 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Darren Grant and written by Tyler Perry. Inspired by the play of the same name, it marks Perry's feature film debut and is the first entry in the Madea film franchise. Starring Perry alongside Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, and Cicely Tyson, it tells the story of a woman who is thrown out of her house by her husband on their 18th wedding anniversary and subsequently moves in with her grandmother, and is the only film written, but not directed, by Perry.

<i>Fresh</i> (1994 film) 1994 American crime film directed by Boaz Yakin

Fresh is a 1994 French/American independent crime drama film written and directed by Boaz Yakin in his directorial debut, and produced by Randy Ostrow and Lawrence Bender. It was scored by Stewart Copeland, a member of the Police. The story revolves around a preteen boy named Michael, nicknamed Fresh, who runs drugs for gangsters. Inspired by the chess lessons of his father, an alcoholic speed-chess master, Fresh devises and executes a brilliant plan to extricate himself and his drug-addicted sister from their hopeless lives.

<i>Mr. Mom</i> 1983 American film directed by Stan Dragoti

Mr. Mom is a 1983 American comedy film directed by Stan Dragoti and produced by Lynn Loring, Lauren Shuler, and Aaron Spelling. It stars Michael Keaton, Teri Garr, Martin Mull, Ann Jillian, and Christopher Lloyd. It tells the story of a furloughed Detroit automotive engineer who becomes a stay-at-home dad and takes care of three young children, as his wife returns to a career in the advertising industry as an executive at a large agency. Released on July 22, 1983, the film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $64 million against its $5 million budget.

<i>Into the Blue</i> (2005 film) 2005 American action-thriller film by John Stockwell

Into the Blue is a 2005 American action-thriller film directed by John Stockwell. The film stars Paul Walker and Jessica Alba with Scott Caan, Ashley Scott, Josh Brolin and James Frain in supporting roles, and focuses on a group of divers who go treasure hunting and find a sunken plane filled with illicit shipments. The film was co-distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures.

<i>Clean and Sober</i> 1988 film directed by Glenn Gordon Caron

Clean and Sober is a 1988 American drama film directed by Glenn Gordon Caron and starring Michael Keaton as a real estate agent struggling with a substance abuse problem. This film was Keaton's first dramatic departure from comedies. The supporting cast includes Kathy Baker, M. Emmet Walsh, Morgan Freeman, Luca Bercovici and Tate Donovan.

<i>Chances Are</i> (film) 1989 film by Emile Ardolino

Chances Are is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino and starring Cybill Shepherd, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan O'Neal, and Mary Stuart Masterson in Panavision. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre.

<i>Fatal Beauty</i> 1987 film by Tom Holland

Fatal Beauty is a 1987 American action comedy crime thriller film directed by Tom Holland, and starring Whoopi Goldberg as Detective Rita Rizzoli, and Sam Elliott as Mike Marshak. The screenplay was written by Hilary Henkin and Dean Riesner. The original music score was composed by Harold Faltermeyer. The film was marketed with the tagline "An earthquake is about to hit L.A. It's called Detective Rita Rizzoli."

<i>Dangerous Ground</i> (1997 film) 1997 American film

Dangerous Ground is a 1997 American action thriller film starring Ice Cube and Elizabeth Hurley, directed by Darrell Roodt and written by Greg Latter and Darrell Roodt.

<i>Agnes of God</i> (film) 1985 film by Norman Jewison

Agnes of God is a 1985 American neo-noir mystery film directed by Norman Jewison and starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly. It was written by John Pielmeier, based on his 1979 play of the same name. The plot is about a novice nun (Tilly) who gives birth and insists that the dead child was the result of a virginal conception. A psychiatrist (Fonda) and the mother superior (Bancroft) of the convent clash during the resulting investigation.

<i>Kabluey</i> 2007 American film

Kabluey is a 2007 comedy film written and directed by Scott Prendergast.

<i>American Violet</i> 2008 American film

American Violet is a 2008 American drama film directed by Tim Disney and starring Nicole Beharie. The story is based on Regina Kelly, a victim of Texas police drug enforcement tactics.

<i>The Sitter</i> 2011 US black comedy film by David Gordon Green

The Sitter is a 2011 American black comedy film directed by David Gordon Green and written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka. The film follows a slacker college student who, after being suspended, is forced by his mother to fill in for a babysitter that called in sick. During this time, he takes his charges along for his extensive criminal escapades.

<i>10 Years</i> (2011 film) Film by Jamie Linden

10 Years is a 2011 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Jamie Linden in his directorial debut. It stars an ensemble cast including Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan, Justin Long, Kate Mara, Rosario Dawson, Oscar Isaac, Lynn Collins, Chris Pratt, Scott Porter, Brian Geraghty, Aubrey Plaza, and Anthony Mackie. It was released September 14, 2012, in select theaters.

<i>Why Stop Now</i> (film) 2012 American film

Why Stop Now is a 2012 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Phil Dorling and Ron Nyswaner and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo, and Tracy Morgan. It is a feature-length adaptation of their 2008 short film, Predisposed.

<i>Black and White</i> (1999 drama film) 1999 American film directed by James Toback

Black and White is a 1999 American drama film directed by James Toback, and starring Robert Downey Jr., Gaby Hoffmann, Allan Houston, Jared Leto, Scott Caan, Claudia Schiffer, Brooke Shields, Bijou Phillips, and members of the Wu-Tang Clan and Onyx. The film also features Ben Stiller as a sleazy police detective, as well as Mike Tyson playing himself and Michael B. Jordan in his film debut. It had its first showing at the Telluride Film Festival on September 4, 1999, followed by a second screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 1999. It had its theatrical release in the United States on April 5, 2000.

<i>The Sacrament</i> (2013 film) 2013 American found footage horror film by Ti West

The Sacrament is a 2013 American found footage horror film written and directed by Ti West. A. J. Bowen and Joe Swanberg play VICE journalists who document their co-worker's attempt to locate his sister after she joins a reclusive religious commune. The film's plot is inspired by the real-life events of the Jonestown Massacre of 1978.

<i>Learning to Drive</i> (film) 2014 film

Learning to Drive is a 2014 American comedy drama film. Directed by Isabel Coixet and written by Sarah Kernochan based on a New Yorker article by Katha Pollitt, the film stars Patricia Clarkson as Wendy, a successful book critic taking driving lessons with instructor Darwan after the breakup of her marriage to Ted forces her to become more self-sufficient. This is the second collaboration between Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, and Isabel Coixet.

<i>Blockers</i> (film) 2018 American sex comedy film

Blockers is a 2018 American sex comedy film directed by Kay Cannon in her directorial debut, and written by Brian and Jim Kehoe, and starring John Cena, Leslie Mann, and Ike Barinholtz with supporting roles by Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, Gideon Adlon, Graham Phillips, Miles Robbins, Jimmy Bellinger, Colton Dunn, Sarayu Blue, Gary Cole, Gina Gershon, June Diane Raphael, and Hannibal Buress. It tells the story of a trio of parents who try to stop their respective daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. The title of the film is a reference to the act of "cockblocking", with marketing materials displaying a rooster above the title.

References

  1. "AFI|Catalog".
  2. "Firstborn". Rotten Tomatoes .
  3. Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1984). "Reviews : Firstborn". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved October 20, 2024.