Cheap My First Mister (DVD) (Albert Brooks) (Christine Lahti) Price

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Customer Reviews of My First Mister

A lotta g's there. Anyway, the movie starts like this; Jay (as in Jennifer, played by Leelee Sobieski) is a self-centered Goth teen, perceptive in some ways, naive in others; you know, typical teenager. Graduating from school, she needs a job to get her own place, and comes across Randall, a straightlaced but rather kind men's clothing store manager (Albert Brooks), who gives her a job.

The movie goes from there. I won't bother to describe the plot any further because A) it'd blow way too many jokes and B) it's not what you call stunningly original, which would matter if this weren't a character piece. However, this movie isn't about what happens to Jay and "R", as Jay dubs him, but how they cause and react to the events in it.

The relationship is a bit more complicated than friendship; Jay becomes sexually interested in Randall, which some people have found pretty hard to swallow, or have used to dismiss this as another "middle-aged guy wows young girl" movie, a case of boomer ego. Lay your fears to rest; this is a movie about a man and a girl entering a father-daughter relationship, not "Autumn in New York." I really feel sorry for people who got SO caught up in this aspect of the film that they missed its humor, or its heart.

Don't think, however, that just because this movie is touching, it's afraid of going for a belly laugh. The window dressing alone is worth the price of admission. I can't emphasize this enough, this movie is FUNNY!

The acting is great; Brooks and Sobieski, whether dealing with anger or trading one-liners, have sensational chemistry. Carol Kane delivers an excellent character performance as Jay's hyper-perky mother, and Michael McKean is a riot as Jay's...imperceptive stepfather. John Goodman has basically a cameo as Jay's hippie father, and he's funny, as always.

Then there's Christine Lahti's direction. The movie is told from Jay's viewpoint, and at the start, it's gently surreal, with good use made of computer special effects. Lahti handles this with considerable sensitivity, not neglecting the visual aspects in favor of the actors. She does quite a good job.

This is a movie infused with warmth, heart, and bittersweetness. It's good for a laugh, and good for a cry, and I heartily recommend it if you want either or both.

Well maybe even 4 1/2 stars...
This is a wonderful and charming movie that really grabbed me emotionally & held on tight (hey, I'm an over-50 male). PLus what a cast! Albert Brooks, Carol Kane, Michael McKean & John Goodman! Wow, fun set. I've always liked Christine Lahti very very much as an actress & I hope she gets a lot of work as a director because she's done a terrific job.

The major kudos must go, in my book, to Albert Brooks. What a wonderful performance he gives. A complete, funny, vulnerable, humorous, self-deprecating grown-up guy. Boy if anyone deserved an oscar in the year this movie came out, he did. But he's always been at the pinnacle of whatever he was doing, way back to when he was a ventriloquist on the Tonight show & talked while his dummy drank!

I love you Albert. You're a real Albert Einstein!

I did hold back a star or so because some of the subsidiary male characters annoyed me. I felt the writing of the John Goodman character & of Randy who shows up later was a real cheap "men-are-all-bozos" shot. Not worthy of the rest of the film.

Life Changing Movie
One of the best movies I've ever seen. Well written, well directed, and very moving. An extremely relevant and serious subject. Wonderful combination of heartfelt emotions and wit. I made my 15 year old daughter sit down and watch it with me!