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21-541: The building is among the earliest examples of the type of Rustic park lodges common in state and national parks. Construction required two years at a cost variously reported as $ 100,000 and $ 150,000. It was designed by the New York City firm of Tooker & Marsh in a style strongly influenced by the Adirondack Great Camps . Stone used in the foundations, wall facades and the two remarkably large fireplaces,

42-571: A New York Rangers game. At the game, Virgil realizes that the "fluffy cloud" he last remembers seeing was cotton candy. He suffers a lengthened vision blackout and admits to Amy that he is going blind, which Amy refuses to accept. Back home, Virgil and Amy argue. He asks if she wants to spend her life with him if he is going to be blind forever. Amy hesitates, and Virgil decides to return home. Virgil eases back into his old way of life. While losing his sight, Virgil decides to look at as many things as possible, going through magazines and pictorial books in

63-406: A high-end charity fund-raising event for the project and said renovation was to begin in 2010. Reports since then put the expected cost across a fairly wide range, while accounts of some other details have also varied. In April 2009, a comparatively detailed report in a local Orange County media outlet put costs at $ 15 million, indicating work had been ongoing. A public lounge area which had included

84-457: A reunion; Virgil goes to his father's workplace, but decides at the last minute that he cannot face him yet. On one of the regular visits with Webster, they engage in a deep conversation, where Webster notes that instead of just "seeing", Virgil should "look"; there are a lot of things that sight alone cannot solve. Virgil confesses that he and Amy are drifting apart, but insists that Amy is the most important thing in his life. Upon returning from

105-518: A specialist in eye treatment who suggests to Virgil that, with surgery, he could restore his sight. Virgil angrily refuses. Jennie reveals that their father left the family after putting Virgil through several kinds of treatments in order to restore his sight. Virgil eventually decides he will give the operation a try. It is a success, but after Virgil regains sight, he becomes confused and disoriented, unable to perceive light and distance. Dr. Aaron suggests that he should visit Phil Webster ( Nathan Lane ),

126-480: A visual physiotherapist. Webster in turn suggests that Virgil needs to learn everything from scratch himself, through experience. Virgil and Amy begin living in New York City. The pair begin drifting apart, as Virgil finds it hard to decipher the look on Amy's face at times. Amy finds herself constantly having to explain basic things to Virgil. While at a party, Virgil walks into a glass pane due to his poor perception. Virgil's father sees him on television and arranges

147-460: A work trip to Atlanta , where she and her ex-husband shared a sensual moment, Amy decides to save the relationship. She finds Virgil in a park looking for "the horizon" in the city. Virgil's sight begins deteriorating. After consulting with Dr. Aaron, Virgil realizes that he is losing his sight yet again. He decides to look for his father. Virgil reveals to him that he is going blind again, and asks him why he left. His father tells him that he felt he

168-610: Is a style of architecture in the United States used in rural government and private structures and their landscape interior design. It was influenced by the American Craftsman style. According to the National Park Service , “The style of architecture which has been most widely used in our forested National Parks , and other wilderness parks, is generally referred to as "rustic.” It is, or should be, something more than

189-449: Is based on the essay "To See and Not See" in neurologist Oliver Sacks 's 1995 book An Anthropologist on Mars and inspired by the true life story of Shirl Jennings . The film was written by Steve Levitt. Amy Benic ( Mira Sorvino ) takes a vacation at a spa outside New York City . Virgil Adamson ( Val Kilmer ) is a masseur at the spa and gives Amy a massage. Amy inexplicably cries and Virgil comforts her. While complimenting Virgil on

210-690: The Moon Comes Over the Mountain " while at the inn. If so, the mountain in question might be Anthony's Nose which lies to the east across the Hudson River. Madame Chiang Kai-shek spent two weeks in seclusion at one of the outlying lodges of the Bear Mountain Inn in the spring of 1943, meeting with Wendell L. Willkie there on April 25 before proceeding to the White House for a brief stay. Following

