30 Second Bottom Line: A 17 year-old girl develops a relationship with a 49-year-old man that changes not only their lives, but effects everyone around them.
Story Line: Jennifer (LeeLee Sobieski), though maybe not the daughter from hell, makes you wonder if you are in it. She has so much facial jewelry that it's easier to spot silver than skin. Jennifer is potentially suicidal, inflicting small cuts on her body. She is alive but wonders why.
Her mother (Carol Kane) has remarried and seems delighted to be a loony suburban housewife who is always smiling regardless of whether she has anything to smile about. Mother and daughter are mentally on different planes of existence.
Jennifer's take on life is that she needs a job for clothes and spending money, so in spite of believing that "employment sucks," she looks for a job. She gets fired from Retail Slut, a shop where her looks fit the clientele, because of her attitude rather than the fact that she steals from them. As she applies for employment at an upscale shopping mall, she is thrown out of one place after another.
One stop is Rutherford's, a button-down clothing store, where she meets Randall (Albert Brooks), the store manager, while he is dressing a mannequin. At first repulsed, he tells her that if she cleans up, he might have something for her in the stock room.
Once she is hired, Jennifer gets the back room well organized and one day when both Randall and Jack (Henry Brown) are busy with customers, a browser asks her a question and she surprises everyone by selling him an expensive suit and accessories.
As Jennifer starts to change, so does Randall, even though he is a loner. He gives her a ride home, after he sees her waiting for a bus one day. It's a mystery as to what makes Randall tick. The real question here is that we have a man pushing 50 and a young woman he can't have a legal sexual relationship with who are clearly attracted to one another. Will they become sexually involved or is there something even deeper that may happen…or both?
Tell Me More About It: This film has some gross humor that is not gross out just for the sake of it. I dare anyone not to smile when they see people walking around in a steam room.
LeeLee Sobieski is an engaging young woman and a fine actress who reminds you of Rachel Lee Cook from a distance and Helen Hunt when up close looking at her eyes. Combined with the excellent balance of reserve, humor, and mentorship, Albert Brooks takes My First Mister far beyond your normal coming of age film.
John Goodman is a dad once again (Coyote Ugly), but rather than having a boring job as a tollbooth collector, he's a marijuana smoking hippie who owns a restaurant and is an irresponsible father. Jennifer has parents that might make any kid walk around with more jewerely on their face than zits.
The film was shot in 29 days, after two weeks of rehearsal. Probably the most charming aspect of the film is it's ability for Randall to give Jennifer her future while she gives him his past. While not a great film, it's one that has lots of beautiful moments that touch your heart. Maybe its best value is that it can tell you about a number of "f" words where profanity is not the focus: friends, family, fate, forgiveness and forever.
DVD