Synopsis
Because he's the oldest, Jake has been the man of the house, since his parents divorce. When Mom starts seeing Sam, who always seems to be trying some new way to get rich quick, and declares he's the man of the house now, Jake puts up with it. Until he discovers Sam's illegal activities.
Votre Filmothèque
Cast
- Teri GarrWendy
- Peter WellerSam
- Christopher ColletJake Livingston
- Corey HaimBrian Livingston
- Sarah Jessica ParkerLisa
- Robert Downey Jr.Lee
- Chris GartinMr. Rader
- James HarperMr. Rader
- Larry AtlasStranger
- Ned EisenbergLearner Driver (uncredited)
Recommandations
- 88
Washington Post
Michael Apted (who was due for a hit film) directed this fiery film, brilliantly layered scene-on-scene without a wasted frame. The odd camera angles presage the evil that will infect the happy home and put us on an eye-level with the boys whose spats gradually disappear as the two come to rely on each other. [26 Oct 1984, p.21] - 70
The New York Times
It is to the credit of Mr. Apted, and to a cast including some very believable young actors, that Firstborn moves swiftly and smoothly enough to dispel much nitpicking about plot points, at least for a time. - 63
Miami Herald
Despite its weaknesses, Firstborn is a movie that deals sensitively with the emotional trials of single-parent families. And it is one of the few that treats adolescents with respect. This film is a must-see for parents and teen-agers and could provoke a long, long talk. [26 Oct 1984, p.C1] - 50
Washington Post
Director Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter) settles for a movie of pat moralism, a pamphleteer's parable of how drugs destroy families. - 50
Chicago Reader
It might have worked if Apted were as adept at creating an emotional atmosphere as he is in his portraiture of the suburban milieu, but too many unshaped scenes and redundant dialogue passages take their toll. - 50
Chicago Sun-Times
The movie creates such an urgent situation, and fills it with such interesting characters, that when everything goes wrong at the end I felt more than disappointed, I felt cheated. - 50
TV Guide Magazine
This flawed but interesting Freudian melodrama spends about 70 minutes making points and the last 30 minutes losing them. - 50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
The first half of Firstborn is a first-rate domestic melodrama, faultlessly acted by all concerned, though you may wonder if the interactions would not have been a bit more compelling had the invading force been a bit less obviously, obnoxiously evil. The second half goes over the edge into a Hollywood hell. [26 Oct 1984]
