Firstborn (1984)

Summary

A boy's life is disrupted when his mom lets her obnoxious boyfriend move into their house.

Director

Michael Apted

Downey Factor

Low.

Character

Lee, the weirdo member of Corey Haim's group of friends, which resembles the cast of an old Sunny Delight commercial.

Looks

One word: eighties.

Performance

Trying hard to make something of a minor role.

Dies, Gay or Villain

No, no, no.

Cast

Teri Garr, Corey Haim, Sarah Jessica Parker

Connection

Sarah Jessica Parker in Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

RDJ Says

[Sarah Jessica Parker] was sitting across the room, and I thought, "You have a lot to learn from this person." We moved in together two weeks later ... I think, the second movie part I ever got. I moved into [Sarah Jessica Parker's] apartment shortly thereafter ... I went in for an audition and was obnoxious, and Michael Apted dug it. I would go to interviews, and people would ask how I supported myself when I wasn't acting, and I would say, "By my spine."

Gossip

During the filming, Downey taught Corey Haim how to use hair gel. It was also the origins of his 7 year relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker.

Availability

Released in theaters 26 October 1984. Not available on DVD. Released on Blu-ray 31 July 2012.

Foreign Titles

Brazil: Quando se Perde a Ilusão (When We Lose Our Illusion)
Finland: Painajaisten Isäpuoli (Nightmare Stepfather)
Germany: Moving In - Eine fast intakte Familie (Moving In: A Nearly Intact Family)
Norway: Innflytteren (Sojourner)
Portugal: Laços de Família (Family Ties)
Spain: Un Extraño en Casa (A Stranger in the House)
Sweden: Mammas Nya Kille (Mom's New Boyfriend)

Rotten Tomatoes

33% Fresh | 12 Reviews

Critical View

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The climactic scenes in Firstborn are so dismally predictable that I even got a little angry. The movie had been so good that somehow it didn't have the right to evade all the issues it had raised and just turn into a suburban thriller.

Janet Maslin, 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. There's a lot about the story that finally doesn't add up.

Does It Hold Up

It's safe to say that almost nobody is aware this movie even exists, and the only thing of note about it now is that super young Robert Downey Jr and Sarah Jessica Parker were in it.

2 Reasons to See It

1. You're desperate to see a bad Lifetime movie but don't know where to find one.
2. Transport yourself to a mystical world where Corey Haim was a bigger star than Robert Downey Jr and Sarah Jessica Parker combined.

Overall

If you must, here's a tip: after Corey Haim has a confrontation with the teacher, Downey has no more screen time. Do yourself a favor and just stop watching there.

If You Liked It

You might also like Weird Science (1985), Less Than Zero (1987), the Lifetime Movie Network.

Photos

Video