Firstborn

Firstborn has been one of my favorite films since its release. It has a terrific script and fine performances by all the actors. I have worked with children as an educational therapist and have known many students who had step-parents that were abusive. Even a second cousin of mine has brought boyfriends into her home to live who would make Peter Weller's character look saintly by comparison. Teri Garr, like many deserted or divorced mothers, becomes flattered by the attention she is getting from Peter Weller, and their obvious sexual bonding makes it easy for her to overlook the potential harm to her children that moving him in might cause. While many critics didn't like that the film adds drug use about midway through, this too is more common than many think. This was Corey Haim's first film, and his reaction early on when learning that his dad is getting remarried, shows what a fine actor he was. I am so glad I have the VHS tape and have put a cable copy on a home DVD. If you like serious family drama, do yourself a favor and try to find a VHS tape to rent or buy. It is a heart wrenching but ultimately satisfying movie, and you get to watch early performances by Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Junior. The director, Michael Apted, should be very proud. It richly deserves a DVD release. (Update 2012: Firstborn has finally been made available on DVD).

Wendy(Garr) is a single mom raising two boys, Jake(Collett) and Brian(Haim). After seeing that her ex-husband has moved on in his life she gets in a relationship with Sam(Weller).

At first Sam seems to be a nice guy, but that soon changes. He keeps coming up with different ways to make money but never follows through. He moves in with the family way too soon and even starts helping himself to the boys belongings. He invites shady looking friends to the house late at night to have Coke parties and starts to become verbally abusive to all and physically abusive to Wendy. She keeps telling the boys that Sam is trying and to be patient but the stress of this affects the boys as well.

Jake is a great student, athletic and fun-loving. As the stress keeps welling up in him it causes problems in his relationship with his girlfriend Lisa(Jessica-Parker). He becomes verbally abusive to his friends and more aggressive on the Lacrosse field. Up to this point he has been tolerant of his self absorbed, egomaniac teacher but even starts to become defiant with him as well.

Brian avoids home as much as he can and keeps getting into bad fights in school.

When Jake discovers that Sam is trafficking drugs through the house he has finally had enough and takes it upon himself to make a stand.

This movie is a great example of how a bad relationship can cause stress on more than two lives. Stress becomes a trickle down effect and can be very damaging especially to young lives.

That's probably reducing the effectiveness of this good (albeit dated) family melodrama from director Michael Apted. An early role from Robert Downey Jr. (his Melba Toast one-liner is memorable and classic dry Downey Jr.), Peter Weller, who at the time was best known as the likeable offbeat hero Buckaroo Banzai. And the debut of the less annoying of the two Coreys (Haim).

In Firstborn, Weller plays Sam, a leech of a character who charms his way into the life of Wendy, a recent divorcee with two high school sons and desperate to find a new man to fill the role of stepdad. Wendy is played by Teri Garr, coming off two highly successful comedies (Tootsie and Mr. Mom) and apparently eager to show her dramatic chops. She does a good job, too...the proud mother of an honor roll student and his much less mature (and not just because of his age) kid brother.

Sam floats in and is aloof at first with the two sons Jake and Brian. Then he tries to win their affection by grilling out with the family (cooking with Mesquite!), tossing a baseball around with them, and buying them unexpected ritzy gifts like a moped for Jake. Sam talks about opening a restaurant too. Where is his money coming from?

Jake senses something is off with the guy. As more is revealed about Sam's shadiness, Jake starts faltering in school, failing tests and getting into heated arguments with his teachers. Even his friendships with Iron Man and Carrie Bradshaw (another early career role in the movie - Sarah Jessica Parker) turn sour. Jake then discovers Sam's source of income and the movie turns into a domestic thriller.

This movie was the first produced by Sherry Lansing at Paramount. The finale involves a fight in a suburban home that foretells a future movie she would produce with Michael Douglas and Glenn Close. Even little Brian (Corey Haim) comes to the rescue with a bat.

Out of all of the actors, the most memorable performances have to be from Christopher Collet, as Jake, and Weller, as the shady and eventually dangerous Sam. Collet would later star in the underrated sci fi comedy "The Manhattan Project," and then apparently drop off the face of the Earth. Weller became RoboCop.

Garr is effective and if she seems weak in the film, it's because her character initially is weak. Even Haim is quite good as the little brother, and would appear two years later in the underrated high school romance "Lucas" before teaming up with the other Corey for his skyrocketing popularity, and eventual downfall.

This is a decent drama that plays a bit like a TV movie, but with the success of "Ordinary People" and other early '80s dramas focused on American families, made it to the box office for a very brief run. It later became a sleeper hit on video.

FIRSTBORN (1984) *** Teri Garr, Peter Weller, Christopher Collet, Corey Haim, Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert Downey, Jr. Absorbing story of a teenager facing his mother's sudden downward spiral thanks to a shifty loser (Weller in a nice turn). Good acting and an original sleeper.

If you're an 80's film buff, you couldn't ask for anything better than Firstborn. Peter Weller being creepier than creepy, Cory Haim being earnest, Sarah Jessica Parker being mousy, and Teri Garr addicted to coke. Does it get any better? I found the film looking for more Christopher Collet flicks (he's the dreamy 13-year-old Paul of Sleepaway Camp), and he knocks this role out of the park as an engaging and increasingly troubled teen trying to keep his family together. Though the subject matter is a little heavy, Apted keeps you riveted, and Firstborn proves itself to be a heartfelt and endearing look at a family ripped apart. Not only is this Corey Haim's first film, but the entire cast is outstanding. Do yourself a favor and see it.