231-556: The building's iconic second-floor fireplace has been reconfigured as a restaurant and catering operation. On February 18, 2012 the Bear Mountain Inn was to be reopened after a six-year closure. For additional information, see Chapter 3: Bear Mountain, in Gottlock & Gottlock's 2007 book. The inn appears in the 1999 film At First Sight where it is called "Bear Mountain Inn & Spa". Rustic architecture Rustic architecture

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252-519: The excursion boat landing on the Hudson River to the plateau on which the inn stands. The ground floor included a luncheon counter while on the second floor veranda "moderately priced table d'hote " meals were sold. The main dining room offered "service equal to any metropolitan restaurant." According to a New York Times article published in June 1915, "There are no windows or doors. When cool weather comes,

273-424: The library. He stays up to watch the sunset, seeing the horizon for the first and last time. After he has been blind again for some time, Virgil is at a park with a guide dog. Amy approaches and they reconnect. Amy apologizes to Virgil for trying to change him and for moving too fast. She asks if he wants to take a walk and "see what they see". They leave the park together. The film holds a "rotten" rating of 32% on

294-413: The massage, Amy realizes that Virgil is blind. Virgil asks her out, and the two eventually begin a relationship. Virgil lives alone, though his over-protective sister Jennie ( Kelly McGillis ) lives next door and takes care of him. Virgil reveals that he went blind when he was three and that the last thing he saw was something fluffy. While researching Virgil's condition, Amy learns of Doctor Charles Aaron,

315-459: The outbreak of World War II , the park commission gave up direct management of the hotel and it was offered as a concession. Terminal Operating Corp. operated the hotel from 1941 until 1965, when it was taken over by Restaurant Associates Inc. As of 1991, ARA Leisure Services operated the inn. A similar contract was announced in December 2008 with Guest Services Inc. of Fairfax, Virginia. The building

336-786: The third floor was initially remodeled as a dormitory. Later, individual guest rooms were installed with shared bath facilities. In 1975, individual bathrooms were installed as part of a larger renovation. At various times during the 1930s and 40s, the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, the New York Giants football team and the New York Knickerbockers basketball team made the inn and adjacent athletic facilities their training headquarters. Also during this period, entertainment headliners included Harry James and Tommy Dorsey , and some believe Kate Smith wrote her 1931 theme song " When

357-502: The upper floor is to be inclosed [ sic ] in glass". In 1922-23 the building became a year-round facility with steam heat and enclosed windows. The aim was in part to make it a center for winter sports. Between the 1930s and 1980s changes to the floor plan were made and some historic details and decorative motifs were concealed or lost, and much of the original rustic furniture was removed. A renovation aimed to restore some of these details. When it became used for overnight accommodations,

378-545: The worn and misused term implies. It is earnestly hoped that a more apt and expressive designation for the style may evolve, but until it appears, "rustic," in spite of its inaccuracy and inadequacy, must be resorted to...." Rustic Architecture related to national parks is sometimes referred to as Parkitecture . At First Sight (1999 film) At First Sight is a 1999 American romantic drama film directed by Irwin Winkler and starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino . It

399-425: Was a failure when he did not find a way to help his son regain sight. Virgil states that he should not have left because his mother and sister suffered greatly after his father walked away. Virgil looks for Amy, who tells him about her plans to travel with him to places like Egypt and Europe. Withholding the fact that he is again going blind, Virgil tells her there is one thing he really wants to see, and brings her to

420-741: Was added to The National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 2002. It was also inducted into Historic Hotels of America , an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation , in 2016. A $ 12 million renovation by H3 HardyCorp, to restore the inn's "original rustic splendor", announced by the park commission in 2005, would require closing the building to the public for 18 months. Bear Mountain Inn had been closed for renovations since about 2005. Media reports on this topic from time to time were somewhat contradictory. A brief note in The New York Times on November 29, 2009, concerned

441-485: Was obtained from old walls on the properties acquired for Bear Mountain State Park . Chestnut timber used for framing, certain trim, siding and floor covering, was also obtained from local park lands and milled on site. Despite appearances to the contrary, the building's basic framework is constructed of steel. The 1915 cellar contained an electric lighting plant that was also planned to furnish power for an escalator from

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