This film didn't make much money in the theaters, and that is possibly because it had a limited release and opened in April rather than winter or summer. It did run on HBO during the spring of 1983, then disappeared off of the face of the planet. It's a small film with big ideas and very much worth your time.
Tom Sullivan was actually born in 1947, so Tom was in college in the mid to late 60's. This film doesn't try to bring the story back in time. It plays just like it is happening present day, which in this case was 1982. Mark Singer plays Tom with real heart and humor. I read Roger Ebert's review of this film, and he apparently didn't like it at all. He talks about it being an endless series of frat boy-like jokes and bad behavior, but I think that is the point. Most college age boys engage in all kinds of bad behavior - in Tom's case, getting in a fight in an English style pub, trying to crash his girlfriend's sorority party by coming up through the sewer, making a speech on the campus lawn about the blind taking over one night when the lights go out, having a last night of passion with an ex flame while in a relationship with his future wife, etc. In short, Tom sees himself as a normal guy, not a handicapped guy, and people - at least people his own age - largely respond in kind.
The two exceptions? Tom proposes to a girl and she declines, not because she doesn't love him, but because she can't see them overcoming both his blindness and the other blockade society would put in their way. I'll let you watch and see what I mean. Also, towards the end of the film, Tom confronts a frightening situation that is so frightening mainly because he is blind. Afterwards, Tom then tells his future wife that he realizes now that people see him as a blind man. But don't think that the film ends on a downer like this, because there is one more humorous situation to come.
The film in its entirety is humorous and inspiring largely because it is based on a true story. I'd recommend it if you can ever find it. It is truly a shame that VCI or Shout Factory or some other company that often takes on good but orphaned films has never bothered to put this out on DVD. Highly recommended.
Tom Sullivan was actually born in 1947, so Tom was in college in the mid to late 60's. This film doesn't try to bring the story back in time. It plays just like it is happening present day, which in this case was 1982. Mark Singer plays Tom with real heart and humor. I read Roger Ebert's review of this film, and he apparently didn't like it at all. He talks about it being an endless series of frat boy-like jokes and bad behavior, but I think that is the point. Most college age boys engage in all kinds of bad behavior - in Tom's case, getting in a fight in an English style pub, trying to crash his girlfriend's sorority party by coming up through the sewer, making a speech on the campus lawn about the blind taking over one night when the lights go out, having a last night of passion with an ex flame while in a relationship with his future wife, etc. In short, Tom sees himself as a normal guy, not a handicapped guy, and people - at least people his own age - largely respond in kind.
The two exceptions? Tom proposes to a girl and she declines, not because she doesn't love him, but because she can't see them overcoming both his blindness and the other blockade society would put in their way. I'll let you watch and see what I mean. Also, towards the end of the film, Tom confronts a frightening situation that is so frightening mainly because he is blind. Afterwards, Tom then tells his future wife that he realizes now that people see him as a blind man. But don't think that the film ends on a downer like this, because there is one more humorous situation to come.
The film in its entirety is humorous and inspiring largely because it is based on a true story. I'd recommend it if you can ever find it. It is truly a shame that VCI or Shout Factory or some other company that often takes on good but orphaned films has never bothered to put this out on DVD. Highly recommended.