At First Sight

"Some seeing eye dog, more like sleeping eye dog."

"I may not have been a lot of places - but I read about things, then make an image up here --(points to his head)--that works for me."

"Listening - the rain - it brings out the contours of everything, gives life to a room I can't see. You hear it?...on the roof dripping down the walls on every side. On the right, on the drainpipe, it's drumming with a deeper, steadier sound - - like a timpani - echoing across the room - tells me the room is large - open. You feel it - in your chest? On the left, the rain says...a fire escape, with its own rhythm - ping - ping. Then listen - there..."

"The world is invisible to me - with my touch it comes alive. But only one thing at a time. But when it's raining, I feel everything at once. Sometimes, I wish it could rain inside rain all around us."

"Of course, most people avoid the subject. You tell them you're blind and they act surprised. "You're blind? Really? I didn't know - you hide it so well." And then they wave their hand in front of your face just to make sure."

"Just for a second I felt like I could see you - all of you."

"Amy. I want the chance to see. The chance to see Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, apples, raisins, a buffalo, a carburetor and the man in the moon. But I would give all that up - just to see this face."

"This is just great - I don't believe this. What's that saying - stop the world I wanna get off."

"I feel like Rip Van Winkle. I've woken up from a thirty year sleep - and the world's passed me by."

"I was better off blind. People don't have these expectations of you you can't live up to. You're blind - fine - they deal with it."

"Growing up blind - I had two dreams. One was to see. The other - to play for the New York Rangers. After the 'miracle' of my short period of sight - I realize - I'd rather play for the Rangers. It's not that it was so awful - I saw many things - some good, some back some that I'm already forgetting. But I realized that our eyes aren't what make us see. We only live in darkness when we don't look - look at what is genuine about ourselves - genuine about others - you don't need eyes for that."

"I saw the horizon. It's out there. And though I may not ever be able to touch it, it's worth reaching for."

"I've spent the last five years of my adult life with a man who has the emotional content of a soap dish. The only time I saw him cry was doing our tax return three years ago. I need more than that, Betsy. For once in a long, long time I feel like I can breathe again. Just the way he touches me I know I found someone I can connect with."

"I can tell he's sensing everything about me with a simple touch. He listens to my every word as if it's the only sound on the planet - I feel like even though he can't see me, he knows everything about me. He just moves me - does that sound crazy."

"When there's something you've adapted to, accepted - you'd just want to change it without even thinking about it?"

"Hope is like fire, it can keep you warm - or it can burn you."

"Amy - when Virgil was very young, he couldn't see those close to him - so he never learned to reach out. Don't expect him to reach out when he's in pain, or confused, or unhappy. If you really care about him you have to just be there for him."

"Virgil - look - you have to learn to see - just like you learned to speak. Only this is not like learning a new language - it's like learning language for the first time. Perception - sight - life, is about experience - about reaching out and exploring the world for yourself. It's not enough to just see Virgil—we've got to look as well."

"Limbo is like New Jersey. You can see all the good stuff, you just have to get there."

"Only Love Can Bring You To Your Senses."

"Science gave him sight. She gave him vision."

"Mira Sorvino - Amy Benic"

"Val Kilmer - Virgil Adamson"

"Kelly McGillis - Jennie Adamson"

"Steven Weber - Duncan Allanbrook"

"Bruce Davison - Dr. Charles Aaron"

"Nathan Lane - Phil Webster"

"Drena De Niro - Caroline"