At First Sight (1999) - Quotes

Science and love provide different perspectives

Taglines: Science gave him sight. She gave him vision.

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Love Awakens Your Senses

Taglines: Only Love Can Bring You To Your Senses.

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Questioning Perception and Awareness

Ethan: Are you blind?

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Limbo and New Jersey: A Comparison

Phil Webster: Limbo is like New Jersey. You can see all the good stuff, you just have to get there.

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The Importance of Active Perception and Exploration

Phil Webster: Virgil - look - you have to learn to see - just like you learned to speak. Only this is not like learning a new language - it's like learning language for the first time. Perception - sight - life, is about experience - about reaching out and exploring the world for yourself. It's not enough to just see Virgil—we've got to look as well.

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Understanding Support for Those Who Struggle

Jennie Adamson: Amy - when Virgil was very young, he couldn't see those close to him - so he never learned to reach out. Don't expect him to reach out when he's in pain, or confused, or unhappy. If you really care about him you have to just be there for him.

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The Dual Nature of Hope

Jennie Adamson: Hope is like fire, it can keep you warm - or it can burn you.

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Questioning the Desire for Change

Jennie Adamson: When there's something you've adapted to, accepted - you'd just want to change it without even thinking about it?

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Understanding Through Touch and Connection

Amy Benic: I can tell he's sensing everything about me with a simple touch. He listens to my every word as if it's the only sound on the planet - I feel like even though he can't see me, he knows everything about me. He just moves me - does that sound crazy.

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Finding Emotional Connection After Years of Stagnation

Amy Benic: I've spent the last five years of my adult life with a man who has the emotional content of a soap dish. The only time I saw him cry was doing our tax return three years ago. I need more than that, Betsy. For once in a long, long time I feel like I can breathe again. Just the way he touches me I know I found someone I can connect with.

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Reaching for the Horizon Beyond Our Grasp

Virgil Adamson: I saw the horizon. It's out there. And though I may not ever be able to touch it, it's worth reaching for.

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Seeing Beyond Sight: A Personal Reflection

Virgil Adamson: Growing up blind - I had two dreams. One was to see. The other - to play for the New York Rangers. After the miracle of my short period of sight - I realize - I'd rather play for the Rangers. It's not that it was so awful - I saw many things - some good, some back some that I'm already forgetting. But I realized that our eyes aren't what make us see. We only live in darkness when we don't look - look at what is genuine about ourselves - genuine about others - you don't need eyes for that.

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The Burden of Expectations and Perception

Virgil Adamson: I was better off blind. People don't have these expectations of you you can't live up to. You're blind - fine - they deal with it.

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Awakening to a Changed World

Virgil Adamson: I feel like Rip Van Winkle. I've woken up from a thirty year sleep - and the world's passed me by.

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Overwhelmed by the unexpected moments in life

Virgil Adamson: This is just great - I don't believe this. What's that saying - stop the world I wanna get off.

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Desire for Vision and Connection

Virgil Adamson: Amy. I want the chance to see. The chance to see Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, apples, raisins, a buffalo, a carburetor and the man in the moon. But I would give all that up - just to see this face.

A Moment of Clarity in Perception

Virgil Adamson: Just for a second I felt like I could see you - all of you.

Perceptions of Blindness and Surprise

Virgil Adamson: Of course, most people avoid the subject. You tell them you're blind and they act surprised. "You're blind? Really? I didn't know - you hide it so well." And then they wave their hand in front of your face just to make sure.

The Power of Touch and Sensation

Virgil Adamson: The world is invisible to me - with my touch it comes alive. But only one thing at a time. But when it's raining, I feel everything at once. Sometimes, I wish it could rain inside rain all around us.

The Soundscape of Rain and Space

Virgil Adamson: Listening - the rain - it brings out the contours of everything, gives life to a room I can't see. You hear it?...on the roof dripping down the walls on every side. On the right, on the drainpipe, it's drumming with a deeper, steadier sound - - like a timpani - echoing across the room - tells me the room is large - open. You feel it - in your chest? On the left, the rain says...a fire escape, with its own rhythm - ping - ping. Then listen - there...