A Sight for Sore Eyes (2004) User Reviews

A lovely film

[Juliette2005 · 9/10 · 3 October 2005]

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.

BACK TO GOOD OLD FEEL GOOD'S

[jlanevada2003 · 8/10 · 18 August 2003]

Well, someone finally decided to make a 'realistic' film again in the independent/short world. It seems to me that ever since Pulp Fiction's success in the late nineties, everyone with no budget and a camera have been aiming for the shocking, obscure or plain-right left of center because it's a mindless way to get attention. I am a huge fan, (or at least was) of short and independent films until everything being made focused on some form of abuse, sexual confusion or drug related issues. In A Sight For Sore Eyes, I am happy to say they have done none of that. It's a back-to-the-basics love story of two people that come together from worlds apart. I don't want to give too much away, but there are some beautiful angles that were taken with this picture that kept you interested all the way through. I hope to find more simple films like this coming down the pike, cause sometimes they really touch your heart. BRAVO!

Seemed to touch some people

[valmcmartin · 8/10 · 6 June 2004]

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.

Truly, A Sight For Sore Eyes

[edimondo · 10/10 · 22 July 2003]

SPOILER ALERT My only complaint about this film was that it should have been longer, but I guess the filmmaker(s) job is to leave the viewers wanting more. If that's the case, job well done. In this 30 minute (plus or minus)piece, characters are well established, have reason for being in the film and the turn around for the lead character, (Steve) is not an unbelievable one. I remember Hayden (who plays Steve) in Kissing Jessica Stein as one of the swanky guys from her dates, and though he's not swanky here, he did a great job of playing an unlikable guy in a likable way. You don't hate him enough so when he makes his "change of heart" to not forgive him of his past and yearn for him and the female lead to get together. The film ends with them saying, "goodbye." Will they end up back together? I'd sure like to know. Maybe if shorts had sequels, they can button this one up for me.

CHICK FLICK ALERT

[sohohoso2001 · 10/10 · 8 October 2003]

Somehow I get the feeling that this film was meant to appeal to the fairer sex. Not that that's a bad thing considering women decide on over seventy percent of the tickets we buy to the box office and over eighty percent of what we rent at the local video stores. Anyway, guys if you want to put your date in a romantic mood, (assuming it's a girl that you have over) I recommend this one. It has enough of that 'feel good' love without stepping over the bounds that makes women believe that true love is still out there.

Nice short, more like it would be nice.

[merricharmz · 10/10 · 28 May 2004]

I watched this film twice, only because I wasn't really sure what to think after the first pass. I liked the story and thought it was very well executed, (especially for a first-time director) and felt that the whole experience was a pleasant one. It was nice to see Deborah Zoe in a different light, as I have watched her on the soap, Guiding Light for months and haven't liked her much - but hey, its a soap. She has good chops and it really comes across in this film. Hayden Adams, (the man-lead) was good and his scene with Gary Busey was most memorable. That brings me to my next point; I do not know how Gary Busey got involved in this project, but he lent a HUGE part to it. I was huge fan of his in Buddy Holly, Lethal Weapon, Under Siege and most of all as Leroy in Big Wednesday and it's been a shame to see where he has gone in the last ten years. If he can get more rolls like this one, (on a bigger scale, of course) allow himself to be used in this manner in similar vehicles, he could be the next comeback kid, (like Burt Reynolds and John Travolta did). I thought some of the 'bit part' actors were okay, certainly didn't live up to the the Busey, Zoe and Adams level, but that's certainly expected in small films such as this one. This show is honest, it's tender and worth a look if you can find it. It might even pull at your heart strings as another user might have said.

True Love is Blind

[ddeckerblast · 10/10 · 16 August 2003]

This picture meant a lot to me, considering my sister is blind and before her tragic turn of events was the envy of everyone. It was amazing how real-to-life this story was in my family, seeing the girl go from being loved by everyone to someone who became sheltered in her own world, guarded by over-bearing parents and not partaking in life's greatest pleasure...love. This story made me cry my eyes out and I only wish I could share it with my sister.

Where's the Money Shot?

[catwheelie · 9/10 · 3 January 2004]

I would really like to have seen more in this film. Where is the taking advantage of the beautiful Latin girl who is in it for a few minutes. She is a sex symbol! And the lead girl was very hot as well and we see nothing about her in the sense of 'flesh.' There was many pretty women around and why have them if you're not going to show them for what they are. I was disappointed with all the pretty girls and no skin.

Taking advantage of the handicapped, are we?

[dogofmine20022002 · 8/10 · 10 September 2003]

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.

So you want to poke at the blind?

[sueandsaul · 7/10 · 7 February 2005]

This short film was recommended to me through a friend of mine who's sister is blind. No matter what, you can never fool a relative or friend of a blind person, so I want to go on record for saying that however the overall job of the film was pretty well done, I knew the girl was blind. I thought that Gary Busey showed us a side of him that we have not yet seen and I liked it, though I was not sure if I liked the lead actor enough to give this film the accolades that it may deserve. I felt the story was cute and all in all, it was a job well done, but not something I think I would go out of my way to recommend to people. I gave it 7/10 (more for the efforts of the filmmakers).

