5 spd manual trans, shifter doesn't have enough side to side movement to actuate 1st & 2nd gears. Shifter may be at fault? Bushings all seem intact at cable ends. It's the Lt cable that controls the side to side movement that doesn't have enough through to get trans to slide all the way out to operate 1st & 2nd gears.

Check the busings on BOTH ends of the shifter cables. First check underneath the center console that your bushing didn't break and cause your shifter to be limp and not move anywhere. This is a very common problem and can be remedied permanently by getting the delrin bushing found on ebay.

Next, if the above is fine, check the clips on the shifter side under the hood. There are 4 clips. Two hold the cable ends to the tower and slide horizontally. The other two hold the cables onto the transmission and slide on vertically. Sometimes these clips fall off and makes the shifter inoperable.

Finally if all of the above checks out the last possibility is that your shifter tower metal tab that the shifter cables attaches to is broken and sliding instead of pushing or pulling. This happened to my car but is not likely as my manual was in a raced Saturn previously so wear from that most likely caused it to break.