First Born (2006)

A divorced mom struggling to raise two adolescent boys becomes involved with a dangerous loser. Tension and violence erupt in household when the man moves in bringing his drug problems with him.System Requirements:Run Time: 99 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: NR UPC: 687797117090 Manufacturer No: FLP-11709 Product Description

A real movie to pay attention to.

I rented this movie last nite. I won't go over all the details, because they've been beautifully commented in most of the other reviews. But, I ended up rewinding the last 5 minutes of the movie again, because the ending was unbelievably sad and realistic. It does its job to make the point clear, that mothers of newborns, really need to be watched and paid attention to. I think we all get too caught up with the stress of everyday life that we forget about the obvious signs of depression or worse. I think the most interesting part was that when she went into the baby's room at the last scene, she didn't even seem to "see" the baby. Her attention was sharply focused on the doll and the mistakes she made with it (leaving it on the lawn, in the pool, etc.). Unfortunately doll and baby had blended into each other. The awful mistakes she made with the baby (i.e., locked in the basement with baby upstairs helpless, leaving baby in carseat in car) were not separated anymore. Maybe in her mind, trying to dance again, was her mind's way of telling her to start over. Very sad, very depressing, but I guess it needed to be said. Elizabeth Shue proves again and again that she is a good actress. The actor who was her husband was not a believable match. There was nothing attractive about him. Not only his looks, but the very idea she'd be married to this kind of zero-personality snob, is a stretch. But.....it may be what the director wanted people to notice? October 2, 2008

Not for anyone pregnant!

This is really a case study on post-partum depression, not a scary thriller. If it was not so BLATANTLY misadvertised, it probably would have been a better movie. I don't recommend the movie, but I recommend it even less if you are pregnant or a new mom! November 20, 2007

I was glued to the screen!

Elizabeth Shue's portrayal of a woman in crisis after giving birth is hipnotic! I could not take my eyes off the screen, from her most simple and mundane scenes to her most shocking ones, you can see the depth and with of the emotions and events that are overcoming this very relatable homemaker. This movie is as much as good entertainment as it is a social commentary on the circumstances that surround many real people that become invisible to their family and doctors in times of emotional crisis. September 23, 2007

MISLEADINGLY MARKETED...watch out!!

FIRST BORN is NOT a tale of the supernatural. If you want to hear more, I must warn you that much of the rest of this review could be considered a spoiler.

When you look at the box and read the description, it sounds for all the world like the film will be an old-school creepy horror movie. Haunted house kinda thing. It most emphatically is NOT.

This movie is an exploration of Post-Partum depression and Post-partum psychosis. It is told pretty much from the mother's (victim's) point of view and this makes it seem like a thriller or horror movie...because her perceptions are so whacked out. (It makes me a little sad to see some of the other reviews here talking about how frustrating a character Elizabeth Shue plays...the woman is suffering from a mental illness folks!)

From that regard, I suppose it is an unusual, and perhaps to a limited degree illuminating, movie. It is also VERY slowly paced, poorly cast and mostly unsatisfying. It is an hour-long episode of a cable TV show spread out over 90 minutes.

Years ago, Elizabeth Shue was nominated for an Oscar for LEAVING LAS VEGAS. Her work in that movie and just a few others WAS pretty good. But for the most part, she really isn't a good actress. Also, the script lets her down, because we never get to see her as a normal, nice person. She is moody and kinda unlikeable right from the start...so we aren't terribly invested in her story.

The other performers in the film are mostly dreadful. The British actor playing her husband is bland and the "faux Eastern European" actress playing the nanny is over the top...almost from a movie from the '30s or '40s.

The movie shows its low budget roots by having many scenes with supporting characters who don't speak. It's cheaper to pay an extra with no lines than a bit player with one line...so when Shue's character is giving birth...no one in the delivery room utters a line. I suppose some would argue that this contributes to understanding her feelings of isolation...but I found it unreasonably distracting.

It was a mildly interesting film...but not what we were expecting. If you want a straight exploration of one woman's unsettling descent into madness...you might like it okay. For me, I just sort of endured it so I could see what happened at the end. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. September 20, 2007

Um.... What?

The first hour of this movie was great! All of the creepy moments, the weird things happening all around her and the clues to what is causing it all.

Then it just got stupid. Really, really stupid. I won't spoil the ending, but it just made me mad! What did the diary mean? Who was the girl at the grocery store? What happened to the girl who lived in the house, was she the girl on the bus? What was that doll? What was the thing the nanny hid under the crib? All of the cryptic clues and scary moments equalled absolutly nothing when this movie was over. Not a single question answered.

Why even put that stuff in there if you aren't going to use it later?
What a waste of time. A psychological thriller this movie is NOT. August 19, 2007

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