A young blind man (Pine) thinks he's found love with an Indian woman (Jay) though their relationship is fraught with cultural differences.
A charming young blind man signs up for a dangerous experimental procedure: brain surgery that might give him partial vision. While taking tests, he falls hard for the lovely East Indian nurse, but she has been promised in an arranged marriage--a promise she feels she cannot break without dishonoring her family. But when the man's brain surgery goes unexpectedly awry, the crisis reunites the enamored young pair.—gavin ([email protected])
Danny Valdessecchi (Chris Pine) is an intelligent, handsome, charming boy who happens to be blind. Having been blind from birth (His mother blames herself as Danny was born a few months premature), he volunteers for a risky experimental procedure that may restore his sight -- having a microchip installed in the visual cortex of his brain that connects to a camera that would give him only, at best, fuzzy black and white images.
Danny's entire family is very supportive of him. Danny's father sent him to normal school as he never wanted to go to a school for the blind.His brother Larry (Eddie Kaye Thomas) used to pick on him as a child, but as an adult he is extremely protective of Danny.Danny has to seek therapy from Dr Evans (Jane Seymour) who is also infatuated with Danny and uses his blindness to undress herself in his sessions. Danny is dealing with an inferiority complex and feels that all girls are only sympathetic to his disability, and don't really find him attractive.The family is distraught that Danny has signed up for experimental procedure without consulting with them. They don't agree with the risks Danny is signing up for.Jay (Pooch Hall) is Danny's only friend, who understands that Danny desires a normal life. Danny doesn't use a cane and he does not think of himself as blind.
During the tests he meets a beautiful Indian nurse, Leeza (Anjali Jay). Dr Perkins explains to Danny that he will insert a chip inside Danny's brain (in the visual part of the cortex) and the signal from a special set of glasses (which Danny will have to wear), will go directly to the brain and that's how Danny will be able to see. The best that Danny can hope for is a black and white image, that is enough to stop bumping into things, and maybe enough to see a face.
Meanwhile, because Danny is a virgin at 22, his brother Larry, who runs a limousine service, gets him a string of hilariously disastrous blind dates in between rentals. Suzie (Katy Mixon) is a prostitute who "services" Larry's customers in the back of his limousine, in exchange for a cut of her earnings. Suzie finds Danny very handsome and offers to have sex with him. But Danny says that he is looking for the real thing, and not paid for sex.Danny goes with Mandy (Jayma Mays) who cries when she finds that Danny is blind. Danny hates when girls sympathize with him just because he is blind.Next, he goes with Heidi (Judith Benezra) who is a dominatrix, but only uses Danny's blindness to get her way. She wants to have sex with Danny in the restroom of the restaurant. Danny barely manages to escape.The next girl blindfolds herself so she can feel the way Danny feels. Danny drops her back home from the limousine itself.
Danny is irritated with Leeza at first but is fascinated that Leeza does not treat him like a cripple like all other girls. He asks her out for dinner. They go for a date at an Indian restaurant owned by Leeza's family. At the end of the date, Danny shares a kiss with Leeza.When Danny finally realizes that he is falling for Leeza, she tells him she cannot see him anymore because she has been promised in an arranged marriage. Leeza's mom recites her own experience in having a relationship with a "white boy" (she says that the boy met a beautiful American girl and ditched her and she met Leeza's father just after that) and convinces Leeza to honor her commitment to her arranged fiance "Arvind" (Sendhil Ramamurthy). Leeza's father Mr Raja (Iqbal Theba) is very supportive of her ambitions and desires.Arvind wants to help run the family business, but Leeza wants a career of her own.
After Leeza leaves, Danny tries a few more "blind" dates but is sick of every girl either being disgusted with his disability or treating him with sympathy that he does not desire.
Believing that Leeza did not pursue their relationship because of his being blind, Danny becomes depressed and stops taking the necessary tests for his brain surgery.Danny's family, his eccentric psychotherapist Dr. Evans (Jane Seymour) and eye doctor Dr. Perkins (Stephen Tobolowsky) advise him to continue because it is his only chance of seeing, and soon Danny is successfully operated on. He sees his family's faces for the first time, but not Leeza's, who leaves town after saying goodbye to Danny when he comatose after the surgery, reluctantly preparing for her marriage.
Soon the experiment proves to be a failure, as the fragile prosthesis in his brain moves, clouding his already weak vision, and Danny goes back to being blind. Realizing that he really loves Leeza, he bursts into the wedding, professing his love for her and saying "Love is how you speak to me. Love is how you touch me...and guide me showing me the way to go. And when we kiss, when we kiss, it moves me to my soul." The couple kiss.
At this interruption from Danny, Leeza's marriage is called off. Danny and Leeza start over, learning more about each other's family and culture.