All We're Missing is Hugh Grant, Sandra Bullock & Kate Hudson

[pleazuresmine2000 · 9/10 · 18 August 2003]

If this isn't an attempt to fall in line with the high-end romance players, I don't know what is. In the vain of "Two Weeks Notice", "How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days" and "Why You Were Sleeping", this film pretty much covers all the above mentioned story lines but thankfully creeps into some originality with the girl's handicap. Unlike most films in this genre, Sight wraps it up in less than half an hour (it's a short) and with its high production value and good storyline you can't help but wonder how & why the studios are shelling out 40-60 million dollars on these simple "puppy-love" type flicks. Oh, in this film they didn't have Hugh Grant, Sandra Bullock or Kate Hudson so, I guess that answers that.

Small World

[smartydaren · 7/10 · 21 January 2005]

I was visiting in Germany of all places this fall and came across this DVD in a street market. It had to have been a boot leg copy, as the artwork on the box was all self done and looked really hideous. I am a HUGE Gary Busey fan, which is what led me to look at this as it was laying in a soggy cardboard box of miscellaneous videos and DVD's. What was really funny was the fact that I went to high school with the director of this movie - so I had to get it. Unfortunately for me, I can't watch it because as I've been told the DVD I got in Europe was in some other type of format I cannot view here in America, Pal or something of the sort - so I could not actually watch a clear copy. I was then able to find someplace to view it and actually enjoyed the show. Gary Busey gave a side of him that I have never seen before. He started out like his usual macho and crazy self but turned into a real emotional guy in the end, crying over his daughter's tragic misfortunes.

The Sight of the Blind

[billdpig · 5/10 · 24 October 2003]

This film has the elements to make a good full length film. It's about thirty minutes long, (same as most sitcoms) but it is not a sitcom. They're are some funny moments when the guy and the father, (Busey) meet and talk at the house, but that's funny. Most of the movie is serious because of the story and you feel bad for this girl who got all dressed up for her big night out and might be left behind to stay at her house. He takes her and they wind up getting along but after he yells at his friend for playing a dirty trick. The women in this film were all very, very pretty which makes a film like this more fun to watch.

A pretty nice story

[dapeetingzoo · 9/10 · 19 December 2005]

I saw this film at a recent screening at a class I attended here in NY. It was a course on being able to spin a story in a tight amount of time and the instructor used this film as strong example of back story and story arch. One thing that impressed me was in this 20 min or so film, I felt like I knew everything I needed to know about all the players and cared about them all. My major is not film, but I sat with others who are majoring and they pretty much agreed that the beginning, middle and end of this short covered a lot of ground. What was a bit unclear, but may have been intentional, was what was next for the main characters. It was left for the audience to think about which was nice, but going back to my original comment, with all the back story and layout - an ending without one. We watched about 3 others and this one by far covered a back story, a character change, and a new path for the characters to go onto. A good effort and wonderful story with some respectable acting.

Kathy D

Independence is a good thing

[nicenipplez · 9/10 · 5 August 2003]

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.

More information would be nice

[feltitlow · 8/10 · 16 January 2005]

I saw this film in a weekend seminar at NYU and unfortunately it was in a large room and was sandwiched with about a dozen other short films. I tried to get more information on this show and to no avail, but I really liked it. The topic or subject the instructors were giving was on 'bang for buck'/'putting it on the screen' and that's why this was in the sessions. Apparently the low budget goal is about $1,000.00 (a thousand dollars) per minute, and here they still achieved high production value and they said that this film was done for roughly $10,000.00 and was about a half hour in length. They came well under the target for low budget film-making and were able to get pro equipment and some known talent (like Busey, Zoe and Reyes). It stood well against other short films made by big named directors and actors and I'd love to know where I could see it again or get a copy (see my message board on this film).

Sometimes you get more than you bargained for

[down2cabo2000 · 8/10 · 14 April 2004]

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.

They have my vote.

[davealmighty · 8/10 · 17 July 2003]

I must admit, I hate shorts. But this one's an exception. A friend of mine screens content for a film festival here in Los Angeles and I was at his office when he put this one up and I (we) were truly impressed. The production quality, the cast of characters, the locations, sound, editing and direction was all top notch, (not a common thing in shorts). It's a very touching story that was well handled and I think this film will launch the careers of those involved to a whole new level, (being most of the names are unknowns). Gary Busey was a nice touch as well, a very different role for him - (he might want to do more films like this in the future).

They say they want more of Closer - how about more of Sight?

[jerrypozer · 7/10 · 30 January 2005]

I saw the film Closer last week and yes, it was brilliantly acted but what in the hell does the public need a film like this for? It really opens your eyes to the deceptive sexual lifestyle of swapping and swingers that destroys the American family. They advertise that critics (like Rolling Stone Magazine) states - why can't there be a hundred films like it? What the heck do we need that for? Then I realized what they possibly could mean. If you peel back the deceptive layers of Closer, you realize that the writing, acting and the way the relationships were handled - makes for brilliant story telling. The reason I mention this here (as I have copied to the Closer comments) is that there are films out there that are honest and pure of relationships and not buried under special effects, five kids locked in a cabin as they are slashed one-by-one or films just buried in some slick studio marketing scheme of selling action figures and party favors to children. I truly hope that more films like this do get made, whether or not I agree with the content, is besides the point - but back to basic film-making is refreshing.